Together with my balikbayan cousin L, J and I went over to Army + Navy (Alabang Branch) to have a late lunch. For the life of me I don't know why I agreed, as I was actually dreaming of having a Sango Burger, but since J was quite insistent that L try it I agreed.
This time, J and I both ordered the BURGER.
BURGER (P135)
Classic single quarter-pound beef patty, topped with fresh crispy lettuce, tomato slice & onions, mayo & ketchup on toasted sesame seed kaiser bun.
J wanted to try the burger with just a single patty instead of two patties with bread on top and on the bottom =D
L polished it off in 5 minutes flat. Personally, it was okay. For P135, I don't know, I would rather have had a super large Coke, cheeseburger from McDo, and fries. Sorry! So next time I go to Army Navy, it would definitely be for a burrito or a Bully Burger, nothing less. Because for roughly the same amount, I would honestly go for a Sango Burger with Japanese mayo (a.k.a wasabe).
Verdict - surprisingly great movie. B+
I was totally geared up for "this-is-so-silly-it's-entertaining" feeling I would get when watching this movie, for the ff reasons:
1. It's a game movie. Cue in Street Fighter, Silent Hill movies. Sucky sucky sucky.
2. It's another "epic" movie. Clash of the Titans was just plain RIDICULOUS. And sorry Avatar fans, I totally thought Avatar was exaggeratedly enjoyed by the world considering its ridiculous premise. Sorry. Too many "Eh, bakit?" questions during and after the movie.
3. Not a Jake Gyllenhaal fan. Not even remotely.
However, I was resigned to watching the movie, as J was very much interested in the trailer (and any "epic" movie for that matter. Must be a guy thing.)
So, I piled up on Fish and Chips, Wendy's Biggie (but Lite) Iced Tea, and Sebastian's Ice Cream (on a last minute whim). Oink oink oink. Anything to get me thru this movie.
As not to give out spoilers, I'll just give the movie's premise. Prince Dastan, as played by the macho Jake, is the 3rd Prince of Persia, the strongest country of it's time (6th Century BC). He was adopted by the King as a child because of his fearlessness, loyalty, and kindness. Years later, Dastan's eldest brother, the next King, invades the sacred city of Alamut, and they meet the beautiful Princess Tamina, who is protecting a mythical Dagger.
Mmmmmmacho.
If I say anymore I'll spoil it, but honestly this movie has a lot of interesting twists, good dialogue and acting, and incredible graphics. Seriously. And I'm quite harsh when I watch movies, I always call them lame. This one really had a good plot!
If you google the movie it will say the critics gave it bad reviews, but honestly online and in facebook you'll find that a lot of people enjoyed it. Very few negative reviews (I found this out after watching the movie, so no bias). Seriously, worth watching.
After watching the movie, I sheepishly turned to J, and said "I'm embarassed to admit this, but that was an excellent movie."
Go watch it, go watch it, go watch it. It's a movie both you and your loved one (of the opposite sex) would enjoy. Surprise surprise!
Trivia-- I saw this myself --- the poster of Prince of Persia premieres in a scene of "Confessions of a Shopaholic". Was shocked myself because I watched the movie again last week and saw it, had to google to make sure I wasn't going insane.
Aahhhhh... how does one explain how she came to live in a restaurant?
Okay, well, not SERIOUSLY live in one. Just have it as a second home.
Mary Grace (the Cafe/Restaurant) at the Alabang Town Center, for the past few months, has been my home away from home. At least twice a week, I eat dinner/merienda there while the kids are finishing up at their learning center.
And my oh my. Let me enumerate my favorites. Actually it may even be easier to enumerate those that AREN'T, so don't be surprised if you find 3/4 of the menu below:
1. Classic Ensaymada - what was Mary Grace first known first? Their oh-so-fluffy ensaymadas topped generously with queso de bola toppings that spill over on the plate. Baked fresh everyday.
All Pics taken from Mary Grace Official Website - http://www.marygracecafe.com/
2. Cheese Rolls - More beloved actually than the Ensaymada, personally, because of the solid queso de bola cheese middle, which I adore.
3. Salmon Pasta - Carbonara with Salmon Bits. This I always have for dinner or lunch, when I'm looking for something heavier.
4. Sangria Iced Tea - Super refreshing, when it's really hot and I'm looking for something cold that isn't a Wendy's iced tea, this is what I crave for.
5. Raspberry Iced Tea - my first love actually, before discovering Sangria. Also fantastic when you're looking for a more robust burst in flavor.
6. Hot chocolate - super thick, this doesn't disappoint. My friends order this every single time they come here to meet with me.
7. Quesong Puti Appetizer - I forgot exactly the name for this but it's crostini bread with garlic quesong puti that you can slice and spread on the bread.
