It was around 8am one Saturday morning. Hubby and I had just finished taking photos of our condo unit for rent along Emerald Avenue. Since the condo was practically just a few steps away from Banchetto, we decided to have a look around.
I’ve heard a lot of things about Banchetto, both positive and negative. What I do know is it’s a once-a-week overnight foodie fiesta happening on Emerald Ave. as soon as the clock strikes midnight on a Friday evening. The whole affair lasts until 11am the next day. I think this was the inspiration for Midnight Mercato which I also visited recently.
Anyways, I was put off by the turo-turo-esque feel of the place. Most of the booths were offering cafeteria type fare which they would put in stryofoam packs since there isn’t really any place to sit down and dine at Banchetto. Most of the people were eating in front of the buildings — sitting on the steps, by the plant boxes… the worse part is, there’s a whole lot of trash on the streets. I felt as if I was walking through a dump.
Hubby spied on Monster Burger, a booth grilling some thick and hearty-looking beef patties. He decided to get this for breakfast. He was actually customer no. 390-something according to their numbering.
Amazingly, it’s pretty cheap. Hubby ordered a half-pounder Salisbury Steak meal, so it was a burger patty served with steamed rice, mixed veggies, and gravy. It cost only P140. I wasn’t able to take a photo of the finished product because I was looking around elsewhere. He said the burger was delicious and satisfying as it was very meaty and natural.
I found this on a nearby booth. The lady said it’s a Milk Chocolate Cheesecake but that it was a special order and she was just showing it to me, meaning I can’t buy a slice to try since it already belonged to someone.
In my quest for something unique and convenient, I actually ended up not eating anything at Banchetto. It didn’t help that I didn’t feel like sitting on the street and making a mess. Maybe I’m overreacting but seeing all the trash around wasn’t exactly encouraging or appetizing. All I wanted to do was go somewhere else.
Banchetto
Emerald Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City
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[…] I go on, let me give you a short primer on Banchetto and Mercato Centrale @ BGC. Banchetto is an overnight street food fiesta happening every 12mn of every Friday in Ortigas. It lasts until […]