The IHOP Hype

Pancake and I go well together. We go so well together that if you ask me out for brunch, the first place I would blurt out is a pancake-serving restaurant. That happened last Saturday. We welcomed a dear friend back for her short break from graduate school and I recommended the newest kid on the block: International House of Pancake or more famously known as IHOP.

According to IHOP's website, "International House of Pancakes began making breakfast memorable in 1958 when it opened its doors in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Fifteen years later, a new marketing campaign introduced the acronym "IHOP", and since then it's been the name people know as the place they can enjoy their favorite breakfast experience - any time of day.

Throughout our 54-year history, we've celebrated over 1,550 restaurant openings across the country, and around the world. And we've introduced iconic favorites - like our Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity - that people have grown up with, and now enjoy with their own families, making new memories.

Let's all walk through our orders and see if it's worth the hype.

The Place

The place is packed: probably because it is the newest kid on the block and with its good reputation, food-crazed Manila is quick to pick up. Expect to wait 30-40 minutes before you get seated. Nonetheless, the place is well-designed though not necessarily optimized. The first floor is a high-ceilinged waiting area with around 5 tables. I suggest you don't choose this area as the waiting crowd gets rowdy - you want to enjoy your meal in peace.

The second floor is warmly designed. Quirky lamps and dainty wall posters adorn the area.

As I say, the area is packed but welcoming.

The Food and The Pancake

IHOP offers a wide range of breakfast selections. From eggs, omelette, sausages, pasta, sandwiches, and steaks, they got it all. Add pancakes, waffles and French toast, what more can you ask for?

Pick-a-pancake combo (PhP 385)

Your choice among their pancake selection served with two eggs served with your choice of sausage or bacon and hash brown. Tip: order this if you want the flavored pancakes (not the buttermilk) with the standard breakfast savory.

The pancake I chose is New York Cheesecake. Two fluffy buttermilk pancakes loaded with rich, creamy cheesecake pieces and crowned with fresh strawberries, powdered sugar and whipped cream.

Serving size is huge, can be shared by 2 individuals. The pancake is fluffy, creamy soft. The saltiness of the cheesecake with the sourness of the strawberry and sweetness of the rest of the ingredients make this a winner. It is a good pancake but not to die for. Also worth noting that the strawberries are large, frozen strawberries -(",)-*wink* Yummy!

The savory are savory. I had the eggs scrambled... soft, fluffy, moist and done just right. Same with the bacon, it's crispy but not overcooked and not too salty. I also love the fries-styled hash brown. 

Big Steak Omelette (PhP 325)

Tender strips of steak, hash browns, fresh green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheddar cheese. Served with salsa. 

I haven't personally tasted this but according to Person A, it is heavy breakfast. The beef is decent and the serving size is huge.

Please don't forget that it comes with buttermilk pancake or fresh fruits.

As described by Person A and my friends, the pancake is decent but not something that you will crave for. 

Split Decision Breakfast (PhP 325)

Two slices of french toast, two buttermilk pancakes with a hearty combination of two eggs, two bacon strips and two sausage links.

Pretty much the same as the previous orders. I haven't personally tasted it and all I know is that the serving size is huge. 

Tip: If you are with a group, try to vary your orders and share them up. You will cover more dishes from the menu.

French Vanilla Coffee (PhP 145)

I like my breakfast with coffee. Most of the time brewed with minimal sugar but over the weekend I wanted something with milk and so I ordered French Vanilla.

I was surprised that it is one huge cup! 

Bigger than my eyebags and keloid. Slightly smaller than my smile =P

The coffee is again decent. It tastes good especially when piping hot. Alternatively, you can order a drink-all-you-can brewed coffee for a lesser price.

Tropical Twist (PhP 105)

Lemon, lime, bitters and mango soda. 

It's refreshing and loaded with lotsa sugar. Person A liked it. I am not a fan of junk drinks.

In Summary

1. The place is good for a very casual gathering with family and friends. The ambiance is warm, casual and expect the place to be packed. I like the interiors, the design is well thought-of. I don't think it is a romantic date place... if you are still wooing your girl... unless she likes to go to IHOP.

