Travel the world in one bite at Buddies

The thing that sets us apart from the rest is that we have about 24 different dips and glazes which you can put on your burgers or your wings or your fries," says Archie Rodriguez, owner of Global Restaurant Management Group. This is the same group that is responsible for the success of places like California Pizza Kitchen and Tequila Joe’s.

Now, Archie introduces us to his newest restaurant, Buddies, and well, er, his buddies: Professor Nigel and Nicky, his pet monkey, who have travelled the world.

Actually, Professor Nigel is an archeologist who’s busy studying his finds, while Nicky, his ever-curious monkey who loves to eat, goes his own way in search of the best spices for his food. Nicky’s favorite food, of course, is burgers. It is Nicky who has come up with the different concoctions for the burgers which he feeds to the professor, who in turn likes what he tastes.

So, Nigel and Nicky decide that it is time to share their food discoveries with the world, and the Philippines is the place they have chosen for their initial project.

True story? Not really. But every interesting place has a good story to tell and Buddies is no different.

"It is a new concept that we are introducing in the market. It is a family concept, kind of a cross between a fastfood and a casual dining establishment. We serve wings, hamburgers, fries, salads as well, and desserts," adds Archie.

But it is the story of Nigel and Nicky that the resto plays up. After all, kids are one of the main customers that Buddies hopes to attract. The colorful decorations and the well-painted walls, featuring Professor Nigel and Nicky, will definitely be something the kids will love to examine.

I want to make sure that the place is a smoke-free zone and that families will come in because they feel welcome and they can get a quality meal for reasonable prices," shares Sandra Vidarte, marketing manager. "I have made sure that all the packaging we use has the Nigel and Nicky logo with our ‘B’ design so that makes us stand out," she adds.

After all, we all know that weekends are family time and the family member who normally decides what’s for lunch is the kids. And we also know how kids, burgers, ice cream and toy giveaways can be inseparable. Proof positive of this is the way the burger joints are filled not just on weekends, but all days of the week. And I know a lot of kids who would die for a meal that has a toy with it. Sandra promises that Buddies will soon have its own giveaways to go with their meals.

Archie is convinced that what will make Buddies different from the rest is what they have going for them. "What will set us apart is our service and our food, more than anything else. The thing about the concept is that you can choose any base that you want and then make it any flavor you want. You can have a Korean bulgogi hamburger, a Texan hamburger, or a wasabi wing or hamburger. This is what I am sure will have our customers coming back for more. It can be a different hamburger, chicken or fries experience each time they come," quips Archie.

This will definitely be good news for families who have had their fill of the same taste of burgers weekend in and weekend out.

"I also wanted to make sure that even vegetarians or people who like fish will come to Buddies. After all, even if only one member of a family of five is a vegetarian, at least the vegetarian member will have something to eat here," says Sandra.

"We use hand-peeled potatoes which are fresh every day. We also want to make chicken wings a big hit here. After all, everywhere else, Buffalo Wings are a big hit. So, we sell wings by the bucket and have them with different glazes and dips," says Archie.

He adds that the potatoes are served four different ways as chips, French fries, wedges and curried fries.

Not to be left out are the desserts. There are cookies, ice cream, which has toppings of either Almond Roca or Choco Chip, and brownies, as well.

’Nuff said. Time to taste the food.

I begin my meal with a veggie burger. I dip it in the ranch, Wasabi Mayo (mild and hot), honey mustard and garlic and cream cheese dips. I do the same with the fries and potato chips.

Yum. I am converted into a Buddies fan.

The veggie burger is good and the dips make it even better. I like the fact that the veggie burger is moist and that much thought was put into its preparation.

"We put mushrooms, green peppers and a lot more vegetables in it," volunteers Sandra, who says that she, too, eats more fish and vegetables than anything else.

The burgers are big and are sure to satisfy huge appetites, too. A double decker burger costs P75 and the price changes depending on the toppings or dips you choose. A Teriyaki Wasabi burger, for example, costs P95, while a kiddie burger goes for P30. Twenty four pieces of wings are at P360. But you can get them in packs of six or 12 , too. French fries go for P25 a bag and potato chips P40. Rice eaters, likewise, need not worry, because Buddies also serves meals. A grilled chicken breast meal costs P90, for instance. The other plus going for this place is that soft drinks and ice tea are refillable.

Obviously, Nigel and Nicky have done their work well. And thanks to Nicky, the food at Buddies is really good. That’s why I am sure that the tale of Nigel and Nicky, like any other fairy tale, is sure to have a good ending.

Burp.

* * *

Check out Buddies at the ground floor of Millennium Place, Meralco Ave., Pasig City. Store hours are from 10 a.m. to midnight. For more information, call 687-15-50, 687-15-51 or 687-15-52.