A New Menu and More Reasons to Celebrate at Applebee's...

Now there's more reasons to #celebrateeverything at Applebee's. Get ready to savor the next wave of flavorful celebrations with an all-new menu at Applebee's Grill and Bar... 

Applebee's Grill and Bar recently launched its sumptuous new menu including appetizers, salads, pasta, chicken, seafood, burgers, handhelds, and desserts plus their own inventive take on local flavors. Read on and take a flavorful peek at Applebee's new menu...

Applebee's new menu fits in perfectly with the brand's DNA. "Applebee's Grill and Bar is all about having fun, enjoying great food, sharing a few laughs over drinks with friends and family, and focusing on what's really important: creating memories with people that truly matter in our lives. At Applebee's, we encourage people to #celebrateeverything as this provides us an opportunity to take stock not only of our own accomplishments, but the significant milestones of people nearest and dearest to our hearts. With how hectic and fast-paced our lifestyles are now, it's important for us to take these breaks and stop to smell the roses so to speak. And at Applebee's, we provide you with that oasis you need to relax, enjoy yourself, and leave your cares outside the door," explained Bob Vallar, Marketing Manager of Applebee's Philippines (for more on Applebee's, see my previous posts, More Reasons To Celebrate...at Applebee's Eastwood City and There's Always A Reason To Celebrate at Applebee's...). The new dishes offer a wide variety of flavors, with something for everyone. "Simultaneous to the launch of our New Menu items for Applebee's Philippines, we are likewise rolling out our new look menu straight from the USA containing our new brand promise: Serving Up Good Times. And of course, a big part of keeping that promise is a delicious array of new dishes that our new menu is absolutely loaded with," added Bob Vallar.

And there's more. Diners at Applebee's Grill And Bar can now enjoy round after round of one of the country's premium local artisan beers on tap. Beneath the bar, kegs from Engkanto Brewery dispenses perfectly chilled beer pairing well with Applebee's new dishes. That day, Engkanto Brewery's Lager and Pale were served...

A cold brew adds that cool celebratory vibe to your dining experience at Applebee's, and Engkanto Brewery casts its mystical spell with a pair of their signature craft beer creations. The light hues of Engkanto Brewery's Pale delivers crisp and clean notes with hints of citrus, while the deeper amber tint of the Lager has a more pronounced hoppy flavor profile. The use of high-quality premium and natural ingredients is apparent with the first sip, with bold and robust flavors lining your palate. Both variants perfectly complement the diverse flavors from Applebee's new menu. 

Start your celebration at Applebee's with the new Fried Sweet & Spicy Pickles (P 195), a tasty appetizer with lightly breaded pickled cucumber slices deep-fried to crispy perfection and served with a creamy jalapeno dip, perfect with an ice-cold beer from Engkanto Brewery. Sweet with just a hint of tartness followed by a light and delectable crispness, Applebee's Fried Sweet & Spicy Pickles cleanses the palate with its fresh and clean notes, a perfect starter before the feast at Applebee's. You can add this to your list of new favorites at Applebee's. Other new appetizers include Calamari (P 395), Bacon Jalapeno Potato Croquettes (P 265), and the Southern Beef Brisket Quesadilla (P 525).

Diners can also enjoy fresh flavors with Applebee's new pair of salads. The new Buffalo Chicken Salad (P 525 Full/P 325 Half) with Romaine lettuce drizzled with Bleu Cheese dressing and topped with Buffalo Chicken Tenders is a sumptuous salad, a light meal in itself. The delicate notes of the chicken are kicked up a notch by the bold flavors of the bleu cheese and the tartness of the fresh cherry tomatoes, capped by the garden-fresh Romaine with its light crispness and subtle sweetness.

Not to missed is the new Grilled Watermelon & Spicy Shrimp Salad (P 765 Full/P 445 Half) with crisp and fresh greens, diced cucumbers, feta cheese and toasted almonds tossed in a creamy mint yogurt dressing with spicy grilled shrimp and grilled watermelon for refreshingly sweet and spicy notes. The combination of contrasting notes from the briny hints of plump and succulent shrimps pair well with the sweetness of the watermelon for another winning salad dish. The pair of new salads offer fresh and inventive flavor combinations, just what you'd expect from Applebee's. 

Pasta? Knock yourself out with Applebee's pair of new pasta dishes, each one offering hearty and comforting flavors. The new Firecracker Shrimp (P 595) is a comforting pasta dish with crispy fried breaded shrimp on Cavatappi pasta tossed with a rich and mildly spicy Sriracha Parmesan Cream sauce and grilled vegetable relish for hints of smoky sweetness. The subtle layer of heat adds to the complex flavors of contrasting notes pairing well with the plump shrimps, fresh fruits and vegetables.

The new Grilled Sausage Marinara Pasta (P 495) with Schueblig Sausage, mushrooms, bell peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes on spaghetti noodles draped with a rich marinara sauce is a savory pasta dish that isn't shy at all when it comes to bold flavors. From the smoky sweetness of the peppers to the savory richness of the sausages, the new Grilled Sausage Marinara Pasta adds a festive and flavorful punch to your celebratory feast at Applebee's. The spices and seasonings from the Schueblig weaves its distinct notes to the pasta dish, with just a whisper of heat for even more flavors followed by the tartness of the thick marinara sauce. Complex yet balanced, the play on flavors makes this pasta dish a must-try at Applebee's. 

