Food at The Grid, Power Plant Mall

It's been quite a while since the hype for Bun Appetit's lobster roll started making the rounds in social media. I've never had the chance to drop by at the Salcedo/Legazpi food park, so I was relieved to hear they set up shop at The Grid. I figured I might as well try the other ones too.

I've been to The Grid twice since I posted this. The first trip was relatively ok, the second one was bad. You'll see. Anyway, let's start with Bun Appetit.

Bun Appetit

Lobster Roll

Oh this was good. The lobster was sweet, juicy, and cooked just right. Personally speaking I'm not a fan of lobsters, but I recognize this was really worth the almost PHP 700 price tag. What I'm about is the soft-on-the-inside-yet-crisp-on-the-outside divinely buttered roll. Ugh. It's so good.

TFD's rating - ♡♡♡♡

Crab roll

Now this was a letdown. This was just salty all over. The crabs were dissected into small strands mixed with a salty mayo. I hoped I could eat chunks of crab--instead I got this salty nightmare. I want my money back.

TFD's rating - ✗✗  (for the love of god please remove the salty mayo / other condiments and let the crab shine)

Garlic noodles

So I heard this was something to rave about. Me, being the easily marketable by food person that I am, immediately jumped at the opportunity to try one. And guess what?

It tastes like the original lucky me pancit canton noodles. No kidding. I swear that's the stuff I used to buy before Lucky Me butchered their noodles to destroy their brand. 

Is it worth PHP 150? No. Will I buy it again? No. Will I ask someone to buy it for me? Maaaybe yes. Only if I'm craving for it.

TFD's rating - ♡♡♡

Grilled corn

If you've tried Bad Bird especially during its hype days, chances are you've tried their delicious umami grilled corn on a (sliced) cob. And this is essentially that version, except shredded. What's that on top? It's mayo with chili powder. The lime wedge adds a zesty kick to the otherwise rich flavor. It's delicious. I'd buy this again. I'd make someone buy this for me again.

TFD's rating - ♡♡♡♡

Josh Boutwood's burgers (and chicken)

Original fried chicken

What I noticed from said stall was that it wasn't the most popular stall in The Grid. But I was starving for a good ol' crispy fried chicken at the time, so I thought, "you can't fuck up a chicken, right?" Right? 

I mean, it's not fucked up chicken, but it's nothing to write home about either. And for around PHP 400 (iirc) price tag for two pieces and rice, that's unfortunate.

The 'original' blend was just. salty. That's it. Nothing special. If it had spices in it I definitely didn't notice, because the mix was bad. The rice was this dirty rice mix of ground beef + other stuff which failed to complement the original blend's flavor. To be honest the texture of the coating reminded me of Tropical Hut's batter, and not in a good way. It's thick to the point of being makunat.

TFD's rating - ✗

Tankchop XL

Thai milk tea

Pardon the photo. I was halfway through drinking this until I realized I needed to take a photo for this blog's sake. This was taken during my second visit to The Grid where I had lots of awful food choices (crab roll, fried chicken). This tasted like a regular milk tea. But this was the best tasting thing I had during that visit.

TFD's rating - ♡♡♡

Workshop by Le Petit Soufflé

Basque burnt cheesecake

In the past I was cautious trying out Le Petit Soufflé because their cookies (made by the same pastry chef-owner) were crispy and not chewy, which goes against My Standards). Their cakes are also a hit or a meh, so I was on the fence about ordering a cake from their stall. But it's been raved about, so here we go.

I did not expect to taste a very soft, custard-like cheesecake with a dash of burnt taste (the good kind!) at the end of my bite. It's a new taste to me, because afaik this was inspired from a Spanish cheesecake and wasn't mainstream in the past. The only thing that deters me is the fact that its texture is smooth and nothing else. It can get cloying once you've eaten half of it.

TFD's rating - ♡♡♡

🌽✦🌽✦🌽

I'll probably go back to try Bucky's parfait (!) and Bruce Rickett's tacos (me, not a fan of Mexican cuisine). If only Bun Appetit can sell their divine rolls a la carte...

The Grid is located at 3/F Power Plant Mall expansion wing (same wing as Mary Grace, Carmen's Best, and Paul).