Hopping Back to IHOP!
One of the main instigators of the all-day breakfast revolution, IHOP has spread its influence far and wide across the metro. A couple of years after the hype and publicity,HOP manages to maintain prominence as the go-to spot for one's breakfast fix. We recently returned to IHOP after missing their delicious pancakes for a year.
Malagos Hot Chocolate, P145 (+10% service charge)
First off, I have to credit IHOP for tweaking their international menu to offer more local delights. They currently offer the Filipino favorite silog meals, but I chickened out in trying their versions, for fear they might not get it right. Nevertheless, one other perfect example is their Malagos Hot Chocolate, made from cacao beans sourced locally from Davao. Priced similarly with their regular Hot Chocolate, this version is a steal. Deep and dark yet with light sweet overtones, the Malagos Hot Chocolate was the perfect upper for our meal. Sip away the holidays, as I believe this is available only for a limited time.
Quick Two-Egg Breakfast, P295 (+10% service charge)
I quickly settled down for a Quick Two-Egg Breakfast, served with 4 pieces of toast. I picked bacon (finally, real pork bacon after enduring a year of nearly no pork bacon in Singapore) instead of sausages.
The hash brown seemed more generous than the first time I tried it here in the country. Also, it had a more even crispy exterior than before. Better than the first time, definitely. The bacon was heavenly, or seemed so. Maybe it was because I missed it so much. Still, after a few minutes it had gone cold and a bit chewy. Nevertheless, the fat and meat ratio was acceptable. The eggs were just the usual sunny-sides, done the way I like it - a bit burnt on the underside.
The toast that went with my order were nothing spectacular, and I would have preferred more generous slathering with butter. Maybe I miss kaya toasts already. The jam was the grocery staple Smucker's, so nothing fancy here.
Double Blueberry Pancakes, P275 (+10% service charge)
The last fruity pancake we had at IHOP was a disaster - the strawberries were soggy and sad. Wary of this, she picked the blueberry variant instead. As always, the pancakes are huge, but appears thicker than previously.
A pleasant surprise was that the pancakes were filled with actual blueberries! Hooray! The berries were fresh and lightly sweet. Topping the stack of flapjacks was blueberry compote, again with real blueberries. The compote was light and not overpowering, but the whipped cream may have added too much sweetness. The pancakes itself seemed airier than before, but because of its relatively thicker size, it appeared less fluffy than Pancake House or even the budget favorite Ally's.
Reunited and it tastes so good...
After the hyped had died down and receiving mixed reviews, IHOP still has steadily spread its sphere of influence. However, the consequence of jump-starting the all-day "brekky" revolution was that some places now offer better and more varied pancakes at a more reasonable price (think: Ally's). Still, IHOP's pancakes remain one of the fluffiest (and largest) and pound for pound, better than most for this price range. With the flexibility to tweak its menu and keep serving sizes Americanized, IHOP is clearly here to stay.
Jones
IHOP (International House of Pancakes)
Ground Floor, U.P. Town Center
Katipunan Avenue,
Quezon City
(multiple branches across Metro Manila)
Written by Jones
0 comments: