Pound by Todd English in Robinsons Ermita, Manila
Pound by Todd English opened up its doors in Robinsons Ermita several months back already, and since then I wanted to share about it here in the blog. Unfortunately, every time I went there, I came unprepared (i.e. without a decent camera). I didn't want to use my phone camera because I didn’t want to not do justice over the dishes just because of “bad photos”. Anyway, It took me about 5 months to have the right timing. Hence, you are reading this now.
The fancy feels in Pound
The ambiance of Pound stands out with its “modernized classic” look. It got elements that bring sophistication to its aura. In fact, with its ambiance, you may mistaken the restaurant as a “fancy restaurant” with a “fancy price". Gold/bronze-coated utensils further add up to this concept.
However, despite the seemingly intimidating look, Pound’s menu eases that up. You will be surprised that they offer handful of dishes at less than P200. Even more so with the One Dollar Promos that seem to be constantly ongoing, giving your P55 the power to buy a dish (and no I am definitely not complaining).
Specialized menu of Pound
The menu of Pound is very much lean, and might even be too lean for that matter. However, this somehow provides “specialization”. Anyway, for the night, we availed some items under the P55-menu, mixed with regular items. We started off with the Onion Haystack.
The Onion Haystack, a more fancy term for onion rings here in Pound, is not your ordinary rings. It was freshly fried (given by the crunch and texture), and it came with this special hoisin-like sauce that gave it a sweet rich savory taste. Originally priced at P80, but it’s all yours for P55. I sound like your homeshopping channel, but I really urge you to try this.
We also ordered Todd English Poutine (P180). Every one loved it at first two bites, but the satiation accelerated with this dish. I suggest this dish if you are at least 4 in your group, so each will only have a small portion. You'll love the cheesiness, meatiness and the carbs-overload!
Another dish under the promo menu was the Tomato Cream Pasta (P55). Again, considering the price it was extraordinary. The white and red sauce were fused together which gave the texture a creamy feel. There was sharpness at first when it landed on my palate, but it beautifully mellowed down to a dreamy tastiness.
White sauce lovers will rejoice with this Bacon Alfredo Pasta (P130 for solo). It was "classic"! The sauce had the right mix of creaminess and the caramelized bacon gave it a sweet push.
The Chocolate Milkshake (P55) came in this adorable size glass. While it tasted fine, I found the chocolate leaning more on the unnatural/powdered taste. Betty White Milkshake (P55) was similar to the Chocolate Milkshake in terms of size, but for me it was way better when it comes to the taste. It had a caramel sweetness and had more thickness/volume.
We now head to the burgers starting off with Todd English Slider (P55 each). Again, this is part of the One-Dollar Promo, so I really urge you to maximize this while it lasts.
The burger is a definite classic. It had juicy meaty patty, crisp lettuce, tomatoes and some onion rings (which gave it a nice crisp texture). What really differentiated this with other burger joints was the quality of the patty -- extremely tender and tasty!
If you are not into the conventional burgers, go for the Todd English Chicken Burger (P225). We had varying opinion over this. My brother said it was a bit bland, but for me it tasted fine. Yes, it did have some soft flavors, but the entire "mouth" experience was commendable due to the crunchiness and play of balanced flavors.
The Amsterdam Burger (P280) caught me off guard with its combination of flavors and textures. The pastrami gave more of the "meaty” bite to the burger, as it added a layer of smokey flavor at the same time. Then, the dressing gave it creaminess and subtle sourness.
There are a lot of good things I can say about this burger, but they all mean one thing — try this one heck of a burger.
Pound by Todd English - Overall Ratings and Summary
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings reflect my personal experiences on the times I dine here.
Place ★★★★
Taste ★★★★
Service ★★★★
Value for Money ★★★★
Budget: at least P200 each for a moderate dining experience (could be sharing or personal)
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 5 || Date of last visit - September 16, 2018
Pound by Todd English carved a space in our hearts as our go-to restaurant. This is why whenever we feel unsure of where to dine here in Robinsons Ermita, we often end up here in Pound. Servers are generally friendly and warm (with one exception but negligible). Prices are within reach, and some of the dishes have a wow-factor. For food recommendation, I suggest that you try the Onion Haystack, Amsterdam Burger and Bacon Alfredo.
By the way, GCash payment is accepted here in Pound which allows you to get 5% cashback on your bill. If you are not yet registered, feel free to use this referral code AXJ1XZ to get P50 added to your balance.
Pound by Todd English
Location: G/F Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila
Service Charge: 10% before VAT
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