2. The food is decent. It is not to die for but if you want good pancakes and good breakfast in general with huge portions, then IHOP is the place to be. You can also get the same taste from other breakfast places.

3. For the serving size and its location, the price is acceptable. 

IHOP (International House of Pancakes)

W Global Center, 30th cor 9th Street

Bonifacio Global City

Taguig

63.2.687.5611

Mon-Sun, 6AM - 12 AM

Breakfast @ Apartment 1B

To kick-off the long weekend, Person A and I enjoyed leisurely brunch at Apartment 1B, about 2 in the afternoon. That's how lazy we are we roll on non-work days. Good times! I already shared with you how we love Apartment 1B. Food tastes great, ambiance is very relaxed and the restaurant serves comfort food. 

Since it was both our first meal of the day, I started with my favorite breakfast pastry: pancakes!

Pancakes (PhP 380)

3 medium-sized, soft, fluffy pancakes with fruit compote, in this case, strawberry. Define compote. Compote is a dessert originating from 17th century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. What I like about the pancake is it's not sweet and very fluffy hence it goes well with a generous topping of butter and oozing swimming in syrup. Person A likes his with butter and compote.

Personally, I think this serving is a bit expensive considering the size. 

Egg Breakfast (PhP 390)

2 eggs (scrambled), smoked bacon, home fries and toast. In lieu of the bacon you can have a choice of Canadian ham, English bangers, corned beef.

I like the scrambled egg, it's fluffily and delicately done. Not salty. Bacon is bacon. You can rarely go wrong with bacon. The fries or potato cubes are heavenly. And I haven't tasted the toast. 

We washed down our breakfast with coffee. 

Vittoria coffee is an Australian manufacturer of coffee products. Founded in Sydney in 1947, it is the largest and most well known Australian coffee company. 

Latte (PhP 90)

The coffee is served warm (not piping hot) and has a very delicate, non-strong taste. I like how the barrista prepares the coffee meticulously. The cup has a curious steel handle.

Cappuccino (PhP 90) 

This is one of the better cappuccino. Similar to the latte, it has a delicate taste and it's good even if you don't put sugar in it. I also like that the froth/foam is rightly done.

And because we are still hungry, we had dessert!

Apple Pie (~PhP 200)

I wasn't able to get the price, so I am not sure. This is crumbly and tastes like it has oats. The pie itself is not sweet and heavy so goes well with the vanilla ice cream. It's not to die for but will do for an apple pie.

Tea (PhP 80)

And because dessert pairs well with tea, we washed it down with a pot of Twining's green tea.

And with that, I head off to an English Afternoon Tea Bridal Shower of a friend from SFC. 

Excellent food by Renee, dainty set-up and awesome pieces of advice for the bride-to-be. Good times!

In Summary

1. Apartment 1B's food quality is consistent whether you visit for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Food tastes great, fresh and serving is enough for one person.

2. Breakfast price is mid-range to expensive. 

3. Ambiance is great if you want a very relaxed place to start your day.

Aparatment 1B

Unit 1-B, 132 L.P. Leviste cor Sedeno St.

Salcedo Village, Makati

63.2.843.4075

Weekend Habit: Battle of the Baby Back Ribs

Weekends are always a welcome break from the weekday grind. I find comfort in cleaning the house, doing laundry, typing long blog entries and rewarding myself with baby back ribs for the things that I haven't accomplished. Yes, I love myself too much that I go on eating binge, retail therapy and doing nothing productive for hours... just because I want too! 

I have shared a few times that I am steering clear from red meat (pork and beef) most of the time to compliment my healthy lifestyle. Weekdays are reserved for tuyo, pritong galunggong (in trans-fat laden cooking oil), sinigang na bangus and bulanglang (the most uninspired sabaw na gulay, ever!). However, on weekends, INDULGE is the name of the game: I have red meat in a meal or two, I eat more pieces of chocolate and pancakes with butter are in order for Saturday brunch. The past four weekends are special, I had my serving of one of my favorite red meat meal: baby back ribs. Walang palya, baby!

