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)

https://www.facebook.com/IHOPPhilippines

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Life of Pi: Pi Breakfast and Pies

All-day breakfast places are rapidly becoming the most popular trend in the country today.  What used to be the monopoly of Pancake House is now a wide open market, bolstered by an infusion of foreign brands (IHOP) and local concepts.  It has become so prevalent that even restaurants that don't usually serve breakfast suddenly modifies their menu.  As such, it is now a challenge to search and sift out the really good all-day breakfast joints.

Riding on this current craze, one of my favorite modern Filipino restaurants, Pino, decided to put up their own breakfast spot just adjacent to them.  Thus, Pi was born.  Occupying a small corner of their building, Pi humbly dishes out honest-to-goodness breakfast fare even with a rather limited menu.  Not to worry though, as they also sell baked goodies (breads, cookies) for those who prefer a lighter wake-upper.

But I didn't come here for their baked goodies.  I wanted a good homey breakfast satisfaction.  We perused their simple menu book, and the choices seemed few, particularly the pancake section.  Nevertheless, my eyes zeroed in on one of their best-sellers and it was an easy choice.

Wagyu Beef Sirloin Tapa, PHP 245

My beloved humble beef tapa deserved a little pimpin' with Pi's rendition of this cult favorite.  Tender slices of wagyu beef sat gloriously on top of garlic kimchi rice, served with a whole, soft boiled egg.

The beef was tender as advertised, with no trace of grittiness or toughness. I loved the level of sweetness it exuded, the way I prefer my tapsilog.  It's the Paranaque way, I believe, with the beef served with a hint of sugary glaze instead of saltiness a la bistek.  There were slivers of fat on some portions, cloying with its meaty taste.

The atchara soaked in mildly sour vinegar was perfect as both a dip and mix-in to the rice.  The rice itself was a revelation, with hints of spiciness from the kimchi.  Although I would have preferred a sunny-side up egg (in retrospect, I could have ordered it that way), the soft-boiled egg was perfect - runny yolk and smooth exterior.  The common man's hearty breakfast was now all dolled-up in meaty glory.

Banana Nutella Cream Cheese Pancake, PHP 145

The missus was in the mood for pancakes, but the options paled in comparison to other breakfast joints, such as Ally's just across the street.  Believe me, she would have easily crossed over had it not been the surprising sight of numerous parked cars outside Ally's.  Strangely, (perhaps sensing the rivalry), our waitstaff offered us the freedom of modifying this waffle choice into a pancake.  

And so, this creation came out.  Three average-sized flapjacks lathered with nutella and then smothered with chocolate syrup, all topped with fresh slices of banana and a dollop of whipped cream.  A pretty sight indeed.  The pancakes, however, seemed just simple and nothing spectacular.  It was soft but overcooked in some places.  The nutella, though, was generous, coating the layers in between.  But, the chocolate syrup was overkill.  After just a few minutes, it was a challenge just to cut through the pancake.  It almost became like eating a steak, probably because the syrup was too thick and quickly turned it into a coagulated mess.  There was an interesting taste at some bites, as the cream cheese suddenly bursts into your mouth with its distinct bitterness.  However, whatever flavor it had was overpowered by the chocolate syrup.

Mombana Hot Chocolate, PHP 75

As if we hadn't had our fill of chocolate, I picked a hot drink to go with my meal.  The Mombana Hot Chocolate was comforting and good.  It had just the right thick consistency and the perfect mix of sweet and bitter taste.

Breakfast of champions.

In keeping with the methods of Pino, Pi has admirably re-invented our classic favorites into their own quirky creations.  Although their pancakes are a tad behind other breakfast joints, the Wagyu Beef Tapa is enough to keep patrons coming back (and not settle for the rival across the street).  I would come back and try their other rice meals and their pies, which I heard are also best sellers.  But for now, look for Pi to keep the breakfast scene interesting and more vibrant than before.

Jones

Pi, Breakfast and Pies

39 Malingap Street, Teacher's Village

Quezon City

https://www.facebook.com/breakfastnpies

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Think Happy Thoughts: Food For Thought

Finally getting some downtime, I realized I still had one more backlog post from my stay in Singapore.  With breakfast being my most favorite meal of the day, trying out a brunch spot was a fitting finale for my food adventures in the sunny little island.

Come to think of it, Singapore seemed to lag behind the Philippines when it comes to all-day breakfast places.  (Wow, that's a first for my country!).  The "brekky" revolution was already sweeping the Philippines years ago, when almost every corner boasted of an all-day breakfast menu.  It came in all shapes and sizes: from the classic Pancake House, to the classy Breakfast Club, even to the downright dirt-cheap carinderia (hawker) style Kanto Freestyle Breakfast.

