Buzzed@4: Beer, Bacon, and Shrooms at the Boiler Room Pop-Up

So what happens when Marco Lobregat, Jeremy Slagle and Chip Vega pop-up in one place? Good times.

Buzzed@4 brought together beer, bacon and shrooms in one incredible pop-up last April 25, 2015 at the Boiler Room. Local craft beers by Craftpoint, bacon by Mr Delicious, and shrooms by Ministry of Mushrooms make for one awesome collaborative combination...

The stillness of a regular Saturday afternoon along C. Palanca was brief and momentary, something was definitely abuzz at the Boiler Room. After all, what can be more perfect at four in the afternoon than a few craft beers and a char-grilled burger topped with mushrooms and bacon? 

Marco Lobregat of Ministry of Mushrooms collaborates with Jeremy Slagle of Mr. Delicious and Chip Vega of Craftpoint to celebrate the new wave of local, sustainable ingredients and Filipino food artisans, and GeiserMaclang's advocacy in elevating the perception of homegrown local food with traceable origins.

This advocacy, dubbed as #MahalinPagkaingAtin, is a movement meant to create preference for the homegrown category, and champion sustainable entrepreneurship and livelihood among local farmers, communities, and local microentrepreneurs. It's also an advocacy that Marco Lobregat shares with a passion, and one of the key drivers behind Ministry of Mushrooms. By five in the afternoon, the pop-up was in full swing with the arrival of more invited guests, and the bar and kitchen at the Boiler Room comes alive. For starters, Marco Lobregat served his Bacon Mushroom Crisps, made with Mr. Delicious Bacon, fresh locally grown oysters from Perfect Mushrooms, and cream cheese on a Trigo Parmesan Crisp; and Mushroom Ala King Tartlets, with freshly picked oyster mushrooms from Perfect Mushrooms, paired with a light and refreshing Summer Sessions Blonde Ale from Craftpoint Brewing Co. The light and nutty notes of the fresh oyster mushrooms, balanced by the robust flavors of bacon, were perfectly complemented by the crisp and refreshing Summer Sessions Blonde Ale.

A few more bottles of Craftpoint's Summer Sessions Blonde Ale, and the crowd gets in the groove in no time on a perfect Saturday afternoon. Marco Lobregat (R) of Ministry of Mushrooms, the man behind the creative collaboration, welcomed guests to the pop-up.

Chip Vega (L) of Craftpoint Brewing Co. brings their signature craft beer to the pop-up, including two new seasonal brews. Jeremy Slagle (R), the French-trained American expat behind Mr. Delicious, brings his popular bacon slabs and expertise in preparing the fresh oyster mushrooms from Perfect Mushrooms for the pop-up. 

And as more people arrived, the Boiler Room fired up its grill. And here she is, the Mushroom Bacon Burger, with a hefty char-grilled beef patty topped with oyster mushrooms from Perfect Mushrooms, slabs of smoky bacon from Mr. Delicious, Emmental cheese, fried onions and creamy horseradish mayo on soft buns by Trigo, served with a side of crisp fries and fresh greens. Wash it all down with the bold notes and full flavors of the Liberation Revolutionary Pale Ale...perfect.

Everything just seemed to work on this burger, from the juicy all-beef patty, the thick slab of bacon, the flavorful oyster mushrooms, and the soft bun that holds up quite well all the way to the last bite. The fresh oyster mushrooms are richly seasoned, delivering both flavor and texture that captured the savory character of meat, adding its own nutty layer to the burger. The bacon is as perfect as it can get, thick slabs of tender and juicy pork with a smoky hint, adding yet another layer of flavor. The bacon and shrooms give this unique burger creation a distinct flavor, with each component blending well without overpowering the other. Definitely one of the best burgers in the metro.

And to complete the experience, a bottle of local craft beer does the job quite nicely. Manila-based Craftpoint Brewing Co.'s special brews included (L-R) the light, smooth and refreshing Summer Sessions Blonde Ale, the intense and very hoppy Hopnosis Ten Hops IPA, the boldly flavored Liberation Revolutionary Pale Ale, and the fruity Summer Passion Blonde Ale flavored with passion fruit. The two new seasonal brews reflect Craftpoint's creative approach and mastery in brewing, with the unique Hopnosis Ten Hops IPA delivering bold and complex flavors and a pronounced burst of hoppy notes in every sip, while the Summer Passion Blonde Ale combines the subtle sweetness and tartness of passion fruit to a classic blonde ale, ideal for a summer afternoon.

The pop-up also featured products from Trigo Ph, the artisan bakery used exclusively by Jeremy Slagle and Mr. Delicious for their soft brioche buns. That day, Trigo Ph showcased their line of packaged Parmesan Crisps, the same crisps served earlier with Marco Lobregat's bacon and mushroom appetizer.  

Perfect Mushrooms featured their Pickled Oyster Mushrooms, packed in attractive and rustic glass jars, and the unique Chicharooms, crispy mushrooms for a healthier snacking alternative. And perfect too with a cold and refreshing Summer Sessions Blonde Ale or Liberation Revolutionary Pale Ale. 

Beer, bacon and shrooms on a Saturday afternoon, just can't get better than that. Fresh, local, artisan ingredients clearly deliver a flavorful difference. Sadly, you won't find this burger anywhere else. But who knows. You'll just never know what Marco Lobregat, Jeremy Slagle, and Chip Vega have up their sleeves for another impromptu pop-up experience.

The Boiler Room us located at 109 C. Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati.

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