Saturday, July 23, 2011

Chuck’s Deli: Home of the Big Sandwiches



I can barely eat a whole quarter pounder sandwich unless I’m really, really ravenous. It goes beyond my imagination how some people could finish eating a sandwich that’s four times the size of a regular quarter pounder but, apparently, there are brave souls who could!

I had the chance to see for myself what a subwich and a slabwich look like at Chuck’s Deli in Eastwood Mall and they ... are ... HUGE! Those with big appetites and those who love sharing food with friends would love this establishment!

According to Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara, they put up Chuck’s Deli because her husband, Marco, who grew up in California, was frustrated at the lack of good sandwich places in Manila. “In the U.S., a sandwich is already a meal in itself but Filipinos treat sandwiches only as merienda,” she explained.


“Who’s Chuck?” we asked. “No one; we just wanted a fun, friendly, American-sounding name that’s easy to remember. She merrily adds, “We actually tried calling our dog Chuck, but he won’t respond to it.”

The branch in Eastwood has a casual and laid-back ambiance. I love how they serve all the sandwiches on wooden cutting boards lined with paper. Customers are encouraged to eat using their hands the way sandwiches should be eaten.

We were first served with the Philly Cheese Steak subwich that’s almost a foot long. It contains beef, American cheese, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms. It’s very tasty and I’m sure my kids would also like it.

Philly Cheese Steak - P295

We also got to try the French Kiss slabwich made with corned lengua, sauerkraut and a garlicky horseradish spread. I don’t normally like eating lengua but this one got two thumbs up from me.

French Kiss - P195 (half), P345 (whole)

Our second slabwich was the popular The Buffy made with boneless Buffalo chicken and garlic sauce. I was warned that it’s spicy so I just took a tiny bite. What’s amazing is that there are already people who have finished a Buffy in less than 5 minutes! They have their names displayed on the wall of fame as proof that they have conquered Chuck’s challenge and ate The Buffy within the required time frame. 

The Buffy - P255 (half), P445 (whole)

The reward? Aside from your name on the wall, you’ll get the Buffy for free + a limited edition t-shirt! So if you think you’re up to the challenge, head over to either the Eastwood or the Serendra branch soon!

Chuck's Challenge: Slay the Buffy!

Now, back to the food, we were next served the Chorizo Burger, which is also spicy so I declined to have a taste.The guys liked it though.

Chorizo Burger - P225

On the other hand, I heartily sampled the Faking Duck, a peking-style inspired slabwich that’s filled with roast pork, lettuce, hoisin sauce, leeks and crispy noodles. I can’t decide up to now if this,  the French Kiss, or the Philly Cheese Steak, tops my favorite sandwich of the night.

Faking Duck - P185 (half), P335 (whole)

Last, but not the least, we also tried a half slab of The Pilgrim that has white roast turkey meat, stuffing, cranberry jelly and gravy -- also a yummy treat.

The Pilgrim - P255 (half), P445 (whole)

Each sandwich, by the way, come with home-made chips, onion rings, or fries prepared using fresh ingredients which probably made them some of the best I’ve tasted in a long time. Chef Katrina, who studied at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, shared that they half bake the bread at the commissary. Once a customer orders, the bread is popped into the oven to complete the baking process.

I am glad that I was with hubby and a couple of friends to share the sandwiches with. It made chomping down all those goodies more fun. Besides, they have bigger appetites than I do although we still had leftovers to bring home.

Hubby and I are planning on bringing the kids to Chuck’s Deli soon. My boys would definitely love sampling all those wonderful flavors. Next time, I also want to try out the California Waki which has kani, mango, egg, lettuce, and wasabi mayo! For a Japanese food lover like me, that sounds really delicious.

Check out Chuck’s Deli at their Serendra and Eastwood branches. They are open from 11am to 10pm everyday. If you want to have their big sandwiches delivered, call Quick Delivery at 2121212. For more info, email chucksdeliserendra@gmail.com or call 576.4210 / 846.1734 / 0923.3986378 / 9000503 / 4511163 / 0933.4418622

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4 comments:

Yay Padua-Olmedo said...

Ruth, pictures pa lang, busog na ako! They look sooo good. I love them already! Will surely visit. Thanks and God bless, Ruth!

firstwivesclub said...

I love Chuck's Deli. Their slabwich tastes good even two days later (ok, that might not have sounded safe, LOL) but leftovers are nom. You get what I mean.

Last Sunday, their Eastwood store was packed for lunch. I was there early and had reserved a table for 8. Got our orders in pretty early too, but I suppose because of the number of tables with orders, they served our orders last! We received a lot of apologies and a free milkshake. The staff's pretty nice naman, so ok na din. Well worth the wait. First time naman that happened and we've eaten there a half-dozen times since they opened.

I have yet to post my review. Kekeke. Ooops!

Grace D. Chong said...

Mouth watering! Hope to visit the place one of these days!

Ruth Floresca said...

Ate Yay and Ate Grace, you two should go to Chuck's Deli together then! Ay, wait, sama n'yo pala ako hahaha. Miss you both!

Kaye, we were in Eastwood yesterday and ordered take outs. Hubby, youngest son and I finished the half slab of California Waki on the bus pa lang. Bitin! I should've ordered 1 whole :S

The Reuben, French Kiss and Off-the-Hook got raves from my other kids and my MIL :)