That's why it seems Singapore is poised for its own "brekky" revolution.  And I just had to experience it before it went full blast.  The difficulty in finding a brunch spot is that most places there offer a typical English breakfast, instead of the usual greasy American breakfast I was more acquainted with. Nevertheless, after scouring the web for hours, I found a good place tucked nicely in a botanic park.

Located right smack in the entrance of Singapore Botanic Gardens, Food For Thought boasted of a serene and tranquil dining experience. Unfortunately, we arrived on a holiday and quite late, so the place was absolutely packed. 

5 Steps to Success according to the gospel of Food.

The really long queue was both an encouraging and upsetting sign: it was evidence that the food should be spectacular, but the wait would be epic.  As with most shops in Singapore that don't charge for service, we had to line up before ordering, thus adding to the hunger pangs.  I just crossed my fingers and hoped it was worth all the effort.

Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork, SGD 9.00 (approx. PHP 310, GST included)

I was craving for brunch worthy burger, and the Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork seemed to fit the bill.  This huge sandwich barely kept itself together.  The pork meat was bursting out between the hapless buns, topped with a creamy vegetable slaw.

The messy, merry mix was draped in a sweet tangy barbecue sauce, and added both zest and body to the sandwich.  The pork meat was a bit inconsistent: soft in some parts, too big and tough in other portions.  The flavor also seemed to be concentrated in some morsels but lacking in other parts.  The slaw was a good contrast in flavor, adding a little sourness to it.  The potato fries (add SGD 2.00) that came with it were quite good - none of that fast food flavor, that's for sure.  

House Works, SGD 15.00 (approx. PHP 518, GST included)

A leveled-up version of McDonald's Big Breakfast, the House Works was a colorful and enticing sight to behold.  It served the whole package: carbs, proteins, and some greens.  The butter brioche was made in-house.  It was soft on the inside and toasted perfectly on its sides, slathered on the surface with butter and caramel kaya.  Being a fan of kaya toast, I absolutely loved it.

United colors of breakfast.

The bacon was also divine - it was pork, finally!  Crisp on the edges, it tasted more heavenly than before, perhaps because of our long separation anxiety from bacon.  The scrambled eggs were fluffy and had the right saltiness, although it seemed too watery.  Nonetheless, it paired well with the bread and bacon.  The greens were fresh and crisp and surprisingly enjoyable, drizzled lightly with sweet vinaigrette. 

The pleasant surprise, however, was the marble-sized hash browns.  It was quite unusual for these to be cooked like this, and it tasted fabulously.  Deep-fried to perfection, the inside was surprisingly mushy and salty.  It was a shame there were only a few pieces, since it was highly addicting and I could certainly eat a whole bunch of it.  The House Works was indeed the full package, and my only gripe was the butter they used was Anchor.  For this price tag, I would have preferred something like Lurpak.  Heck, the barbecue guys in Maxwell FC could serve Lurpak with their dinner rolls, so what's stopping Food For Thought, right?

Pancakes with banana and walnuts, SGD 14.00 (approx. PHP 483, GST included)

No all-day breakfast will be complete without your typical slappy cakes.  Sadly though, the choices were limited to two options, although one can add a few more toppings.  We went for our favorite mix of banana and walnuts.

One interesting variation in their pancakes is that they use gula melaka syrup instead of your run-of-the-mill, off-the-grocery-shelf maple syrup.  Their syrup thus was milder in sweetness, and felt healthier!

However, they seemed to have scrimped on the syrup as the pancakes felt a tad dry in some parts.  I usually prefer my pancakes nearly soaked in syrup.  The fresh cream compensated for the milder sweetness of the syrup.  The banana was also underwhelmingly flavored, perhaps not yet ripe enough.  The walnuts was a good contrast in texture, adding crunch to the fluffiness of the pancakes.  The pancakes itself were light and soft.  It was akin to the ones in IHOP, save for the milder sweetness.

Despite its farther location from the city center, Food For Thought in the Botanic Gardens is worth the trip.  Away from the hustle and bustle, the tranquility leads one to leisurely enjoy a hefty and hearty breakfast while taking in the sunshine and the breeze from the lush garden.  Prices are commensurate with the serving size, especially noting that service charge is nil. There were some hits and misses with our orders, but overall, Food For Thought is perhaps the best value-for-money for an all-day breakfast place.  It was a fitting finale as I closed this chapter of my life.  And whenever I want to reminisce on my stay in SG and think of happy thoughts, Food For Thought will always be remembered.

Jones

Food For Thought

Singapore Botanic Gardens

1 Cluny Road, Tanglin Gate

#B1-00

www.foodforthought.com.sg

https://www.facebook.com/FFTsg

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