Some months ago, I joined Zomato and was lucky enough to have one of my reviews chosen for their Write-for-a-bite contest. And, soon enough, a small red envelope was sent to my doorstep. It was a gift certificate to Chuck's Deli! While I had read about it a few times from other food blogs, I never had the opportunity to go check it out, especially since my food buddies prefer rice over sandwiches on most days. Anyway, after having the GC on hand for weeks now, Marcus and I decided to take a lunch trip to Serendra to see what the hype is about.
Marcus, who wanted a hamburger fix, ordered Chuck's half-pounder (P375). That's half a pound US Angus beef patty with lettuce, tomato, Chuck's sauce, and mayo mustard. As with most of their dishes, it came with a siding of potato chips or onion rings -- he opted for the chips. The meat was juicy and its toppings complemented its taste. While I did like my own order (The Buffy sandwich) more, Marcus liked this hamburger more and enjoyed his meal.
I ordered a 1/2 slab of The Buffy. Their sandwiches come in three sizes -- 1/4, 1/2, and 1 whole. There's a to-size picture on it on their menu to make it easier for the customers to choose. Since the quarter order didn't come with a side dish, I opted for 1/2... and was pretty surprised when the order came, because it was much bigger than I expected it to be, even if I did look at the picture on their menu (it was 2d!). I wasn't able to finish the whole thing on my own though I did enjoy it a lot, and it's one of the best sandwiches I've tasted.
As you may have guessed from the name, the main filling is buffalo chicken. The meat is spicy, and very juicy. Really, it was an instant fave. It made up entirely for the onion rings, which were dry and difficult to chew.
We're also given bottles of garlic sauce and spicy sauce. While not mandatory, they can be put on your hamburgers/sandwiches/whatnot if you so wish. I liked the garlic sauce and actually put a generous amount of it on my sandwich.
Like a number of burger/sandwich joints out there, Chuck's Deli has a couple of challenges for the hungry adventurers. You can finish an entire Buffy under 5:00 minutes, or the Mother Chucker under 2:50 minutes. I don't think I'm ever going to join a challenge like this because I don't think I'll be able to enjoy my meal at all, but these people must be very proud to have their name up there! I would be, considering how large the orders are.
Chuck's Deli can be found in Serendra, particularly the side facing Market Market. Our order amounted to 700+ pesos (including service charge), which I admit was a tad pricey, even if we did pay for majority of the bill with our gift certificate from Zomato. What they offer is very filling though and you get what you pay for in order size and taste.
Verdict
It was a filling lunch. There were all sorts of dishes to order from, all with curious pun names. Wait staff was nice and the place was small and homey.
Taste - 4/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3/5
Overall Rating - 4/5
