iFlop @IHOP?

Since I've been raving about all-day breakfast joints for the past few days, I might as well share my experience with THE foreign brand that has invaded our shores.  By now, it's quite obvious how I love big breakfasts, and pancakes, for that matter.  These round flaps of joy always brings a sunny start to my day, whatever variety it may be.  Hell, I could live on McDonald's flat pancakes drenched in maple syrup for the rest of my life.  But there's more to  pancakes than just butter and syrup.  We all know restaurants dedicated to the concoction of these wonders, like our local Pancake House.  But when I heard about this store that would open up its flagship branch in the Philippines months before, I was already waiting in eager anticipation.

Pastel colors always mean something good. And delicious.

Ever since I saw my first IHOP advertisement on TV back in the U.S. in 2008, I was begging my sister to bring us there for one Sunday breakfast.  I was enchanted by their ad on TV, with a towering pancake stack and overflowing syrup and liberal whipped cream.  It was pancake heaven.  I swore IHOP meant International Heaven of Pancakes.

That was me back in Indiana in '08. 

Present day me: more hair.

That was my first encounter with IHOP.  Little did I know, that 5 years later, they would be invading our country!  I was skeptical at first, thinking that the Philippine branch would scrimp on the ingredients, or reduce their servings to Filipino size, as a number of foreign brand restaurants have criminally done.  So, as soon as the first blogs about IHOP leaked out, I quickly browsed through the sites from our top foodie bloggers (Our Awesome Planet, ItsBeryllicious, etc.).  To my gleeful delight, the pictures revealed similar serving sizes, but not out-of-this-world prices.  This added to my excitement.  However, I was flabbergasted in the next few days with reports of incredibly long queues and frustrating waiting times.  That for a country who has never seen IHOP and likely confuses it with polvoron instead of those flat cakes.  But that's the magic of the internet and social media: those pictures of gigantic pancakes spread like wildfire.

In my unconditional love of pancakes, I absented myself from work and picked a weekday to visit the flagship store in BGC.  We arrived at just after 9AM, and happily there was no long line outside.  But, as we entered the store, the receptionist told us that there was already a queue, and we were fourth.  And this was already on their 5th opening day!  Luckily, the waiting time was quick, and we were seated after just about 10 minutes or so.  The shop was located on the ground floor of some building, with a small dining area below and a larger area on the second floor.  The place was packed!  It was well lit, with large windows letting in the natural illumination of the sun, a perfect backdrop for a preppy breakfast.

This wall looks familiar. Like from another house... of pancakes.

Our server handed us improvised menus, which were colored printouts of perhaps their actual menu books.  The selection was extensive, including steaks and pastas, and democratic.  You could practically mix and match your combo meals as you see fit.  Not only that, you had the liberty of choosing what flavor of syrup you would submerge your pancake in.

The improvised menu.  The pancakes still look great.

Pick your flavor: Old Fashioned Maple, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Butter Pecan.  Bottoms up!

We wasted no time in ordering.  By then, we were both famished.  By some chance, I managed to order the same dish I had back in the U.S.  This time though, I upgraded my pancake to a different flavor.

Smokehouse Combo, P325 (+10% service charge)

This mash-up consisted of 2 eggs done your way, a generous serving of hash brown, and two smoked pork sausages.  Yes, that is a hash brown, unlike those seen in supermarkets and fast food.  The potato strips were packed tight and surprisingly filling.  I would have preferred it to be fried more to a crisp, but it was good anyway.  Those aren't longannisa either, but these pork sausages had the right amount of smokey and spicy flavor.  I then remembered this dish looked way better than what I previously had.  See for yourself.

Flashback '08

The US version had sloppily cooked hash browns (my first impression then was, ano yan, pansit?) and greasy eggs (see that oil?).  But the sausages were blackened better here.  I thought then maybe it's for that sloppy diner experience.  Then again, I think the Philippine version wins this round.

CINN-A-STACK Pancakes, P50 additional (P235 solo, +10% service charge)

For an additional 50 bucks, I upgraded my plain buttermilk cakes to a sweeter flavor, the CINN-A-STACK Pancakes!  To my bitter dismay, it appeared in no way like that on their pictures.  The whipped cream was a melted mess (it looked like bird droppings).  Fortunately, this sorry-looking pancake was redeemed by its powerful taste.  The two pieces of uneven pancakes were thick and fluffy.  There was cinnamon filling in every crevice, such that there was practically no need for any syrup.  The drizzle of cream cheese icing added more of that sugary high.  A sure killer for diabetics, but a fabulous meal for sugar addicts.  This was unlike any pancake I had ever had.  Halfway through my second piece though, my taste buds were already saturated by too much sweet.  But it was still a winner for me.

Strawberry Banana Pancakes Combo, P385 (P265 solo, +10% service charge)

She went for the Pick-A-Pancake Combo, in which you get to choose your pancake flavor and opt for either 2 sausage links or 2 bacon strips.  She got the bacon strips added to the eggs and hash brown.  The strawberry pancakes were a visual letdown.  The berries were big, yes, but they did not look plump or fresh.  It appeared to be coagulating into a jelly mess, like a strawberry jam.  The bananas were nearly lost in between, with thin sad slices within.  Still, the pancakes were large and fluffy, and with a little maple syrup and liberal whipped cream, the dish was resurrected.  I wonder if they shipped the strawberries from abroad, when they could have acquired their supplies from our local strawberries that taste way better.  The rest of the combo was basically similar to mine, except for the 2 bacon strips.  These two looked almost ashamed of themselves, lacking that crisp texture or even just that glistening appearance.  The hash brown, however, was still good.

Hot Chocolate, P145 (+10% service charge)

Premium Orange Juice, Regular, P145, (+10% service charge)

To drown our sorrows, I had the premium orange juice, which was thankfully fresh and pure.  The serving size for regular cup, however, seemed too small, especially for that price.  On the other hand, the Hot Chocolate was fantastic with its thick and rich flavor, and added bonus of generous whipped cream.  No holds barred on calories here.

My return to IHOP had mixed results.  Of note, they did not down-size their servings, especially the pancakes.  These remain the highlight of their menu, with thicker cakes and strong flavors.  A lot of aspects need improvement though, including the freshness of the fruits they put in the mix.  I have no complaints though about the flavor, which was rich and cloying.  On the other hand, the fried stuff were better than their US counterparts, with less grease and greater filling.  Better yet, the prices were remarkably reasonable.  But, take my review with a grain of salt, since this was on their 5th opening day and clearly was still in some sort of soft opening.  

With the long lines welcoming IHOP's arrival, there will be no iFlop.  With a vast array of dishes to choose from, and the liberal combinations you could come up with, IHOP is a delectable invasion.  Set to expand with a few more branches, one encouraging sign is that the local competitors have already begun tweaking their menu to challenge this uproar (Speculoos pancakes, now that's tempting).  IHOP is looming to raise the standards of pancakes in the country today.  All for the benefit of those mad for these heavenly flaps of joy.

IHOP

W Global Center, 30th Street corner 9th Avenue

BGC, Taguig City

www.facebook.com/pages/IHOP-Philippines