If you are new in the area, Serendra can be very intimidating. You scan the row of restaurants and you see unfamiliar names like Gaudi, Abe, Chelsea and the likes. We wouldn’t blame you if you’d hurriedly walk (with poise) to either Bonifacio High Street or Market! Market! The sight of McDonald’s or Krispy Kreme eases your tensed body (and pocket). We, however, didn’t let the foreign-sounding names scare us; instead we braved through the place and looked for the resto-pub we were looking for: Murray & D’vine.
Okay, we have to admit: Serendra is not something new to us. We’ve blogged about Sonja’s uber delicious cupcakes before, and to be honest, it was love at first sight. It felt good to know that we can dine somewhere in Metro Manila without being confined inside a mall. It also helps that there are less stores with the word SALE on it. Money will be spent somewhere else, aka good food.
We discovered Murray & D’vine through a groupon deal. We pay P500 for P1000 worth of food and drinks. Good deal, eh? Well the half slash of the bill wasn’t the only thing that was good in this resto-pub; food was excellent too. It being a resto-pub meant only one thing: COMFORT FOOD. And by the time the waitress gave us the menu, it wasn’t surprising at all to see their menu filled with greasy yet all-familiar dishes we hate to admit we love. Burgers, fries, nachos, soda.. it almost felt like we were in a diner somewhere in the United States . Or that’s how at least we pictured it. The wide selection of burgers made it quite difficult for us to choose our burgers, but thank heavens it didn’t take a day for us to choose what we wanted to eat.
Here's what we ate at Murray & D'Vine:
Melon Shake, 105 php
Glutton Guy: Okay, so this is not the best drink that I've tasted. But, it wasn't the worst. Melon will always be on the top of my list when it comes to fresh fruit shakes, and this drink didn't exactly hit the mark with regards to my expectations. I found the drink a little overpriced (heck, I can get a glass of this at 30% of the price elsewhere). But, just like any 'sosyal' restaurant, you pay for the ambiance and the experience. The melon was blended well with the ice, but I would have wanted a bit more milk to make the drink creamier and a bit more sweeter. : )
Nachos with Cheese, 135 php
Glutton Guy: Anything with cheese is a dish worth trying. This isn't the most outrageous nachos dish I've tried, but I have to say that it's really good. It really resembles the authentic Mexican nachos. It had melted cheese, jalapenos, and peppers, everything that you would see stacked in a nachos dish. The nachos still had that crunchy texture, which I really liked because some nachos get soft and soggy when dipped too long in the cheese. The peppers add that kick that you would look for in an appetizer. It's a perfect starter for a delicious meal! : )
Glutton Girl: We ordered nachos with cheese for our appetizer. I won’t even dwell on this dish as it was just normal; something you can whip up in your own kitchen. The burgers are the stars of the morning, if that’s even possible.
Beef Burger, 295 php
(Add-ons: sauteed onions, 20 php; cheddar cheese, 30 php; button mushrooms, 30 php; bleu cheese, 40 php; shitake mushroom sauce, 50 php; bacon, 60 php)
Glutton Guy: Now this is what you call a 'love burger'. Murray & D'Vine offers a delicious beef burger served in a heart-shaped bun. The size of the burger isn't any different compared to American-inspired restaurants. But, it's the taste that'll really blow you away. The patty is not the fast-food-slim-type-unflavored-unappealing patty, it's the real thing, juicy and absolutely loaded with flavor. I swear, you would have difficulty in eating this using your hands because it's so big. I added sauteed onions and cheddar cheese to my burger, and it really helped in adding flavor, overall. I liked the caramelization of the onions and how it complements the salty taste of the cheddar. The crunchiness of the vegetables and the softness of the bun are indications that the ingredients used are fresh. Even if it looks just like an ordinary cheeseburger, it's a burger that packs a punch. Trust me, you'd want this more than the fast-food burgers out there. : )
Glutton Girl: I am a big fan of cheese. Just say the word CHEESE and I’m IN. YES, YES, YES is what I’ll say. So for this brunch, I decided to go with the best cheese on a burger patty, in my opinion. No, it isn’t cheddar nor mozzarella; it’s bleu cheese. Yup, BLEU CHEESE. I know it’s pungent and has a weird after-taste but don’t you just love the authenticity it comes with? It’s how cheeses are supposed to be: smelly and rotten. YUM. Since the ready-made burgers didn’t come with the things I wanted in MY burger, I made my own concoction. (I was feeling chef-y that day.) Aside from bleu cheese, I added caramelized onions together with the tomato and lettuce on my burger, and had my patty cooked well-done. It was a good combination because at first bite, I literally saw Y-U-M-M-E-H spelled in front of me. I wasn’t THAT hungry that day but I finished the humongous burger in front of me. Ganun siya kasarap. I made Glutton Guy try my burger as well and I think he can attest to how good it was. : )
Even without the discount, we would’ve eaten here. (But of course, discounts are ALWAYS better.) The price you pay is worth the burger you get. Plus the free showing of NBA games on BasketballTV. We can just imagine groups of men (dads mostly) crowding this place to watch a basketball or a football game together, shouting their lungs out and toasting their beer bottles to a goal. And maybe even fights when they’re supporting opposing teams. Either way, we can’t imagine the place empty. Their burgers are enough reason for people to visit. Add entertainment and voila, a good, thriving business. It's fun and food, all in one place.
Here's how we rated Murray & D'Vine:
Food:
Price:
Place:
Service:
(Murray & D'Vine is located at C114 Ground Floor, Retail Area, Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. It's hard to miss with it's violet-colored signage.)
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