Gerry’s Grill

Gerry’s Grill is a household name in the Philippines.  I’m just amazed as to how they continue to be better & better inspite of the success of the restaurant.  Would you believe at around 9PM in the evening, Gerry’s Grill at Tomas Morato was still jampacked?  Considering how big the branch is, it was just impressive to see with my own eyes!

Last night, Gerry’s Grill invited several media people to sample their new menu dishes.  I was one of them and I also brought my mom with me (I know she loves Gerry’s Grill so I’m sure she’d enjoy the meal).

We were able to try out numerous dishes, and honestly, it was too much hahaha!  My mom was actually constantly reminding me to stop taking in so much, she wanted me to just have one bite of each dish.  I’m a bit conscious now since I’m already overweight so it’s best that I start tracking my diet.  Who could resist Gerry’s Grill food?  I would say noone especially if you’re fond of Filipino food.

Here are Gerry’s Grill new yummy dishes:

• Fish & Chips (Php 145)

I also included in this photograph the shrimps & chips (Php 295).  Both fish & shrimps were done the same way, battered and then deep fried, not good for the cholesterol count, but definitely still very delicious.  This is somewhat an American menu item that they have incorporated into their menu to give more variety for those who are craving this classic american seafood item.  Gerry’s Grill is really trying to stretch it by having a bit of everything in their menu.

• Several Pla Pla Dishes

Most of their new offerings include a major ingredient which is the fish called Pla Pla.  I had to put them in one image for you to see how the restaurant created 4 completely different dishes with it.  The dishes are Sinigang na Pla pla sa Miso (Php 185), Ginataang Pla pla (Php 225), Pinaputok na Pla pla Fillet (Php 245) & Crispy Pla pla w/ Ensaladang Talong (Php 190).  Innovative, isn’t it?  They tasted good too!

• Sizzling Tilapia Ala Pobre (Php 245)

Most of their new dishes are fish hahaha!  I don’t know if it was God’s will that they didn’t serve much meat since I need to lose weight, but I welcome it!  Gerry’s Grill is famous for their sizzling plates so I’m glad they made this version for the tilapia.  Tilapia is one of those types of fish that is very versatile and lends well to the sizzling plate menu.  Simple way of cooking fish, minced garlic, onion, some veggies, and you really have an appetizing dish.  It honestly is the added taste of the garlic and onions that make this dish stand out.  Not to mention that the fish is nice and moist and seared perfectly on the outside.  Yummy!

• Sizzling Binagoongan Baboy

The binagoongan baboy was a special request of my mom.  She was pointing the picture to me & said she wanted to try it hahaha!  So I asked if we could try it and I was glad they served it to us.  My mom loved it!  She’s actually planning to dine at Gerry’s Grill tonight w/ her friends.  I, however, would have wished they didn’t put the eggplant in there.  It still tasted good, nevertheless.  There are times when you just need a dish to be simple, and I think this dish would be perfect without the eggplant.

Of course, we also had our old-time favorite Gerry’s Grill items:

• Sizzling Sisig (Php 175)

All time-favorite, the night just isn’t complete without Gerry’s Grill’s famous sisig!  Yum!  There’s just something that is classic with Gerry’s Grill sisig.  It incorporates all the great flavor of what sisig should have, including the bits of onion.  The crispiness of the pork and the seasoning of the whole dish has always been just right.  Sometimes, we get sisig that just doesn’t have the right seasoning, or has become too soggy, but the contrast in texture, which is important, makes this dish always stand out!

Tinomok (Php 165)

Laing with a twist!  This was actually my favorite among the dishes we tried out.  It’s a combination of meat and vegetable.  If any of you have ever had stuffed cabbage, then this is definitely the Filipino version of it.  I think this dish is most closely associated with the Bicol region, but I just love how they conceptualized this dish.  The meat was perfectly seasoned and just made out well with the laing and the sauce.  A Genius creation indeed.

• Sizzling Garlic Mushroom Chicken (Php 225)

When my mom tasted this, she whispered to me.  This one is really good.  I tasted it and I definitely agree.  Wow!  The brown gravy that was made with the mushrooms, and the roasted chicken was really out of this world.  but the toasted and perfectly fried minced garlic was just something that put this dish in another league.  I really love how the roasted chicken was just seasoned well to match the seasoning of the gravy.  Veggies became just decoration for presentation purpose though, but still, this is one dish I would definitely recommend.

• Adobo Puso Rice (Php 155)

I love the presentation of their adobo rice.  Generous serving too plus you can really taste the different spices in the fried rice.  Super worth your money.  Again, there’s just something that I love about cooking food in banana leaves.  The aroma and the taste that gets infused into each dish really takes a dish from good to great.  Adobo rice in general is already jampacked with flavor, but the added taste of that banana leaf is something I really would suggest you try.

We ended the night with delicious desserts from the restaurant, wahhh!!  Talk about eating too much good food, it felt like a buffet already! 😛

• Buko Pandan (Php 75)

For those who love buko pandan, I think their version gives you the classic dessert and then some.  With an added taste of the different gelatins, and the generous amount of that cream, it’s a buko pandan lover’s dream come true.

• Halo Halo (Php 95)

Have you ever gone to those places who seem to give you more ice than ingredients in their Halo halo?  Well, at Gerry’s grill, you won’t have that problem since just like their dishes, they truly give you your money’s worth.  And can you see that generous serving of ice cream?!!  My golly, I just loved it!  One of the best halo halo’s i’ve ever had!

Luckily, we were able to talk with head chef Fred Redoblado.  Chef Fred started Year 2000 with Gerry’s Grill and he is the brain of the new dishes that the restaurant is offering.  He said that they continue to improve their menu items and have been doing so every 6 months.  As I said at the start of this post, it’s really admirable that Gerry’s Grill continues to improve and improve even if they are already successful.  This is one great trait of a good company.  I have great respect for Gerry’s Grill after hearing their story and their passion to make it a better restaurant each time.

Gerry’s Grill also came up with their own membership card.  It’s called Circle of Friends Loyalty Card.  We can purchase it for only Php 100 with no minimum purchase required.  The card is valid for one year and can be renewed for the same amount, Php 100.

Main benefits include:

• Get to choose a FREE dish with a minimum single receipt purchase worth Php 750.00
• 3% of the total net purchase will be converted to points of the cardholder.  Cardholders can redeem their rewards once they reach 300 points.  It can be redeemed in the form of Gerry’s Grill gift certificates or can be deducted from the bill.

Now, that was a very long post.  Pardon me, there was just too much to share, it was such a great experience that I don’t wanna miss out any details.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Gerry’s Grill for the great food, hospitality & most of all, the experience.

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Gerry’s Grill
Tomas Morato cor. Eugenio Lopez Sts., Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 415-9514