The Southern Beef Brisket Quesadilla (P 525) is another appetizer that's hard to resist with tender slow-cooked and richly seasoned beef brisket topped with cheddar wrapped in a warm flour tortilla, chipotle lime dressing and jalapeno dip. The savory richness of the beef brisket adds a flavorful punch to the dish.

The new menu also includes tasty seafood creations like the Beetroot Curry Salmon (P 695) with ocean-fresh Norwegian Pink Salmon in a rich beet root curry sauce topped with tortilla strips and fried onions and served with Dried Fish Coriander Rice and Greek yoghurt on the side for a light and healthy yet satisfying meal at Applebee's.

The Teriyaki Balsamic Glazed Salmon (P 675) offers the delicate yet butter-like and rich notes of salmon with a tasty teriyaki balsamic glaze for sharp and vibrant flavors, paired with Mexi-rice and crunchy green bean crispers for another satisfying meal at Applebee's. The distinct Asian-inspired flavors complement the creamy texture of the premium salmon, with the crisp green beans adding both flavor and textural contrast to complete the dish.  

Craving for more Southwestern flavors? The new BBQ Beef Brisket Tacos (P 545) should do the trick, with fork-tender, juicy and seasoned beef brisket slathered with a honey BBQ and Mexi-ranch dressing, crisp onion rings, coleslaw and fresh cilantro in a warm soft taco. A side of fries completes the dish. Each ingredient delivers unique flavors, all coming together in one bite for one tasty handheld starter with fresh and clean notes. 

No visit to Applebee's is complete without one of their signature burgers. I've always enjoyed Applebee's Cowboy Burger (for more on the Cowboy Burger, see my earlier post, Savory and Spicy: Tasty Bites at Applebee's...) and the Bourbon Black and Bleu Burger, but the new Triple Meat All-In Burger (P 795) is one serious contender in my list of favorites. Just think of it. A thick and juicy USDA Beef burger patty. Double smoked bacon. Shredded beef brisket draped in honey BBQ sauce topped with cheddar cheese on a toasted brioche bun...

...it's a winning burger trifecta.The one-two punch from the thick and juicy all-beef patty and the fork-tender beef brisket sets this burger apart, followed by the smoky hints of crisp bacon. All these, draped in a honey BBQ sauce and topped with cheddar cheese on a soft brioche, just can't get better than that. Add one more item to your list of favorites at Applebee's.

The new menu also includes dishes inspired by local favorites. It's "local flavors with the Applebee's punch." The Applebee's Pork Liempo Adobo (P 485) with two thick and hefty slabs of succulent pork belly with the comfortingly familiar soy-vinegar sauce is pure pork love, served with Brown Garlic Almond Fried Rice and crispy fried onions.

The Fiesta BBQ Pork Liempo (P 495) offers the comforting flavors of pork belly with an Asian spin. Two thick slabs of pork belly steaks glazed with a sweet and savory Asian BBQ sauce takes pork to a whole new level topped with crispy tortilla chips and served with Mexi-rice and a refreshingly tart pico de gallo. The richness of the pork belly is perfectly balanced by the tart pico de gallo for balanced flavors, completed by the flavorful Mexi-rice. The new Local Favorites infuses the celebratory flair of Applebee's with homegrown culinary favorites in a seamless blend, and it works. Two years in the making, one bite of Applebee's all new Local Favorites is all you need to agree that it's well worth the wait. "Our new dishes for Applebee's Philippines are a combination of Applebee's USA recipes and original creations we developed locally. We took it as a singular challenge to develop new dishes bearing the Applebee's culinary imprint while also creating festive, unique, and unforgettable dishes that will make people swoon as they savor their different layers of flavor. For us, it was all about fashioning out dishes that people will crave for again and again because after all, a satisfied craving is always a reason to celebrate," said Applebee's Philippines Executive Chef Aldrin Ortile. You can add this as well to my list of new favorites at Applebee's. "We are particularly proud of our all New Local Favorites as we took the homegrown local flavors of our ubiquitous adobo and BBQ and we gave them the Applebee's celebration treatment, so to speak, and we can now call them our very own. You guys will absolutely love our new Applebee's Pork Liempo Adobo, our new Fiesta BBQ Pork Liempo, and our new Chicken BBQ," added Chef Aldrin. And he's absolutely right. I'm definitely having this again on my next visit to Applebee's soon. 

Good food, good times. The new menu provides all the layers of rich flavors on your next celebration at Applebee's. Now what's for dessert? Applebee's has that covered too with a trio of lavish desserts...

In addition to Applebee's signature desserts like the Triple Chocolate Meltdown, Blue Ribbon Brownie, and Butter Pecan Blondie, there are three new indulgent temptations to cap your feast starting with the Banoffee Cheesecake (P 350), a decadent toffee cheesecake drizzled with Dulce de Leche and Hot Fudge topped with banana chips...

...the new Hot Fudge Sundae (P 225) with velvety smooth and creamy vanilla ice cream blanketed with hot fudge sauce...

   ...and the S'mores Creme Brulee (P 375), a sugar-glazed chocolate creme brulee topped with banoffee crumble and toasted marshmallows for that perfect sweet ending at Applebee's. From appetizers, salads, pasta, mains, burgers, handhelds, local favorites, and desserts, Applebee's new menu is definitely worth celebrating. And with fresh brews from Engkanto Brewery on tap, Applebee's is still the perfect spot for your next celebration. 

Applebee's is located at Unit 1, Eastwood Citywalk 1, Eastwood City, 188 E. Rodriguez Avenue, Jr., Bagumbayan, Quezon City or vist their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/ApplebeesPH/.

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