Together with some Iloilo bloggers and other members of the media, I was invited for yet another food tasting session at Bluejay Coffee and Deli. Dubbed as “Must Try Meals”, this offering is part of the restaurant's thrust to capture the mass market. It was sort of a twilight zone seeing items at Bluejay priced below their usual range. It is indeed a testament of how keen the café is in its efforts to expand its customer base.
First to be served is a staple in almost all food shops – a burger combo. From the simple snack shops and fast foods to specialty restos, this combo is always among the best sellers as Filipinos have adapted this American innovation – with mouths wide open. For only P49, Bluejay’s Chef Burger combo is very much worth the price since it is better tasting than almost all other burgers. It won’t be easy find an item like this elsewhere; served at this price, tasting this good and at an ambiance like that of Bluejay's.
The patty was fried crisp served with fresh lettuce and tomatoes and sandwiched in (a rather sweet) sesame bun. Unlike their other burgers, this is made with local beef to fit the price but it’s really worth and if it is not enough, a second order will surely satisfy one’s cravings. Can’t believe it’s only P49 and comes with a big glass of iced tea!
Next was Baked Penne, Bluejay’s pasta dish geared for the mid market. Using penne rather than macaroni is a good way of still maintaining the Bluejay feel for something that is way beyond their usual pasta price range. For only P88, one gets a good serving of this pasta with a rather sweet sauce with pimiento and mushrooms topped with béchamel sauce and cheese.
It was the taste of pimiento that made me instantly liked this pasta that I savoured every bite until the last morsel. The b̩chamel sauce served many purposes Рto make the pasta taste creamier, to balance the tomato sauce flavour and to create an illusion that this pasta has tons of cheese toppings that melted upon baking. Being served at regular temperature (should have been hot) was the main complaint that time but everybody agreed it tasted good and can compete with other baked pasta of the same price range. But I really (really) loved this pasta dish nonetheless that it will part of my staple orders at Bluejay.
Capping it all off was the least expensive among their three food items, Checkered Toast. For P30 one gets a toasted piece of bread smothered with homemade chocolate and caramel sauce. A perfect partner for Bluejay’s coffee, this combo would have been a perfect ending if not for some mis-hits that time . While others were busy taking photos of their toasts, I waited for mine. As they were busy devouring theirs, I still waited for mine. And they talked animatedly about how it tasted, mine wasn’t still in sight. This served as premonition of sorts when my toast came, expecting the best for last, it was the ugliest among the toasts I’ve seen on the table – lol.
Visually unappetizing, haphazardly done, and didn’t live up to its name – Checkered Toast. It would have been much easier to accept if it was named Gooey Toast or Checkered Toast Served 15 Minutes Later or do you have any suggestions? Anyway this piece of toast reminds me of another coffee shop, Kopi Roti, whose toasts are among the best sellers (and they are good looking and served on time too- lol). The chocolate sauce also reminded us with that one in swirls with a peanut butter (forgot the brand) while the caramel I find bitter sweet and has a somewhat burned taste. Maybe I am just partial to that “other caramel” made from condensed milk boiled for hours (dulce de leche).
It was two out of three and my negativity over the last item (Almost Forgotten Checkered Toast Haphazardly Created in 3.59 Seconds -lol) didn’t dampen my spirits, for these two were more than enough to have made this food taste session another enjoyable gastronomic blogging experience at Bluejay Coffee and Deli.
First to be served is a staple in almost all food shops – a burger combo. From the simple snack shops and fast foods to specialty restos, this combo is always among the best sellers as Filipinos have adapted this American innovation – with mouths wide open. For only P49, Bluejay’s Chef Burger combo is very much worth the price since it is better tasting than almost all other burgers. It won’t be easy find an item like this elsewhere; served at this price, tasting this good and at an ambiance like that of Bluejay's.
The patty was fried crisp served with fresh lettuce and tomatoes and sandwiched in (a rather sweet) sesame bun. Unlike their other burgers, this is made with local beef to fit the price but it’s really worth and if it is not enough, a second order will surely satisfy one’s cravings. Can’t believe it’s only P49 and comes with a big glass of iced tea!
Next was Baked Penne, Bluejay’s pasta dish geared for the mid market. Using penne rather than macaroni is a good way of still maintaining the Bluejay feel for something that is way beyond their usual pasta price range. For only P88, one gets a good serving of this pasta with a rather sweet sauce with pimiento and mushrooms topped with béchamel sauce and cheese.
It was the taste of pimiento that made me instantly liked this pasta that I savoured every bite until the last morsel. The b̩chamel sauce served many purposes Рto make the pasta taste creamier, to balance the tomato sauce flavour and to create an illusion that this pasta has tons of cheese toppings that melted upon baking. Being served at regular temperature (should have been hot) was the main complaint that time but everybody agreed it tasted good and can compete with other baked pasta of the same price range. But I really (really) loved this pasta dish nonetheless that it will part of my staple orders at Bluejay.
Capping it all off was the least expensive among their three food items, Checkered Toast. For P30 one gets a toasted piece of bread smothered with homemade chocolate and caramel sauce. A perfect partner for Bluejay’s coffee, this combo would have been a perfect ending if not for some mis-hits that time . While others were busy taking photos of their toasts, I waited for mine. As they were busy devouring theirs, I still waited for mine. And they talked animatedly about how it tasted, mine wasn’t still in sight. This served as premonition of sorts when my toast came, expecting the best for last, it was the ugliest among the toasts I’ve seen on the table – lol.
Visually unappetizing, haphazardly done, and didn’t live up to its name – Checkered Toast. It would have been much easier to accept if it was named Gooey Toast or Checkered Toast Served 15 Minutes Later or do you have any suggestions? Anyway this piece of toast reminds me of another coffee shop, Kopi Roti, whose toasts are among the best sellers (and they are good looking and served on time too- lol). The chocolate sauce also reminded us with that one in swirls with a peanut butter (forgot the brand) while the caramel I find bitter sweet and has a somewhat burned taste. Maybe I am just partial to that “other caramel” made from condensed milk boiled for hours (dulce de leche).
It was two out of three and my negativity over the last item (Almost Forgotten Checkered Toast Haphazardly Created in 3.59 Seconds -lol) didn’t dampen my spirits, for these two were more than enough to have made this food taste session another enjoyable gastronomic blogging experience at Bluejay Coffee and Deli.Bluejay Coffee and Deli branches
Amigo Plaza Mall, Iznart Street, Iloilo City | Gen. Luna cor. San Agustin Streets, Iloilo City
Amigo Plaza Mall, Iznart Street, Iloilo City | Gen. Luna cor. San Agustin Streets, Iloilo City