Person A even spelled out my name with the bones that I polished, to remind me how I love my ribs.

Baby back ribs are pork cuts taken from the top of the rib cage between the spine and spare ribs and from market weight hogs. A rack of back ribs contain 8 - 13 bones. The meat and bones are slow-cooked (baked) while drenched in your sauce of choice. Lesson learned: if the rack you ordered has less than 8 bones, you've been cheated. 

Kidding. 

Here's my round-up of some of the baby back ribs in town that has contributed to the stubborn fats happily living around my belly.

Rack's Baby Back Ribs (half-slab, PhP 330)

The more famous among the baby backs. The meat is well done making it dry and a bit stringy. The saving grace are it is still fall-off the bone and the barbeque sauce goes well with the meat. It is also the cheapest among the baby backs in town with 2 side dishes. We like ours with mac and cheese and I wash it down with Rack's brewed iced tea. 

I'll get Rack's if I want baby back and I am on a strict budget cap.

Apartment 1B's Baby Back Ribs (PhP 630)

Honey bourbon marinade, comes with garlic mashed potato, corn and vegetables.

The meat is medium done, fall-off the bone perfection while the barbeque sauce dominates the flavor of the meat and the mashed potato. The mild sweetness of honey and tang of bourbon are mixed to the right proportion. The mashed potato is also awesome. This is my favorite. 

Burgoo's Oklahoma Baby Back Ribs (PhP ~ 595)

Seasoned pork ribs, marinated overnight in Oklahoma-style sauce, char-boiled and basted with Burgoo's barbeque sauce. 

I was disappointed. This is my first time to try Burgoo and I had high expectations. The meat is stringy, well done and is not fall-off the bone. I like the sauce though. I will be ordering a different dish the next time I visit. The rice pilaf is okay.

Myron's Baby Back Ribs with Mesquite Sauce (PhP 495)

The meat is tender, medium done and also fall-off the bone. These 2 are my criteria for a great baby back. What sets this apart is the sauce, I like the sweet, smokey taste of the marinade on my meat. I am still thinking whether I should downgrade my favorite baby back in favor of Myron's. 

Also worth the try!

Mr. Jones Orange Baby Back Ribs (PhP ~ 500)

The meat is also soft and tender with the fall-off the bone bit done right. The sauce is something that Person A and I can't seem to agree. The base is your typical marinade goodness, barbeque with a hint of sweetness but the tang bit is given by the orange. I like it in its unique but Person A finds it too dominating. 

Nonetheless, this is a great order if you are in the Glorietta-Greenbelt area. Don't miss out on their mac and cheese, it's heavenly.

In summary, value for money order is from Racks, my personal favorite is Apartment 1B's while Myron's and Mr. Jones are also in my runner-up list.

Share with me your baby back ribs find, let's get fat together.

Villa Cafe

Do you ever wonder why I haven't featured any Filipino restaurant? The honest reason is I am not a big fan of spending on Filipino food. Since I am Pinoy, I get to have Filipino food on a daily basis at a fraction of a restaurant meal. Second, the good Pinoy fares are cholesterol-laden and too flavorful for my taste, hence Person A has to find a good selling point to take me to a Pinoy restaurant.

In the case of Cafe Villa, Person A highlighted that it is run by one of the 2 Green chefs in the country - Chef Sau del Rosario.  Green chefs promote sustainable and locally-sourced,  organic ingredients. On top of that, he has cooked in international kitchens: Le Devellec in Paris, Raffles Hotel in Singapore, and Luna in Shanghai. He made waves locally  working the kitchens of Edsa Shangri-la, Manila Peninsula and my favorite restaurants M Cafe and Chelsea. 

So Who am I to turn down a dinner invitation at Cafe Villa?

The Place

Located in the growing foodie street, Yakal in Makati, Cafe Villa is a small place that can sit around 30 people in its ground floor space. It has a casual vibe with light-toned interior, warm lighting and homey furnishings.

The Food

Like in most restaurants, complementary bread is served once order has been placed. In this case, this fresh toast and tinapa pate.

