Red, White and Blue, lots of Burgers for YOU at Flavors, Holiday Inn Makati

The 4th of July marked the Independence Day of the United States of America and while they may be 8,222 miles away from the Philippines, I got to tell you that our American influence and heritage stays strong through all these years. For one thing, we have adapted the US English system, basketball is clearly our national sport and every Filipino just loves his or her burger, fries and hotdogs. So, it's no big surprise that we also do celebrate this fun occasion here in our island too.

Personally, I love the 4th of July. This day just means allowing ourselves to enjoy all things American! I'll never forget the time when I was invited to visit the US Embassy here in Manila where we were treated to an amazing barbecue spread and we got to watch a beautiful fireworks display too. That was probably one of the best 4th of July celebrations I've had so far.

Over at Flavors in Holiday Inn Makati, they are currently running a gastronomic all-American feast every weekend of July. Think Southern style Louisiana Baby Back Ribs, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Tex-Mex Taco Bar and the main star of the show -- their very own Burger Bar!

This was one of the things that got both Paul and I excited about our lunch here and we made sure to visit the Burger Bar before even trying the other dishes in the line-up. Here, you can create your very own burgers from the buns, the patties, the toppings and even the sides that you'd like to have with it. If you're feeling a bit lazy, the Chef can surely whip something up just for you.



We were feeling very adventurous so we went ahead and created our own burgers! First was our mighty meaty beef burger topped with freshly sliced veggies (tomato, onions and lettuce), caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bacon strips, a slice of cheese and their homemade "In-n-Out sauce". What made this extra yummy was we chose to have it in a brioche bun which they bake in house. Paul also chose to have some potato wedges to go with it. It's nothing too fancy but one that's truly satisfying.

Next was our classy chicken burger with the same set of fresh veggies, more sauteed onions, cheese and guacamole on the side. I chose to have this with their ciabatta bun which I thought was a great choice. We had onion rings to go with it! I was honestly so surprised at how delicious the chicken patty was. Normally, we would shy away from chicken burgers in fear that it might come out too dry or bland especially after enjoying the beef version but this one was GOOD! I wouldn't mind going back to Flavors in the next coming weekends to have more of the Chicken Burgers. The only thing we didn't liked was the guacamole. I just felt it wasn't as fresh and authentic as I was expecting it to be. It has a very mushy texture which made us feel like it came straight out of a bottle. Coming from a huge guacamole fan, I'd like mine with a bit more texture with a bit of citrusy kick.

Aside from burgers, one other American food that I love are sausages! Luckily, the buffet also offers sausage in a bun and you can also add in your choice of toppings and sides. For this, I let Paul took care of creating this and he came up with a simple yet really delicious hotdog sandwich. In fact, this was one of my favorites that day! We were surprised that they made use of cheese hotdogs so you get that creamy, cheesy texture in every bite. It was so so so good!

Here are some other areas of the buffet:

Salad Station -- I really love the selections here but sadly, I had to skip this part out as I can't take anything raw / fresh for now. :(


Bread Corner -- Holiday Inn Makati bakes their breads in house so be sure to grab some and enjoy them with a bowl of soup.

There's also a good selection of Indian dishes, kid-friendly treats such as pizzas, pasta and fish fingers and Pinoy specialties. The buffet selection is not as varied if you compare this to other hotel buffet line-ups, but what I love about it is how they have obviously carefully curated each dish to make it complement one another. After all, quality over quantity right?

It was such a delicious and filling meal but we made sure not to leave without having dessert. Here's a secret that I'd like to share -- for those who misses Hotel Intercontinental's famous Crepe Samurai, I'm happy to share that you can enjoy that same delicious dessert treat here at Holiday Inn Makati. We truly love this warm crepe with loads of mango slices. It was just as delicious as I've always remembered it to be. They also have another favorite which was the Bread Pudding but I skipped this one for now as I was busy eyeing the Halo Halo Station.

I really love Halo Halo and I would make it a point to make myself one whenever there's an opportunity to do so. Look at how loaded my glass is with fresh langka (jackfruit), coconut strips, nata de coco (coconut jelly), red bean, ube (purple yam), leche flan (caramel flan) and shaved ice.

There's 3 more weekends to go before the month ends so make sure to schedule your burger feast at Flavors very soon!

Buffet rate:
Lunch: Php. 1,605 nett
Dinner: Php. 1,818 nett

*photos by Paul Ang

Check out Flavors at Holiday Inn Makati, Palm Drive, Ayala Center, Makati. The hotel is adjacent to Glorietta Mall and it's closest to Glorietta 2. Call them at +63-2- 9090889 to make a reservation.