There are only 3 things in the world right now that move me to tears — my girlfriend’s pretty face, that Van Gogh episode of Doctor Who and Banchetto. I almost cried manly tears when it left Emerald Avenue with an uncertain future ahead of it. And it almost made me cry again when it came back with a vengeance. This time, it’s Banchetto Megatent.
I went with Maggie to Banchetto last Friday, its 2nd week at Megatent. She loves stuffing her face with food as much as I do. When she’s at Banchetto, she says she feels like a kitten in calorie heaven. “NOMNOM EAT BEFORE RAPCHAR” the fine lass said during Banchetto Emerald‘s last night. She becomes a crazy apocalyptic cat when Banchetto is involved. The perfect companion in checking out Banchetto Reborn. We made a few observations, some good and some not so good, while stuffing our faces with potatoes, pasta and chicken.
We didn’t take photos at Banchetto so here’s a photo of chicken wings from BonChon instead.
First, the pros. Banchetto starts much earlier now at 9 pm and it continues on until 7 am. That covers late dinner, late night munchies and breakfast. Sweet. And starting in July, we’ll have Saturday Banchetto too. Without the towering buildings of Emerald Avenue surrounding it, Banchetto now lets you have more open spaces plus a clear view of the heavens. For long-time fans of the market, this kind of ambiance requires some getting used to. Personally, I prefer it.
We went there at around 9 pm when most of the vendors were still setting up. It was the first time we’ve experienced Banchetto without having to push through crowds of sweaty and hungry people. It was divine. We can blame — in part — Megatent’s location. Which leads us to the cons.
Compared to the bustling call center-infested Emerald Avenue, Megatent along Meralco Avenue is a much quieter place. Inconvenient too, for the Ortigas yuppies at least. Yes, it’s just a few blocks away from the heart of Ortigas Center, but for fatties like me, that’s a long walk. People with cars will be happy to know that there is free parking space at Banchetto Megatent. However, it can fill up pretty fast. See, Banchetto takes up most of the parking space in front of the Megatent building. We also noticed that there was no restroom available and we were too full and lazy to ask security personnel if we can use Megatent’s restroom.
The most glaring con we observed was the smaller number of vendors. I don’t know if their�allotted�space in the parking lot limits their numbers or a lot of the old vendors haven’t signed up yet. Either way, there’s a still a lot of good food stuff at Banchetto Megatent that can move you to tears.
I'm just glad Banchetto is back. Wish it comes back to Emerald, though.
at least the krispy kreme burger is still there…
I have got to try that one of these days.
I TOLD YOU! THERE'S A WILD KRISPY KREME BURGER LURKING IN THAAAR!!!
thanks so much for posting all your comments here, pros & cons alike…
but since you still come over frequently in BANCHETTO-MEGATENT…
you will notice the development as we go along the way…
1. All our customers in BANCHETTO-MEGATENT can make use of the restrooms there.
2. As for the vendors, many of them lost a lot on the 4 Friday nights that we were not in emerald… if they were earning P30-70K/Friday night… that means, for 4 nights, they lost about P120-280K already! Some tried to venture in other overnight market, and most of whom lost all the earnings they earned when they were still with us in emerald… only those who joined us in our other BANCHETTO venues, like Forum & Libis, survived… sila ang nakikita nyo ngayon sa BANCHETTO-MEGATENT…
But don't worry, its a matter of making all those around us aware of the existence of BANCHETTO-MEGATENT… in about less than a year… mauulit uli ang saya na dati sa emerald… we will transform it again into a tourst destination just like before… dito sa BANCHETTO-MEGATENT…
Super Salamat for all your love & continuous support for BANCHETTO!
Thanks for the info, Liz. Good to know that we can use the restrooms there. :) But it's sad that you lost vendors because of those 4 Friday nights. I hope they all come back soon. Also, nice touch with the live band in the dining area. I hope you keep that. :)
We tried going to Banchetto Megatent and here's my observations:
There are not enough tables and chairs to accommodate the food trippers
Schedules and locations are always subject to changes unlike in regular restaurant so always check the announcement first before going.
Best enjoyed with your barkada, officemates or together with the whole family
Nice tips, man. Although whenever I go there, I don't experience the lack of tables and chairs. Maybe I just go there earlier than most people.
where can we find ur other branch of banchetto???????
1. BANCHETTO-MEGATENT along Meralco Avenue every Friday nights from 8PM till 7AM SATURDAY Morning
2. BANCHETTO-FORUM @Pioneer every Wednesdays & Thursday nights 8.30PM-6AM
3. BANCHETTO-SHOPWISE @Bagumbayan QC every TUESDAY nights 6PM-2AM WEDNESDAY
You're welcome. :)
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