DELICIOUS DISH-COVERIES: PART 2! =)

Last Saturday was a hectic, but pretty good day. I had been advised by the ad agency that we would be doing a re-offline of the Christmas TVC at 4:00 p.m.--which will hopefully end in time for me to meet up with the rest of the family for the Wanders Chinese Acrobat Circus at the Casino Filipino along Airport Road. It's one of Father's advance birthday gifts (should I say only? hahaha), and it's one I cannot afford to miss.

With all the tickets to the show still with me, I made arrangements with Sister Pusjing for me to drop off everyone else's tickets at House Makati. That way, they can take care of picking up Mother and Father at House Better in case, push comes to shove (sana hindi!), the re-offline once again ends at some ungodly hour.

Before dropping the tickets off, I goaded Hubby S to eat someplace we haven't been to before--I suppose as a temporary respite from the whirlwind of activities that has been going on around me lately. Eating somewhere new, for some strange reason, makes me giddy-happy. It's the equivalent of a mini-break for me. Haha. Yes, it recharges me and gives me peace. =D

That's how we found ourselves in SANGO! The Burger Master! Haha. =)

Sango is not your typical Japanese restaurant. 'Am not sure if they actually have tempura, teriyaki, sushi and sashimi. If they did, it's not the highlight of the menu. I've previously heard of the restaurant from my photographer friend Nikolodeon (that's his assigned code, and I do hope he does not kill me the next time I see him, haha), and he has, on occasion, asked his trusty assistant Divine to serve Sango during shoots. I once went for the Chili Fries (which is to die for!). On the basis of that single Chili Fries experience, I thought visiting Sango to try the full line-up is a trip worth taking with the Hubby. A Japanese Burger Joint. Now, how weird is that?! The idea alone made me smile, and intrigued me enough to resolve to visit! =)

We arrived around 2:30 p.m. to find the place almost full with only two empty booths left inside. (I just realize that the Hubby and I have been eating unusually late lunches during Saturdays, haha. That's probably because we eat breakfast at 9:00 a.m. Ngyaaahhh...=)). 'Am not sure if it's the same for Hubby Sweet, but as soon as we stepped into Sango, I felt like we also stepped off the streets of Manila. Why?

First, everyone else in the place--other than us--was Japanese! Japanese moms with their Japanese sons. Japanese dads with their Japanese daughters. Japanese men with their.. uh OK...Filipina girlfriends. =) Oh, and yes, even the Filipino crew seem to be fluent in Japanese, conversing easily and continuously with their patrons in a language that I do not understand. Haha. I took all these as a good sign, thinking one cannot go wrong with a Japanese restaurant that actually has mostly Japanese customers. =)

Second, Japanese anime comic books, magazines and books lined the bookshelves that stood on one side of the restaurant. I suppose customers were free to read them, considering that the kids were running to and fro with comic books in tow. In addition, Japanese anime cartoon was playing on the LCD screen mounted on the opposite wall. Various origami figures also lined the counters and the kitchen windows. Apparently, the servers give these out to the kids. I, for example, found rather charming seeing a little girl who looks like a Japanese doll receive an origami flower from one of the waitresses--especially when she smiled back in delight until her eyes were no more than slits. =) Rumor has it that when the Japanese owner is there, he gives out origami rings (which he makes himself) to first-time visitors. I suppose it releases the inner kid in everybody as they wolf down their sandwiches while wearing "Voltes V" rings. Haha! =) Sayang, he wasn't there when we went. =(

Last, despite the packed place and the very active kids, you don't sense any of the chaos that you would otherwise walk into if you visited Jollibee or McDonalds. First, although some of the kids were running around, none of them were screaming. It also seemed as if they all had lightweight feet. =) I suppose it also helps that the place was generally well-lit and that there's sufficient space between tables and booths so you don't feel like you're eating elbow-to-elbow with the rest of the metropolis. It's soooooooo Japanese to still be able to provide a sense of zen amidst a bustle of activities. It's an art I have yet to master. I really wish such can be bottled up so I can just buy it off the shelf and take it to the office with me. Haha. =)

While I took in the sights, Hubby Sweet's take on the restaurant was more olfactory. As soon as we walked in, he took a whiff and couldn't stop himself from going, "Hmmmmmmnnnnn.....Tweet, I love the smell!" And, yes, I suppose that's another thing that sets Sango apart from your regular burger joint. It smells clean. Not the antiseptic-Lysol kind of clean. It smells like...how do I say it? It smells like food cooking without the smell of grease. It smells like Japanese spices and flavors lightly and very subtly wafting in the air even as they delicately flavor the food that is being cooked.

