BANAPPLE... ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING

      During the early years of my blog, I posted my visit to Banapple. Though I enjoyed the food, its one of the entries whose photography I am not proud of, simply because it was taken during our pre-blog, pre-DSLR days, with Rina using her trusty iPhone 3. Just like Italianni's, Flapjacks, Ma Maison, and The Stock Market Cafe, I marked Banapple as one of the places that I needed to return to and take better pictures. 

     Banapple is one of my places on Earth, and their food deserved a second entry.

            The new Market! Market! Branch has a whimsical, almost fairy tale, feel to it. You'll find a mural on the wall, painted in soothing colors that depicts an almost cartoonish landscape.

            Adding to the surreal feel of the restaurant, is the presence of a colorful "country home" right smack inside the restaurant, which makes you feel like you're entering a dollhouse. Inside are more tables, and the area can be blocked off for intimate dinners or meetings. 

THE FOOD

       Even though Rina had it the first time we went to Banapple, I got the Fudgy Banana Smoothie (P105). The blend of chocolate and banana was amazing, and Rina ended up comandeering my drink after a few sips. Since it was "fudgy", I should have expected it to be a bit darker than the usual creamy milk chocolate, which I'm more particular to. But Rina absolutely fell in love with it all over again.  

        Since she decided to take over the reins of my Fudgy Banana Smoothie, Rina was kind enough to swap with me her Homemade Iced Tea (P60). Unfortunately, there was only good enough for two sips left. 

       The tea was extremely refreshing. It wasn't too sweet, and a gentle kick of citrus in it. 

THE FOOD

       Rina surprised me when she ordered the Beef and Sausage Stew (P195). I was so sure she'd being going for the Salpicao Rafael, but the allure of Sausage and Beef was just too strong to resist. The beef strips were tender enough.. meaning I've had softer beef, but this wasn't anything that would leave a riduclous amount of tinga in your mouth after your meal (Don't you hate that? That usually happens to me just before a big meeting. My client thought I was creepy cuz' I was rolling my tongue, trying to get the meat that was stuck between my teeth out, and it looked like I was making a pass at her). The sausage slices,  which seemed like a Schublig, had a nice peppery pop to it. The rich gravy had a distinct fragrance to it that fit nicely with the savory meats. 

         It was clear from the moment I lifted up the menu that the Bacon Fried Chicken Steaks with Milk'shroom gravy (P175) was in the stars. I don't know if this was a new item of the menu, but I don't understand why I don't seem to recall seeing this on the menu during our first trips there. The dish, came  with garlic fried rice and corn relish, which I felt was a nice side dish for the meal.

            The chicken fillet was fried to a beautiful crisp. The exterior was fried masterfully, creating to a perfect golden crust around the juicy chicken meat. The crispy fillets were smothered in a creamy milk mushroom gravy and topped off with bacon bits. This was amazing, but as I always do, I was looking for more bacon hehe.

       Regardless, this is something you definitely must try when you're at Banapple.

         Since I wasn't sure whether or not it was in limited release due to the Halloween season, I decided it was imperative to try Banapple's Hallow Mallow S'Mores Pie (P110). This had delicious layers of Chocolate Fudge, Toasted Marshmallows, Graham Whipped Cream, and Roasted Almonds. It was also topped off with an adorable marshmallow ghost. 

           Since I'm more into fruit based desserts (which is odd, since I don't eat the actual fruits so much), I was intrigued by the Banana Starry-Berry Custard Cheesecake (P110). Instead of using the usual cream cheese, Banapple used custard, and it worked perfectly. The Banana bits were mixed into the custard, and it was topped off with strawberry jelly. There also seemed to be some sort of cookie dough on the top of the cake. 

       Truthfully, I just dug into this like a madman so I didn't pause to investigate what it actually was. 

          I was absolutely thrilled when Banapple opened a branch in Market Market, because its more accessible to me than their other branches. Price-wise, the food is a steal. Can you believe that there is NOTHING in the menu over P200 pesos? 

      For some strange reason, Banapple's menu, from their chicken fried steaks to their wide array of pies, reminds me of Southern Home cooking. Naturally, the items on the menu were adapted to fit the Filipino taste buds, but the philosophy stays the same. No need for complex dishes composed of rare herbs and spices. 

      Just like how it it down South, Banapple's food is proudly made just with simple ingredients, but a whole lot of love. 

      I'm definitely going back :)

      Oh and you know what else is awesome? Within Banapple's Market Market branch, you will also find a counter where you can order some sandwiches from Sandwicheese, making their newest branch DOUBLY AWESOME!!

BANAPPLE MENU

DESSERTS

(Just a few of them)