FACE-OFF: Breakfast Places To Warm The Heart

pancakes

I guess everyone would agree that a good meal (or make that an outstanding meal) may totally eradicate one's blues. But a good brekkie meal may lift you up to celestial heights. I've been going to a few breakfast places lately trying out that quintessential breakfast food. Those fluffy, heavenly discs best serve with some sprinkling of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, a slab of butter and drizzled with lots and lots of syrup. I'm talking about of course, the much heralded pancakes. A classic breakfast meal wouldn't be complete without them. 'But how about the sinangag (fried rice)?', you might ask. 'Certainly a classic Pinoy breakfast meal wouldn't be complete without it?' Well, I might talk about breakfast meals Pinoy-style on a future post. For now, the pancakes and other brekkie food will be the main focus.


Hopping My Way To IHOP

pancakes at IHOP

To say that International House Of Pancakes or IHOP created a lot of buzz when it finally opened a branch in the Philippines a few months back was a mere understatement. Everyone seemed to be going gaga over it and was swayed with the ever increasing hype. The sight of a very long queue at it's entrance is a testament on how popular IHOP had become on a number of times that I passed by it. But for me to wait for no less than thirty minutes just to partake some pancakes and omelettes is something that I don't have the patience with. But that doesn't mean I wasn't curious as to why these people would wait for that amount of time under the intense heat of the sun (or to be drench from scattered rains as the case maybe nowadays) just for some brekkie meals. Surely the food must be too good for that much penitence. *wink*!

receptacles for your choice of syrup

As if providence gave way, I was assigned on a weekday off and decided to spend it at IHOP, given I wouldn't be greeted with that now familiar queue at it's door. But if there is, I already have a Plan B he-he! =) And when I arrived at 30th Street corner 19th Avenue in BGC, lo and behold! There's not a single soul lining up. Needless to say, I went straight in.

An incident occurred while I was there that almost made me bolt for the door. I won't mention what that was. Let's just say it's a diner's worst nightmare is the more ample way to put it. Or a restaurant's worst headache, depending on one's point of view. But I decided to stay. Surely one's unfortunate fate (on dining, that is) wouldn't fall upon me the exact same way. Plus I also saw that none of the parties involved (the diner and the establishment) wanted to be on that predicament at all.

Splashberry

Cinn-A-Stack pancake

New York Cheesecake pancake

French vanilla Swiss Mocha

My trepidation were proved to be unfounded. The pancakes that I had here were very decent. Not as spectacular as I had hope but good enough to warrant a smile on my face after I'm done with the flapjacks.
 
To make my visit to IHOP worth it (in Tagalog, sulit), I ordered two varieties of pancakes. I first tried the Cinn-A-Stack Pancakes. Buttermilk pancakes, each layer suffused with cinnamon roll filling then drizzled with cream cheese icing then topped with whipped cream. Though instead of a beautiful rosette of piped cream, the whipped cream on top seemed to disintegrate creating a puddle that blended with the cream cheese icing. But still I liked the large radius of each flapjack, definitely larger than those pancakes I had in the past. I just find this variant a tad too sweet. And the cinnamon roll filling reminded me of peanut butter spread for some reason. Not that I'm complaining but I only got surprised by it's semblance.

I do like the New York Cheesecake Pancakes though I must admit that I found the strawberry syrup gliding over the surface of the pancakes strikingly red. A stark contrast of color from the pancake's almost fair, milky tone. I almost pretended that I'm Elena Gilbert after she became a vampire and this would be her pancake of choice. Pancakes drizzled with...okay, I'll say it, blood. But aversion was far from my mind right after I tasted it. The sweetness was just right and not overwhelming. And the strawberry and syrup gave it that nice tartness. 

