HOLAdays Feasting at Gringo at O Square, Greenhills #GringoPH

This year flew by at record speed (and I feel that I've been saying this every single year) but seriously, with all the things that's been keeping us super busy in our lives, I can't believe that we're nearing the end of 2019 and we're less than a month away to welcome the new year. The holiday feasting and partying have surely began two weeks ago for me when I met up with my bestest friends.

We've been best of friends since we were in high school so that means we've been friends for more than 2 decades already. Back when we were young (and silly), our group went by several names -- 4 Musketeers, Phantombunnies, The Mosquito Gang (don't ask me about this one haha) and many more. It shows how crazy we were but despite that, it shows how we just wanted a name that would bind the four of us together..forever. If you really think about it, we're four women with very different personalities. One is the analytical thinker, the smartest girl in our barkada, it's actually not a surprise that she graduated as one of the top of our batch and got in our state university earning a double degree. Another one is our very organized planner. She has her schedule super jam-packed that believe me, I even have to set our dinner with her at least a month in advance. She's a talented baker and is super artistic too. She's a homebody but at the same time has probably the most number of social groups among the four of us. My third best friend is the chillest person I know. She's quiet to most people but to us, we can just carry on a conversation all day long. Ever since we were young, she's been a music lover and she's one of my sweetest and most loyal friend too. In fact, she even spent some time to see me at the Lion City a couple of years back.  Then there's me. Well, I guess you pretty much know who I am so let's skip the introduction. Haha! These ladies have been there for me through all the ups and downs of my life. They're been present and have played big roles in all my life milestones too. My wedding entourage, the ninangs (godmothers) of my twins and the list goes on and on. I guess, it's true that you don't really need to have a million friends in this world. As a fact, having them and my family around me is enough to make me feel complete.

This holiday season is the perfect time to reunite with old friends and to bring the family together. In our neighborhood, Paul and I actually have this favorite restaurant. It's called Gringo and they specialize in roast chicken and meats. I think it has been around for a while but since we got back in 2017, it was only then that I discovered it. I remember celebrating Father's Day there last year and that was still when my Kongkong was still happy and well. Oh how I miss him! One thing that we love about Gringo is their Nacho Grande which is ... okay, ready with my proclamation the best nachos in town! Yup, such a bold proclamation but Paul and I are so crazy about it. We love how the nacho platter is always served warm, the nachos has this perfect crunch and it's generously topped with minced beef, salsa, cilantro, cheese. If you think about it, it's a very simple appetizer but one that we can't do without everytime we're at Gringo.



This Christmas, Gringo is ready to treat the entire family or the entire barkada with their best-selling dishes. Instead of having to worry about ordering ala carte, go for these two party platters that's good for 4-6 pax and comes complete with rice, drinks and even dessert.

But first, only available this season is the Lechon Cubano which is a slow-roast Cuban-style lechon belly that's drizzled with Gringo's signature Chimichurri sauce. Of course, what's a holaday feast without lechon? I love how the skin stayed so crisp while the meat was very tender and flavorful. This is my kind of lechon, amigo!

Okay, going back to the platters. The Sancho Board (Php. 2,680) which comes with one whole grilled chicken, bbq ribs, adobo blackmole soft tacos, cream dory soft tacos, Gringo Lechon Cubano, your choice of rice (plain, garlic or mexican) , a pitcher of home brewed iced tea and ube de queso. It's such a hearty feast that the entire barkada can already enjoy. Apart from the chicken, Paul and I love the ribs as the flavor and tenderness is just perfect. I also love the Ube de Queso which is like an ube panna cotta topped with grated cheese and cream. So good!

Another platter is the Buena Board (Php. 2,640) which comes with one whole original chicken, bbq ribs, adobo blackmole soft tacos, cream dory soft tacos, tilapia fingers, your choice of rice (plain, garlic or mexican) , a pitcher of home brewed iced tea and ube de queso. Personally, I like the Sancho platter more as I enjoyed the Lechon Cubano very much and I wasn't a fan of the tilapia fingers which still had fish bones in it. Definitely a big no no for the little ones.

Both boards are very generous in terms of its serving and it's definitely perfect for big groups to share. You can add more sides to complement your roast meats. Isn't this a great deal? Now you know where to take the gang or family out this Christmas! Be sure to make reservations as restaurants are surely pack this time of the year.

I may seem like a broken record here at home but I've been constantly raving about Gringo and its amazing Nacho Grande for more than a year now. In fact, writing this is making me craving once again!

Check out Gringo which has 19 branches already -- Ayala Malls Feliz, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Ayala Malls The 30th, Ayala UP Town Center, Festival Mall, O Square 2 Greenhills, Palanca St. cor. Dela Rosa in Makati; SM CDO Downtown Premiere, SM Dasmariñas, SM Fairview, SM Legazpi, SM Manila, SM Marilao, SM Megamall, MAAX (beside SM MOA Arena), SM North EDSA, SM Santa Rosa, SM Sucat, and The Fort in BGC.