Grab and Go with Shakes, Smoothies, and Salads at The Juicery
The 1771 group has a portfolio of restaurant brands familiar to many Filipinos who like to dine out. This includes their flagship Chateau 1771, which serves French cuisine tweaked for the Filipino palate; modern Filipino fare in Sentro 1771; comfort food at Flatiron 1771; and the whimsical café setting of Café 1771.
The group’s latest venture is a bit of a departure from its established brands. Juicery by Chateau 1771, as its name suggests, is a juice bar that opened adjacent to Chateau 1771 in One Bonifacio High Street Mall in Bonifacio Global City. Unlike the Group’s other, full-service restaurants, Juicery is a grab-and-go type of outlet that serves primarily fruit shakes and smoothies, as well as a limited selection of soups and salads.
Fruit shakes and smoothies are the star attraction at The Juicery by Chateau 1771
The concept was borne out of a last-minute decision to turn what would have been another of Chateau’s function rooms into something that would engage with the foot traffic inside the mall.
“We already had the wall, we already ordered the carpet, and the divider for the function room,” says Vicky Pacheco, executive chef and COO of the Chateau 1771 Group of Companies. “But when we were already constructing, the owner, Ricky Gutierrez, thought of another revenue stream for the restaurant, and one that would be more interactive with the mallgoers. Because if it were a function room, it would be walled off, and the main entrance (outside, facing the Philippine Stock Exchange Tower) would be the only way to get in.
“So there’s no connection with the mall and mallgoers,” she adds. “We wanted something that can be easily accessible to someone just walking by.”
Try this special Honey Ginger Lemonade concoction also at The Juicery
Brainstorming for the new concept wasn’t easy. They didn’t want to do crepes, or any kind of food that needed someone to cook outside, because that meant putting up things like an exhaust fan. They also passed on another café concept, because there’s already tons of coffee places in and around the area.
Finally the interior designer suggested a juicery and immediately it clicked. Pacheco herself used to patronize a juice stall in Greenbelt. It was also low-effort, can serve drinks to people on the go, and was in line with the current trend of healthier food and drink alternatives. It made sense.
The Juicery uses paper straws
Pacheco says it took about three to four months of research and development to perfect their line of fruit shakes and smoothies.
“At first I didn’t know what to do,” she says. “But I narrowed it down: it has to be natural, meaning nothing powdered going in there. And it has to be healthier. We still use white sugar as a sweetener, but the alternative is nipa palm sugar, which people can choose.”
The nipa palm sugar is better than coco sugar because it has a lower glycemic index, which means it is more slowly digested, absorbed and metabolized in the body, and causes a lower and slower rise in blood glucose. Also, they help local farmers because they source it from suppliers in in Iligan City.
Asian Steak Tips Salad
Regular fruit shakes made from familiar fruits like watermelon, banana, strawberry and mango go for about P130 while the sugar-free option is at P140.
In addition to fruit shakes there are also smoothies (with added yogurt) as well as different fruit combinations with names like The Big Vibe (apple, beets, orange, carrot and lemon), Let it Flow (apple, carrot and orange), and Strawberry Fields (apple, strawberries, watermelon and orange).
Chateau 1771 Group Executive Chef and COO Vicky Pacheco developed the shakes, smoothies and food menu at The Juicery
Chef Vicky also added food items on the menu for people looking for something quick and healthy. Bestsellers include the Kale Caesar Salad (P155 plain, P165 with shredded chicken and P190 for quinoa), Pink Detox Salad (P230 with pomelo, kale, watermelon, walnuts, chvre goat’s cheese, yogurt pomegranate dressing) and Asian Steak Tips (P150 for green ice lettuce, marinated beef tips, cucumber, onions, soy-sesame dressing).
The soups, meanwhile, come frozen, which customers can reheat at home or in the office, although they can also choose to eat it there. There’s Onion (P200), Mushroom (P200), Tomato (P150), and Curried Squash (P250).
The Juicery is on the Second Floor, One Bonifacio High Street Mall, Bonifacio Global City.