I ordered two drinks. One I consumed to chase down the pancakes while the other as a kind of summation and a sweet ending after a hefty meal, as if the sweet treats that I've consumed thus far were not enough to give me sugar shock. Not bothering to read the description of the Splashberry, I got surprised of it's fizzy flavor. It's apparently a lemon-lime soda with orange juice and diced strawberries. And it's bottomless! Me starts thinking getting bloated just with this drink alone. The French Vanilla Swiss Mocha creamed topped reminded me so much of clouds seen when airborne. The pristine whiteness slightly marred by the sprinkling of cocoa powder. One sip and it made me giddy all over. It's like having a crush. I was all over this drink. Though best to consume while it's hot, once it's tepid it looses it's appeal.



W Global Center
30th St cor 9th Avenue
BGC, Taguig

http://www.facebook.com/IHOPPhilippines/
http://twitter.com/ihop_ph

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Speculooed Pancakes

brekkie dinner at Pancake House

Aside from cronuts, speculoos/cookie butter has been all over the place. It's incorporated in almost all forms of desserts: from cheesecake, doughnuts, milkshakes and cupcakes. But getting access to this much heralded spread can be quite difficult. It's always out of stock on a couple of times I passed by Rustan's Fresh. I was told by a friend that a certain food website or Facebook page deliver bottles of Trader Joe's Speculoos Cookie Butter that accepts COD (cash on delivery) payment but I'm dubious when it comes to online transactions. When Pancake House announced their newest designer pancakes and one of them is called the Cookie Butter Pancake Surprise, I'd admit that I almost swooped in to their nearest branch at that very minute but I didn't have the luxury of time then.

cookie butter pancake surprise

One day, I was huffing and puffing my way to Robinsons Galleria's Movieworld in hopes to catch a Hollywood action fantasy movie but I failed to beat the clock and the screening already started. I considered this as a way of the universe conspiring for me to finally haul my ass to Pancake House. Who am I to decline?

The fluffy pancakes melded so well with the cookie butter's smooth and creamy texture. It's already sweet as it is, but that didn't stop me to pour in some of the syrup to moisten up the pancakes a bit more. But good stuff, nevertheless!

chicken fillet in pesto

mocha milkshake

I'd pass up for the Chicken Fillet w/ Cheesy Spinach Pesto Linguine. This pasta dish didn't inspire any good thought, more so with the chicken fillet nestling on top which were as dry and as tough as solid rock. Even the wedge of lime couldn't make up for it. Good thing the Mocha Milkshake was good, very thick and chocolaty. Otherwise I could have hurled that plate of pasta to thin air. Of course, I'm using hyperbole here but you already get the point, don't you? 




www.pancakehouse.biz/index2.html

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Having Breakfast For Dinner

brekkie food at Grams Diner

The advantage of having an all-day breakfast restaurant is that you could get the best tasting pancakes and eggs Benedict even as twilight approach. 

inside Grams Diner

table setting

I could have gone to Grams Diner a bit earlier and could have enjoyed my meal with better lighting from natural sunlight. However, I initially didn't want to eat heavy. What I did intend to do is to booze myself up while nibbling some calamares or gambas in a bar. Just a little breather and a change of atmosphere, I told myself. So I set out just right before the sun went down from the horizon. Already eyeing this hip and trendy bar in BGC to get myself induced with alcohol but the lure of crispy bacon, sunny-side up egg and pancakes got me sidetracked.

Although Grams Diner is a breakfast place, I found the lighting to be too muted for one branded as such. I noticed how darkness quickly gathers from each nook and cranny as I await for my brekkie orders. I wistfully looked out the glass paned wall at the gathering night.

Eggs Benny & the Silver Dollar Pancakes

Eggs Benny

Riddles From The Griddle

It's very seldom for me to get a taste of Eggs Benedict because I'm not used to waking up so early in the morning just to hie myself to a restaurant that serves this heavenly brekkie treat. So, when I do get the chance I fall over it into a sort of meditation, almost like a prayer. Savoring and relishing it in full. The Eggs Benny at Grams Diner does away with classic English muffin halves and uses savory waffles instead. But the perfectly poached egg and the very rich Hollandaise sauce had me sent to the moon and back. It's pleasure upon pleasure on the palate. 