The pate has a nice moist yet crumbly texture. The tinapa flavor makes the lightly-salted pate great with the fresh bread.

Tinapa Caper  Pasta (PhP 375)

The restaurant serves pasta dishes with Filipino sauce. This is what I fancied the night we dined.

Fettucine with garlic confit and fried tomato sauce. The pasta is al-dente, cooked to the right texture. The sauce tastes like fresh tomato, with just the right saltiness from the tinapa while the capers and olives add the occasional interesting flavor. All in all, the flavors are subtle taking away the "umay" factor. 

I recommend this. Serving size is good for one person.

Boneless Crispy Pata (PhP 495 )

Pork with farm vegetables and drizzled with kare- kare sauce.

The pork is tender, juicy and fried just right. The texture doesn't taste like it has been deep-fried in oil but it has all the goodness and more of a good crispy pata. Without the rest of the garnish, the pork can stand on its own. I do like putting a bit of the kare-kare sauce. It tastes very peanut-y bordering peanut buttery. It's good on its own. Again, it's good even without the bagoong.

The serving is huge, good for 2-3 persons. I recommend this.

Strawberyy Lassi (PhP 165)

Now onto the Indian twist. Lassi is tricky to make as it tends to get too sour. Presenting the best Lassi I've had so far. 

For those who are not familiar, Lassi is an Indian traditional drink made by blending yogurt with water and Indian spices. In this case, instead of putting in spices and roasted cumin, strawberry is added. It still has that sour taste but enhanced by the strawberry and tempered by the milky undertone. Very refreshing. 

A must try!

Watermelon Silken Tofu Smoothie (PhP 145) 

Person A ordered the previous drink, which I immensely enjoyed, I made gaya-gaya so I requested another red-colored drink.

If you love watermelon, this is a good try. The fruit dominates with the coolness of the smoothie. Not too milky.

I like the lassi more. That's just me.

Pandan Sansrival (~PhP 150)

The dessert is gotta be a fusion.

This is predominantly sansrival sans the sweet, umay taste. Add the undertone of pandan, I say this is great!

In Summary

1. Cafe Villa is one of the best Filipino fusion restaurants in Manila. All the dish we ordered tastes great if not awesome. The crispy pata and lassi are a must try. We're coming back for the lamb calderata, it wasn't available when we ordered it.

2. The place is small, but I overheard Chef Sau (he was at the restaurant when we dined) that he's expanding. It is perfect for a casual date, catching up with friends and a small family gathering.

3. Prepare to shell out at least PhP 300 per person excluding the drinks. Considering the taste and the portion size, I say it is reasonable.

Villa Cafe

7427 Glory Building

Yakal St., San Antonio Village

Makati

63.2.478.2659

Monday to Sunday, 10AM to 10PM

Lolo Dad's: A Fine-Dining Winner

Among the fine-dining places in the metro, I am most curious to try Lolo Dad’s. Why? Chef Ariel Manuel, the man at the helm of the restaurant, has been winning competitions world-wide year in and year out; second, the place has really good reviews since opening its doors in 2000.

We intended to dine at a different restaurant but for 2 straight years we were turned down due to booked events. So two days before our weekend dinner, I phoned Lolo Dad’s and our party of 2 successfully reserved a table. There’s a lot of 2 going on in this paragraph. This is the best Plan B ever: the ambiance is nice, the food is excellent and to summarize, it’s the best fine dining experience we had… yet.

The restaurant is located in the busy and crowded Malate district. Not to worry, the short walkway and mini-garden in front of the restaurant transport diners to a quaint and romantic interior and separate them from the busy traffic in Quirino Avenue.

It is a fine dining place so expect to shell out load$ to fatten your selves up and be able to enjoy the food without thinking how many hours of toiling you saved up for a small slice of foie gras.

You have two options, you can order ala carte or go for a tasting menu of 2 appetizers, 3 main courses, a palate cleanser and 2 desserts for PhP 2600. These are generous portions so if you have a bottomless pit in the stomach and can appreciate good food, I recommend the tasting menu. If you opt for ala carte, you can order a regular portion or modest portion. My suggestion, if you go for more than 1 course, choose modest portion, if you want one dish only, go for regular. To cover more mileage, Person A and I strategized: I order ala carte while he goes for the tasting menu then we’ll just feed each other with morsels from our plate. Yeah we’re sweet and scheming, like that.

