Back at The Grid Food Market (Part 2) : Bucky's, Le Chon and Bun Appetit

I got to say that with a little more than a month left as we close 2019, The Grid Food Market was indeed one of my favorite foodie places this year. What's there not to love about it? It has a very good selection of food choices and I'd say, they didn't stop at being "good" but they really went above and beyond by getting the best in the industry. Here, you get only the most authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice, the yummiest Laksa, the highly desired Lobster Roll and of course, you finish off with the best Chocolate in town and award-winning cake selections too. Even my twins love it so much that we spent almost the entire day last Saturday dining at The Grid. We had lunch, merienda and dinner there and we never got tired of it as there were just a lot of options to choose from.

For my part 2, let me focus on 3 homegrown brands that has quickly made a name for itself in the foodie circle. One was first known for their ooey gooey, super sinful brownies. Another is the brainchild of a well-respected private chef in the society and lastly, well the only place in Manila where you can get the best Lobster / Crab rolls. I'm talking about Bucky's, Le Chon by Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu and Bun Appetit. These three stalls were one of the firsts to open at The Grid so I actually had the chance to try them several times since 2018. I think it's high time to share what I love from these three stalls and why you just have to drop by for a visit soon. 

First is Bucky's. When I was in the Lion City, I've been reading how my foodie friends are going crazy over this super sinful, deep, dark chocolates which started their story in the hip area called Poblacion. Later on, Bucky's started to introduce more dishes and owning the tag line "more than just brownies". I never really got to visit them as I rarely go to Makati whenever we're in town for a short visit so I thanked my lucky stars when I found out that they're opening shop in The Grid Food Market. 

We started with a platter of Twister Fries (Php. 150) because my twins just love their fries. You all know how much we always have to get them those delicious fries from Beefier it was really a gamble when I opted to introduce Bucky's Twister Fries which they loved as well. *phew* Yes, we can finally have Twister Fries all year long! Even my niece C loved the fries that she ended up with her own little plate for dinner last Saturday. 

Of course, Bucky's is known for their Boneless Fried Chicken (Php. 260) which was so good! I love how crunchy it was and inside, it's so meaty and tender. I highly recommend that you get this with Mashed Potato (Php. 80) to complete the meal. The chicken comes with two different sauces -- gravy and honey mustard. I love how they allow their patrons to choose their sauce. After all, we're all very different from one another. 

Another must-try is the Swedish Meatballs which reminds me of the ones Paul and I would always get from IKEA. The only difference is this one has more sauce and comes with marbled potatoes as opposed to the traditional lingonberry jam and boiled potatoes. A bit on the salty side though but meatballs is always comfort food and something you can never go wrong with. 

Now, you know what they normally say about sandwiches. It's quick, easy to eat and light. Well, this one is packed with so much flavor and protein and you have to be a bit careful when taking a bite so as not to make a huge mess. Nonetheless, The Chicken Parm Sandwich reminds me of those delicious but super messy sloppy joe sandwiches that we would have when we were kids. I love the crunchy chicken coating, the juicy and tender meat and how the tangy tomato sauce completed the whole sandwich. 

I thought we were done trying the best things that Bucky's can offer but no. For dessert, we had Bucky's Soft Serve with Salted Caramel sauce and Brown Butter Polvoron (Php. 280). It was so good that L actually enjoyed half a cup. This is way more than her usual ice cream serving! We also tried the Chocolate Soft Serve with Brown Butter Polvoron but personally, I think the Milk flavor tastes way way way better. 

Moving on to Le Chon. I've heard about Happy Ongpauco-Tiu as she hails from the Barrio Fiesta family and is married to the Tiu family who are our family friends. Apart from this, I've heard a great deal about Happy's private dining repertoire and how amazing it is. I'm so glad that she has made her offerings more accessible to the public through Le Chon. Ordering at Le Chon is a breeze.

Step 1: Choose your lechon (lechon porchetta, lechon manok, lechon angus beef belly, lechon spicy tuna belly or lechon sisig)
Step 2: Choose your flavor (original, tanglad butter, sugar cane gata or truffle at bawang)
Step 3: Choose your sides (kamote fries, banana cue chips or my personal favorite -- grilled talong with baba ganoush)
Step 4: Choose your rice (Le chon's original butter rice or sexy brown rice)
Step 5: Choose your sauce (labuyo lime, pinakurat or adobo white sauce)

The price ranges from P299 to P495 depending on your choice of meat. However, the serving is huge! Paul and I always end up sharing one order whenever we order from Le Chon simply because we always have other dishes to share too.

My favorite combination is this: Lechon Angus Beef Belly + Original flavor + Grilled Talong with Baba Ganoush + Butter Rice + Adobo White Sauce

Hands down one of the best meals that I've had this year! I love everything about it, how fresh and tasty the meat is, the sides are so innovative and the rice is yummy. I also love the sweet and tangy atchara that's served with each platter too.

Finally, our last stop -- Bun Appetit.

Sometime in 2017, I've been hearing lots of raves about this popular stall in the Salcedo Market that's sells the best lobster rolls in town. Unfortunately, 2017 was a super busy year for me so no weekend market shopping for me then. Thankfully, Bun Appetit opened at The Grid making it easier now to try their famous lobster rolls, crab rolls and seafood cheese sandwiches.

My twins love their Garlic Noodles (Php. 150) which I can totally understand why. It's really flavorful and al dente that that alone makes for a good meal in itself. However, how can you just stop at their Garlic Noodles? Try the Lobster Roll (Php. 695) which is a generous bun filled to the brim with the juiciest, meatiest lobsters. I wonder where do they get their lobsters as it's soooo good. They went easy on the dressing as they really wanted the lobsters to take centerstage and what a star it really was. I've had Lobster Rolls overseas and that honestly paled in comparison to this.

They also have Crab Roll  (Php. 495) and Shrimp Roll  (Php. 395) which I will make sure to try next time. I'm also curious to try their Grilled Cheese sandwiches and if you're at The Grid for a big celebration, why don't you go all out and try the Steamed Live Maine Lobster which has to be ordered in advance.

Bun Appetit is definitely a haven for all sandwich and seafood lovers. While the price is slightly on the high side, this is still a good deal given that you're getting top quality ingredients in every bite.

This concludes my 2nd part feature of The Grid Food Market. There are still a few more stalls that I have yet to try and I will definitely add more to this series as I heard that they're opening their expansion wing very soon.

Related post: 
The Grid Food Market (Part 1)

Visit The Grid Food Market at the Powerplant Mall, R2 Level, Rockwell Center, Makati City.