Above, under & beyond the rainbow: Skippy's Bar & Grill, A Place of Good Food and People

When an invitation came out to review a food place in BGC, I immediately sent out my email add and waited for a confirmation that I was in. A few hours later, I was setting my schedule for the food review.

Honestly, I don't know where The Forum is at BGC. Google Map was not working right that time and I only have the name of the place, no street or avenue to guide me. I simply took a logical assumption as to where it is and I guess my assumption was right. The Forum is just a block away from the Tent.

Skippy's Bar & Grill is located at the ground level of The Forum. An Australian themed and in nature type of pub, Skippy is owned and managed by a very friendly and hospitable couple. The place is patterned after the classic pub/bar look by having the bar area at the center, a pool table at one spot and a band area on another. Mostly of wood, various sports paraphernalia and images of history captured in time.

Attended by bloggers who are also food lovers, we get to know the place and the people behind it. Thank you Wazzup Pilipinas! From light(?) dishes to dessert and various cocktales, we were treated to something what one can say a feast suited for food lovers.

For starters, let me introduce two of their breakfast treat: Classic Pancakes and Big Breakfast.

Their Classic Pancakes are one yummy treat. Thick pancakes, with butter and maple syrup, simply delicious! It is soft, but not crumbly as some are in the market, and something that you can pair off with sausages, bacon, eggs, hash or simply enjoy it with either coffee or fruit juice.

The Big Breakfast is another thing. This is something fit for a king or someone that you consider your king in your life. It has toast grilled right, hash, bacon, eggs, sausages, grilled tomatoes and mushroom and a cup of beans. Something that will definitely fill your tummy and keep you going as you go through your day. Paired off with coffee, tea or fruit juice/shake and you definitely have a winner in front of you. What I love with this plate is the way the eggs are cooked. It has a runny yolk but the white is not made crispy at the edge. A sign of controlled heat and a watchful eye.

Now if you want to nibble on something that is filling and tasty then you should have their Potato Scallop; plate best shared. It is 6 pieces of coated round potato slices, fried and eaten with a dash of chicken-salt creation of Skippy. If you want, you can also dip it at the mayo served with it or create your own dip using the condiments made available.

The Big Aussie Burger is to die for! Two thick burger patties stacked with cheese, a pineapple slice, turnip, caramelized onions, bacon, the works and a perfectly placed cooked sunny side-up egg! I love eggs with burgers! The way the yolk flows down when cut, mixing with the juice of the meat patty . . .delicious! The turnip is good too! It sure is not your usual burger mix but it gives another dimension to the dish. With thick fries at the side, this is one scrumptious meal! Like what I mentioned to the people of Skippy's, this is one burger that I like. If you plan to eat this burger creation, take note of the following things: (1) you have to squish it so that you get to have every later in one bite and (2) have a bib and lots of tissues/paper towels; or you can slice it up.

Two types of pizzas were served then but what I like is the Lot's Pizza. It has everything in it! Cheese, olives, meat, you name it and it is there. The crust is thin and crunchy. What I love with it is the use of herbs to flavor up this dish. Basil, oregano and thyme, three classic herbs making this pizza perfect. That flavor of oregano mixing with the tomato sauce is just right my taste buds.

Lots Pizza

Now if you wish to have something really heavy then you should get one of the following dishes; Shepherd's Pie, Baby Back Ribs and their Steaks.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a classic pub dish. It is basically ground meat and vegetables topped with cheese and then baked till the cheese is melted and golden brown at the edge. For some, they would like this dish hot, for me I prefer it slightly warm. In this temperature, you get to enjoy the flavor of the cheese and meat without burning your tongue. For Skippy's, they made use of lamb meat, grinned with vegetables, making the mixture flavorful. A good layering of cheese makes this dish perfect for cheese lovers. If my taste bud is not wrong, I would say the cheese used is a not that aged making it mild cheddar in flavor.

Skippy's do offer two types of steaks, the rib-eye and the tenderloin. Both treated by giving the meat a basic rub (to those not familiar what a basic meat rub is, it is simply salt and pepper rubbed at the meat) before it is grilled to your liking. Let us give the meat justice by ordering it medium rare and not well done. In this state, you will get the juice of the meat and really see how tender it is. Instead of potatoes, they will serve it with grilled squash at the side along with some greens

They also have Roasted Lamb Meat! Basically served nearly the same as the steaks mentioned above, the difference is in the gravy. The gravy in this dish is lighter. This is is best eaten not with the gravy but with the served mint jelly with it. That cool spread with the meat is a delight to the palate! Along with the roasted squash this dish is a wonder. The normal sweetness of the squash is a good balance to richness of the meat. Again, please have it medium rare. It is the best cooked state of a meat.

Roasted Lamb

Baby Back Ribs

The Baby Back Ribs is another matter. The meat is marinated for a good set of hours before it was cooked, making it really soft and flavorful. The sauce is part sweet with a little kick. Served with mash potatoes and side garden salad, you have a complete meal in front of you. I love the way the potatoes changes flavor when mix with the sauce. Up to now, I am still trying to figure out the type of potatoes they used for this dish.

To help you match your dish with a drink, you can simply ask the staff for their recommendation or go for Wooloo Mooloo. It's on cocktale that looks good and taste like bubblegum. This green concoction is worth having any time of the day. After this drink, you get to have that warm feeling - similar to a well deserved hug.

Wooloo Mooloo

To close the meal, we were treated to one of their signature dish which is Skippy's Cheesecake. It is a baked cheesecake with a touch of lemon to it. The crust is well mixed and packed tightly making it firm. Even if the cheesecake is slightly over beaten (air pockets showing in the slice that we had), it was smooth and not crumbly in terms of texture. The fruit that comes with it gave the dish visual and palate delight. For those who are not into sweets, then this is for you. It is not sweet and the added side fruits gave it added dimension in terms of flavor.

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For those who wants to try real Australian food in a cozy place, go ahead and visit Skippy's Bar & Grill located at The Forum, 7th Avenue, BGC, Taguig City. They serve breakfast from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm and lunch from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. They are open till 2:00 am. All items reasonably priced and set for the new working class.

The afternoon ended with smiles and wishes for a comeback. For me, I plan to comeback and try the other dishes and enjoy that burger on my own. I survived the mini-version of Tombstone in Zark's, The Tower of Babel in Mystic Brew Cafe, Teddy's Bigger Burger classic; Skippy's Big Aussie Bugger is in my list to conquer and survive.

Photos:
(All photos used were personally taken by me during the food review event)

The Place: