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Saturday, April 22, 2006
Gerry’s Grill: Linking the Philippines through good food
It has become a sort of icon for Filipino food lovers. And if the influx of old and new patrons on its branches is an indication of success, Gerry’s Grill is definitely on top of the hill. The joint has come a long way since founder Gerry Apolinario opened the first Gerry’s Grill branch on February 14, 1997 at Tomas Morato corner Eugenio Lopez Ave. in Quezon City. Now, nine years after with 17 branches built nationwide and 1 in Union City California, Gerry’s Grill is still pulsating with excitement as it continue to polish to perfection the art of good food.
When asked what he thinks of the company’s steady success, Gerry’s Grill Marketing director Francis R. Villaluz says that he believes the restaurant is linking the Philippines through good food. “What we offer is a good cross section of the best dishes in the Philippines and if a denizen of one region can appreciate a dish from another region, then in a way the food has become instrumental in transcending cultural and ethnic boundaries,” he explains. Whatever province of the Philippines one came from, food lovers will always find at Gerry’s a little bit of home that he or she missed.
Stagnancy is a word that does not exist in the Gerry’s Grill Vocabulary. Villaluz relates that Apolinario is always on the lookout for new ways of improving and expanding their product line deriving inspirations from his trips all over the Philippines and abroad. In addition to its original bestsellers such as sizzling sisig, beef karekare, crispy pata, inihaw na pusit and lechon kawali Gerry’s Grill is offering a new line of delectable dishes like Tahong ala Pobre – spicy half shelled mussels tossed in garlic and oil; Adobong Puso Rice – rice wrapped in banana leaves mixed with chicken pork adobo; baked scallops – baked half shelled scallops on a special sauce topped with garlic and melted cheese; Steamed Pla-pla – pla-pla steamed served with garlic and butter sauce, topped with fresh leeks; Bagoong Rice – plain boiled rice flavored with local fish bagoong and dried tiny shrimps; Crab Rice – boiled rice flavored with fresh crabmeat; Veggie Rice – fresh mixed vegetables stir fried with boiled plain rice.
The chain maintains a very high standard when it comes to the consistency of the taste and flavors of its dishes and it’s no easy feat when you`re talking about 120 different items.
Next to great food, it was probably the ambiance that continually draws the crowd to Gerry’s. It is the company’s advocacy that dining must ultimately and truly be a relaxing experience. The place is both inviting and unintimidating – a formula that has worked well for them through the years with Gerry’s going beyond its expected target market of barkadas unwinding after a hard day’s work to families sharing quality time over lunch or dinner.
The branch in Ayala Center Cebu is celebrating its second year anniversary today, April 22 and so far has made a mark with various food lovers in the Queen City. The success of the Cebu branch has paved the way for Bohol to open up its own Gerry’s Grill, with Bacolod opening sometime third quarter this year and Davao and Ilo-ilo next year.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (April 22, 2006 issue)
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