The Riddles From The Griddle platter didn't actually induced me to spew out riddles but what I did like about it was how simple yet elegantly it was plated. Though I already saw an episode of Ang Pinaka on GMA News TV wherein they showcased these mini pancakes called Silver Dollar Pancakes, I still can't help but marveled all the same when I actually saw it. The miniature pancakes were all stacked up in one cluster while the crisp bacon and a wetter version of scrambled egg surrounded it. I had a grand time pouring the syrup over it before slicing my way through the stack. But to be quite truthful, I was actually yearning for a bigger version of the flapjacks.

Grams Prime Burger

Whopper Malt Milkshake

I was rather put off by the amount of lettuce on the Grams Prime Burger. Never have I seen this much lettuce on a burger. Me thinks, 'Am I actually eating a burger? Or is this a salad between burger buns masquerading as a burger?' Though the angus beef patty were quite juicy and the mozzarella cheese gave it a mouth-watering appeal. But go easy on the lettuce, please?

I had no complaints with the Whoppers Malt Milkshake. A thick, decadent dessert drink in which the richness of it implodes in the mouth. I almost gasp with delight after my first sip. One cannot help but relish the sweet, cool creaminess of this milkshake. I was already so satisfied with this sweet treat that I cancelled my initial plan to order more for desserts.

www.gramsdiner.com

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Breakfast May Not Be Impeccable, But The Plating Sure Does

brekkie at Early Bird Breakfast Club

Of all days of the week, I'm feeling woeful on a Saturday. Partly to blame is the overcast, rainy weather. Just sulking in bed and surfing the Net or continuing to book two of The Lord Of The Rings momentarily lost its appeal to me. I badly needed to get out. So putting on my hooded jacket, I braced the drizzle. 

cheery interior

table setting

I went to Early Bird Breakfast Club with a little reservation. The fact that this all-day breakfast joint has been receiving mixed reviews is a cause to give me pause. But to quote Paulo Coehlo: 'Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.', so I still went ahead. Hoping that it might turn out differently for me. It did, in some way.

The gloomy weather outside was in stark contrast with the cheery interior inside Early Bird Breakfast Club. It has it's own radiance. I was even half expecting to see a server in a Big Bird custome gliding its way towards me while holding the menu. That never happen, though. Tough luck! Hehe! But the service was very gracious. That I appreciated much.

hazelnut latte

croque madame

signature pancakes

When the plate of Croque Madame arrived, I got staggered by it's colossal size. It seems to have all the right ingredients for a promising good grub. The cheese tuille on top made it even more pristine. Never mind if the sunny-side up egg skirted to one side of the plate even as my server carefully placed it down before me. It still a beautiful plating. But after one bite, my nose wrinkled. I even think my brows even furrowed. Something was not quite right. I finally figured it's the mornay sauce that coats the sandwich. It has that grainy texture that's not pleasing to the mouth at all. If it had a smoother consistency, it could spell out a lot of difference.

What I did enjoy was the Early Bird Signature Pancakes. Massive in size although thinner than most pancakes that I've encountered. The sight alone of how they attempted to prettify the plate arouse a certain mirth inside me. It's one of those rare occasion that I don't want to start eating because I don't want to ruin the beautiful plating. But that only lasted for a minute or two. And then I started wrenching it. The pancakes were substantial and fluffy. I can do without the chocolate sauce since I find the texture too chalky to my liking. But I liberally poured the Vermont maple syrup over the flapjacks, moistening it a bit thus making it more deliriously good.

Have I mentioned already that the service here in Early Bird Breakfast Club is very gracious? One of which is the guy server who has the looks that could possibly grab him a role on primetime TV. He always beams and shows his most enigmatic smile whenever I glanced his way in between sips of their awesome Hazelnut Latte or call his attention to ask for something. An embodiment of the cheeriness of the restaurant's interiors. Thus I ended up having a teeny weeny, itsy bitsy crush on before my meal ends he-he! Anyway, thanks to him I felt a bit better as I head out the door that he gallantly opened it for me and forgot my woes even for a while. 

www.earlybirdbreakfastclub.com