Ole Reliable: Gourmet's Palate (aka Charbroiled), BF Paranaque

Everyone should have a default place to go when hungry, broke, and too tired to think of what to eat; and it's late; and there's no food at home. Mine would have to be Gourmet's Palate (aka Charbroiled) in BF Homes, Paranaque.

Gourmet's Palate is conveniently located along Aguirre Ave., BF's commercial strip, so it's easy to find. The restaurant is small, with a capacity of maybe 15-20 diners. There is also outside seating, enough to accommodate maybe another 20 people. The interior is bright, with yellow walls adorned with decor reminiscent of a simple country kitchen. It's humble and clean, nothing to boast of, but no one comes to Gourmet's Palate for the decor or ambiance.

What they do come for is the (relatively) cheap, very tasty, and filling food.

Their menu consists of burgers (about 15 different varieties, including a chicken burger, a roast beef sandwich, and hotdogs); sizzling-plate rice meals (about 10 different varieties); and takaw bowls (different flavors of fried rice with meat and veggies). They also have some Pinoy-Mexican fare (nachos, tacos, quesadillas, burritos); Pinoy-Chinese fare (dumplings and noodle soup); shawarma (meat rolled into flatbread); a few silogs (breakfast meats with egg and fried garlic rice) and a couple of pastas; and a handful of desserts.

About 95% of the time, R and I go for their sizzlers. For R, it's usually the Porterhouse or T-bone, and for me, it's almost always the Salisbury Steak or the Roast Beef. All sizzlers are served with rice (either garlic or java) and well as mixed veggies and gravy (except maybe the sisig, which I have yet to try). The meat is always very well marinated and incredibly tasty, and the gravy is good enough to scoop onto the rice and eat as is. Gravy pa lang, ulam na. I might've mentioned that I'm not a big rice eater, and I usually consume just half an order of rice or less, but at Gourmet's Palate, I usually finish 3/4 a cup or even a whole cup of rice, which is astounding for me!

Porterhouse? T-bone? Not sure which.

Salisbury steak

When I'm not in the mood for rice (which rarely happens, particularly when I'm ravenously hungry), I go for a burger, usually the Blue Thunder or Mushroom Melt (I love blue cheese and mushrooms). The bread is nice and soft, substantial but not overwhelming, and it does a good job of soaking up the flavors and excess juices of the meat inside it. The burger patty is char-grilled (so be patient, as it takes a while to cook), big and beefy, moist and tender, and perfectly tasty--this is not your usual McDonald's/burger-chain burger! I'm not really big on burgers--I usually think they're boring and are made interesting only by their toppings (cheese, onions, mushrooms, etc.)--but the burgers here are delicious! I love them so much that I eat them even when I'm in the mood for rice (see Salisbury steak above).

I've ordered a takaw bowl once or twice, and while delicious and incredibly filling, I'd rather order something that isn't predominantly rice (although they are generous enough with the meat and veggies). For those who love fried rice, though, this is bound to satisfy.

Gyoza. I know some pieces are a little more toasted than
others (they must've been having an off night), but I assure
 you that none were burnt, and they were still perfectly good.

When extra hungry, R and I usually go for a size order of gyoza (Japanese meat dumplings). Their version is pan-fried, nicely crisp on the outside, with delicious filling, and served with a nice, mildly vinegary dipping sauce. We also usually share an order of Chinese gulaman, cold, sweet, and refreshing.

Chinese gulaman

Once in a while, we order dessert, either silvanas (the perfect ratio of pastry to butter, great texture, sweet and creamy without being overwhelming) or chocolate cake (perfectly moist).

And the damage? No more than PhP 500 (~USD 12) for two persons, and that's when we're feeling particularly gluttonous, with gyoza, a main each, gulaman, and dessert.

So next time you find yourself down South, and it's late and you're hungry and you don't have much cash to burn, you know where to go!

*Apologies for the low-quality photos. I'll replace them with better ones soon. (Gives me an excuse to eat at Gourmet's again!)

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Gourmet's Palate
Aguirre Ave., BF Homes, Paranaque

Phase 1 branch
+63 2 809-4273
Open 10 am - 4 am

Phase 3 branch
+63 2 850-8640
Open 10 am - 12 mn