Ah, yes, the food. After surveying the menu, the Hubby went for the house bestseller. The Master Burger! DOUBLE VERSION. Haha. For the life of me, I couldn't imagine how he will eat the darn thing without it collapsing. As the Japanese have been known for simplicity and moderation, however, let me just say that this is NOT a gigantic burger. It's not as big as those burgers that you get from Friday's. It's a moderately sized burger that when it was served, I actually thought Hubby S would waste no time ordering for seconds. Apparently, it was more filling than it looked! Hubby Sweet, after all, contentedly leaned back soon after he finished it off--along with a serving of fries (each strip as big as my fingers) and a very healthy take on Iced Tea. Brewed Ginger Iced Tea. =)

Just to experience The Master, I took a bite (which was quite a struggle since the size of my mouth is no match for the full height of the burger, haha). It was pretty flavorful. No bland burgers here. The flavor is in the pattie. The flavors and textures of the lettuce, tomato, cheese, chopped onions and the meat sauce topping enhanced the taste even more. Yum! =)

I, on the other hand, decided on the Yakiniku Rice Burger and Coke Light. I mean, if I were to eat here, I might as well eat something I cannot get in any other burger joint. Oh, except McDo, I suppose. =) (For the record, I also love McDonalds' rice burgers! Haha. =) I just thought I might as well take the opportunity to find out how an honest-to-goodness Japanese rice burger tastes like. =))

Sango's rice burger is much simpler. It has none of the sesame seeds and the mild teriyaki rice flavoring that you would get in the McDo version. The "rice patty" was actually quite crumbly--which, really, shouldn't be the case, right? Disappointment with the rice patty notwithstanding, I thought the flavor of the entire thing was quite excellent. Then again, I suppose that's because I love Yakiniku beef! Hehe. The Yakiniku rice burger came with a bed of lettuce and a light lace of aioli. It was OK over-all. If the rice patty weren't crumbly, I'd probably even rate it great. Still, I wouldn't mind ordering it again the next time we go. That's how much I love Yakiniku beef. =)

Our meal was capped off by a shared serving of Blueberry Shake. (Shared because Hubby Sweet and I were both trying to lose weight. Haha! 'P). I read in a magazine once that we should ignore the name and simply order it for dessert. As soon as we got it, I realized why. The so-called Blueberry Shake is actually a simple sundae made of vanilla ice cream generously topped with cornflakes and blueberry drips. The magazine article also advised that it is best to first mix the Blueberry Shake thoroughly before digging into it. That's exactly what I did. The Blueberry Shake was a goner as soon as Hubby Sweet and I took our separate first spoonfuls. YUM!!! ^_^ Haha! The flavor was actually very simple, but the combined texture of smooth and creamy ice cream, crunchy cornflakes and blueberries bursting inside the mouth provided a wonderfully light but indulgent experience (if that is at all possible). It being a fairly simple concoction, I will nonetheless resist the temptation to just replicate it at home, lest I blow up to the size of a Good Year blimp in no time at all. Hahaha! 'P

All told, I enjoyed our visit to Sango. I enjoyed the ambience as much as I appreciated the flavors in the food (and in the air, haha). Most of all, I loved the fact that although I felt full, I did not feel unnecessarily bloated as we walked out. It's a particularly unique experience, considering Sango is supposed to be a fastfood burger joint. I suppose that gives me license to say that despite the menu line-up, the Sango experience is really so Japanese! =)

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P.S. - For the benefit of Sister Pusjing, the meal cost us around P400+. Haha. Yes, it's not exactly cheap. I suppose even the price has to be authentically Japanese. Haha! =) In any case, if you want to try Sango for yourself, it's at the Mile Long (or is it the Gallerie?) Building along Amorsolo. Basta, it's the building right next to Makati Cinema Square. =) Sango and the other restaurants are sandwiched between Pharoah (yes, the GRO club =)), and another Videoke Club. =) Ayan, now all the guys know where Sango is! HAHA! 'P