8. Mango Bene- a light dessert similar to that of contis Mango Bravo, minus the nuts and other heavy elements. J actually prefers this. I like it myself but I still look for the nutty taste of Mango Bravo.
9. Apple Pie - I'm a harsh critic of Apple pies, but this one's pretty good. The crust is so... I don't know, home-made tasting? Not frozen, it really tastes fresh always. Always request heated .
10. Chocolate cake- simple but the good recipe. Not too heavy. It reminds me of the chocolate cakes in Magallanes, so if you're a fan of that you should try this.
They also serve breakfast on weekends, 8AM, that are worth trying because the ambience is really just so homey. My kids love the butterfly touches all over the restaurant, but for me it's the Christmas lights on the windows and the lamps that really give the restaurant that merry feel. Bathrooms are ALWAYS clean as they check every 15 minutes (just so you know) =D
And best of all - plugs and Wifi. Free. Need I say more? Oh well, I will become I'm just obnoxious like that.
Oh and I can go on and on about their wonderful staff. Their waiters and waitresses are really super kind and patient. Plus attentive and friendly. If you use your credit card once, chances are they'll greet you each time by name already (similar to Starbucks).
My different barkada groups have grown accustomed to meeting me here instead of just a regular cup of coffee in Starbucks (though I still heart Starbucks). It's just a great place to bring family or friends to. And judging by how it's always filled to the brim now, I'm sure other Alabangers feel the same way now.
MARY GRACE CAFE
Alabang Town Center Muntinlupa
10am-10:30pm (Mon-Thurs), 8am-11pm (Fri-Sun)
Ground floor, Corte de las Palmas Tel: 828 8476 | 0917 515 7524
A lot of you have probably eaten at this place by now, in particular, the Tagaytay Branch near Starbucks. But being a die-hard Antonio's and Buon Giorno fan, I rarely find space in my stomach to try anything new in Tagaytay. So it was great to see a new Army-Navy branch open at the New Commerce Center along Commerce Ave. in Alabang. Everytime I would pass by it though (it's along a very important main road) it would be full to the brim.
That's a FANTASTIC sign in my opinion!
Today, as I was pondering where to have our late lunch, J suggested we try it now, which I thought was a great idea! We headed over to the Commerce Center and parked in the super tight parking underneath (I can't imagine parking there on a packed night). Though not a peak hour (about 2PM) the place was loosely full (and by that I mean each table was taken but not full).
Eagerly J ordered the Bully Boy Burger (P235), which is a Triple Quarter-pound beef buger (and described to be "Made Big to Beef Up a Batallion."
Oh my, J.
I reminded him that I would NOT drive him to Asian Hospital if he had a mini-stroke eating this burger, as I would like to leasurely enjoy my meal. Sorry.
I ordered something that was not on the flyer (and the menu, I think), but was advertised on a poster by the menu. It was called "the Starving Sailor" (which I was, seriously, by 2PM) - (P225). It was made of thin strips of beef, cheese, jalapeno, onions, and looked a little bit like a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. Yumyumyum. I ordered their Libertea (P45, Large)to go with it (I'm a huge huge fan of Iced Teas).
While waiting for our sandwiches, I peered into their kitchen. It was very clean and full of expensive, expensive equipment. I think I failed to mention that it was adjacent to Yellow Cab (I think they're linked), which is also known for their expensive kitchen equipment. Impressive. The store interiors itself was very clever, with cement blocks and other army and navy paraphernalia worked into the ceiling and walls.
After a 5-minute wait, our orders arrived, and we were not dissappointed with the size of these babies. My oh my. Check these pics out.
- Starving Sailor with Libertea
- the Bully Boy Burger
Pic taken from Official Website.
Their Libertea was refreshingly good too. I'm a harsh critic of Iced Tea, and refuse to eat in restos with sucky iced teas (yeah I'm crazy like that), but Libertea was okay. Not super, actually not super tasteful and could use more ice, but pretty good (and pretty cheap too). Not too sweet, that's for sure!
I also tasted J's Burger, it was smoky good! Good bun, well cooked patties (yes all three of them!) In my disbelief, he polished the whole thing off then ordered a Chocolate Milkshake (P99). Nabitin pa? I tasted the Milkshake too (yes I taste everything he orders, I know that's what you're thinking) and THAT was really good. Small though, 12 oz. cup only for P99, but I know Milkshakes have really expensive ingredients so it's forgiveable.
Pic taken from Official Website.
I would love to try other things next time (I'm definitely coming back for more). Steak burritos (P155), Fearless Fried Chicken (P135) and Chicken Quesadilla (P135) look promising. Nomnomnom.
Right in all aspects. See you soon Army Navy! Probably tomorrow.
ARMY NAVY Burrito + Burger
Bridgestone Building, Commerce Avenue
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
