Expat Wednesdays at The Mango Lounge & Estates

Here in Calbayog, the Expat Community is very close and patronizes the Mango Lounge & Estates. There are more than 150 Registered expats living in Calbayog. Established in August 2017, we have been known to cater for our Foreign Clientele not only for the Western Cuisine that we offer, and the Modern Apartments that I have available for rent; I have been told that they like to come and visit the Filipino Gordon Ramsey, mangomayhem.

As explained in a previous post, I used to work for a Large and Popular Hotel Chain. I worked my way up through different Departments, leading onto Managerial Positions, covering all aspects of the Hospitality Industry. It was a fantastic experience and greatly helped me (alongside my Business Management Degree), when opening my own Establishments here in Calbayog City.

I was not able to get involved in the Culinary Side, due to my career path leading into Hotel Management, however I have always had a passion for cooking and of course eating, and when making a decision to leave the United Kingdom, this Knowledge and experience was extremely valuable.

Every Wednesday we hold our Expat Meet up, it has been going on for almost 5 years, with the exception of the Pandemic (Lockdowns and Liquor bans became a challenge but we still ran delivery) between the hours of 12:00PM to 4PM. During this time, we have the ability to play games such as Scrabble, Cribbage, Billiards, Chess and even @splinterlands, whilst enjoying some cuisine much missed being away from the West. It is also an opportunity to ask any questions, meet and greet new arrivals, and speak English.

I managed to find a Baker that is able to produce Artisan Bread such as Brioche Buns, Sour Dough and Ciabatta. For those unaware here is the definition

"Artisan breads are characterized by their lean formulation (i.e. low sugar and fat level), little to no use of dough conditioners (except for enzymes used for dough strengthening and crumb softening), and high or low hydration levels (depending on shape and spread desired by the baker)". - Google/bakerpedia.com

You can only imagine how happy our Expat Community was to hear that there were some new items coming. On today's menu, I decided to launch the Steak Sandwich on Ciabatta and My Variety of Burgers on Brioche Buns. Here is an example.

This is called the "Cheesy Boy" it is 100% Beef Patty (200g) with a Mozzarella center. It is then overloaded with Swiss Cheese, Cheddar Cheese and more mozzarella and served with the usual condiments on a Brioche Bun. It comes with a side of Fries for the price of 300 Pesos ($5.49).

"Say Hello to my Little Friend"... This is me preparing the Steak Sandwich, 9 orders in fact, showcasing my favorite toy, the Kitchen Torch (Mangoes Weapon of Mass Destruction). The Steak Sandwich comprises of a 250g Prime Rib Eye (Served Medium Rare) sliced, a generous Amount of Bacon, Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese, Smokey Barbecue Sauce, Dijon Mustard and of course the Tomatoes, Onions and Lettuce and with Fries on the Side. It costs 600 Pesos ($10.99)

Here is one of my hard working employees, showcasing our new Steak sandwich, You can see that these are pretty large, so hopefully our customers are happy.

These are some of the regulars, there feedback was....Silence....so I guess they liked it. The gentleman on the head of the table is my first foreign customer and friend in Calbayog, he is also the liaison for Expats here.

And of Course where would we be if @TeamPH's very Own @leveluplifeph wouldn't try one of these Bad Boys, the only difference is, he wanted Stir Fry veggies, he had just come from the gym. He says " Masarap" which means "Yummy".

We also have the following Burgers available:

In summary, if you are ever planning to visit Calbayog City Western Samar, Philippines, come and stop by the Mango Lounge, I will be happy to meet and prepare a meal for you, and perhaps show you some of that Filipino Hospitality that we are known for.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope it has been informative. Should you have any questions, please feel free to comment below.

Until next time, Mangomayhem Signing Out, Ciao for now. I look forward to seeing you on the Battlefield!

"Together we Thrive Kapamilya"