It was 9 o'clock on a Friday night, and my girlfriend and I were only just leaving our Commonwealth office. We were dead tired and famished.

Having just gotten our paychecks for the week, we decided to splurge on dinner. On a whim, we cruised along Maginhawa St. in Teacher's Village, and told each other that we'd try out the first appetizing place we saw that served rice (for my girlfriend) and pasta (for me).

Our first choice was Tomato Kick but by the time we got there, there was no place to park and the place was packed with college kids trying to talk over the loud music. We drove further down the street for a few more minutes and found The Burger Project. I'd heard of the place before from a colleague and remembered a promise that I'd try it out the next time I was in the area.

From the name, I was pretty sure The Burger Project didn't offer rice meals or pasta. But by that time, we were so hangry (hungry to the point of being angry or, at the least, immensely crabby). We decided to throw our previous plans out the window and just head for The Burger Project's door.

We were greeted by their specialty burgers and its ingredients listed on the wall. They all looked and sounded delicious but none of them were just exactly what I wanted.

We were then handed a clipboard with a checklist form on it that allowed us to create our own burger – the type of burger/patty: 100% Angus beef, 100% beef, chicken, tofu; the number of patties: 1, 2 or 3 pieces; the bun: sesame seed, potato (yes, potato!), oatmeal; the cheese: bleu, mozzarella, gruyere, cheddar; the premium toppings: bacon, chili con carne, caramelized onions, canadian bacon, pepperoni, onion rings, sauteed mixed mushrooms, guacamole; the basic toppings: mango salsa, pineapple slices, jalapeno peppers, egg, sliced onions, sun dried tomatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles; and, last but not the least, the sauce: wasabi mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, teriyake sauce, marinara, pesto, buffalo wingssauce, special BRGR sauce, garlic sauce.

We also got to name our burgers! I named mine the Jajajajannn BRGR (imagining the sound it would make if it were presented to you the first time). The name definitely fits the burger. It was the BOMB!

I haven't been this excited about a burger since I tasted Sango. But let me tell you, The Burger Project blew Sango's socks and ass off the top of my list. When I got my burger, I literally kept on saying "oh my god" every five seconds. I believed I had died and gone to burger heaven. I believed I was the Burger Guru, the Burger Queen, or at the very least, had just kissed the feet of the Burger Dalai Lama – I was blessed with the epiphany of what an awesome burger really was.

Who cared about rice or pasta when such manna exists? Just thinking about it is making me feel giddy. And I'm not even a burger person!

So how did I get this Burger Enlightenment? Lean closer, read carefully and take note of the following ingredients of the Jajajajannn BRGR.

When you get that tiny clipboard, tick on:
- Chicken Patty
- Oatmeal Bun
- ALL the Cheeses (Bleu, Mozzarella, Gruyere, Cheddar)
- Jalapeno Peppers and Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Wasabi Mayonnaise

Side note: Best with water if you like it hot. If you're not that big on spicy stuff, you can opt to have one of their milkshakes to cool down your tongue (Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry, Choco Peanut, Good Ol' Choc'lit, Oreo Cookies n' Cream).

P.S.: Their other beverages are: PINO Brewed Iced Tea, Soda Float, canned sodas & local beers.

P.P.S.: They also have Gourmet Toppings: Truffle Cream Cheese, Saffron, Aioli, Garlic Portobello & Italian Prosciutto. (The first two go best with the Jajajajann BRGR.).

P.P.P.S.: Their side dishes looked good too but I didn't get to try them: Buffalo Wings, Mozzarella Sticks, Fries, Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Rings.

Try it. Cross it off your Bucket List.

******The Burger Project is open from 9AM-12MN and is located at 122 Maginhawa, Teachers Vill, QC.

Mary Jude Mendiola is a twenty-something Sagittarian, cruising through life with a ready smile, an open heart and a hungry stomach. She is currently working at GMAC as partner-in-crime!

Photos used with permission from Mary Jude Mendiola.