Off we start the meal with complimentary soft, hot bread served with herbed butter.

Bread tastes subtle yet creamy, perfect for the strong-flavored butter. Yummy!

Appetizers

Gourmet Salad of Lobsters and Prawns (Modest portion, PhP 325)

Mushrooms, feta cheese, kalamata olives and sundried tomato vinaigrette tossed in leaves. Cheese, leaves and mushrooms taste fresh. Lobsters and prawns rightly grilled and what makes it unique is the grilled-flavored dressing. This is a winner, love it.

Garlic Pimenton Prawn with Spanish Caviar and Grilled Chorizo on Vacuum cooked Cantaloup (from the Tasting Menu)

Really soft prawns complemented with the taste of the caviar. Person A and I will order it again. It’s his favorite.

The strong-flavored chorizo is tempered by the fresh flavor of the cantaloupe. Nice twist. This is good if you have like strong-flavored appetizers. I prefer something lighter to start my meal.

Main Course

For the 3-main course tasting menu, each dish is served a dish at a time. Since the lady ordered one main course compared to the 3 of the gentleman, the restaurant is gracious enough to give me a small plate so that I can share what my date is having while waiting for my dish to be served with his third dish. That’s one thoughtful move.

Duck Breast and Duck Liver (from the Tasting Menu)

Honey and macadamia nut oil glazed duck breast, pan fried duck liver, with cranberry marmalade, young lettuce and popcorn salad.

Duck breast with cranberry marmalade to the right, salad at the center and pan fried liver to the left. Duck breast is soft in the mouth and goes well with the cranberries. The liver is also awesome, lotsa flavor and melts in the mouth. Worth the order, is soft in the mouth and goes well with the cranberries. The liver is also awesome, full-flavored and melts in the mouth.

Scallops and Potato (from the Tasting Menu)

Truffle powder dusted diver scallops with three pea and sweet potatoes. The best! Every component on this plate tastes so subtle and good that if Person A gets to order only one dish from Lolo Dad’s, this will be it. The scallop is so soft and has that light flavor couple it with the very creamy mashed potato. Oh, don’t forget the truffle flavor, you don’t see it but you can definitely taste it.

The kalamansi sherbet palate cleanser is served on this cute pot cooled by dry ice. It’s so cool, literally and figuratively. Na-ignoy kami. And like true-blue curious (pakialamero) engineers that we are, we deconstructed the entire thing after finishing the tiny scoop. I was served with the sherbet, too. I find that generous considering that I did not order the tasting menu and by this time, they haven’t served my main course yet.

Wagyu Steak (from the Tasting Menu)

Roast Tajima Wagyu eye of rib eye and melt in the mouth oven-braised ox-tongue, goat’s brie cheese fried pie, shallots and mushrooms. Person A had it medium-well. The steak is relatively softer but I think the texture will be better if he had it done medium. It was still good though especially with the heavenly ox-tongue and the generously stuffed pie.

Herb de Provence crusted Rack of Lamb (Modest Portion, PhP 915)

Three cheese risotto (Roquefort, gruyere and parmesan), forty melted garlic and tomato confit. I went with the Chef’s recommendation to do the lamb medium. It was heavenly, the lamb was really soft, melts in your mouth kind and tastes awesome. (walang anghit! As in walang anghit!) . The perennial eyebags, child-like smile and small, crooked fingers express all the excitement.

The risotto is excellent with the old-cheese taste dominating. I find it too flavorful with my lamb. The modest portion is enough for one-person who ordered an appetizer. I had a hard time consuming it considering the 6 dishes I already tasted. However, since it tastes so good, I stuffed my little tummy para hindi sayang.

At this point, the restaurant had done everything excellently that we considered the hole in our pockets worth it. And we ate leisurely that we already clocked in 2 hours sitting down and spoiling our taste buds.

Desserts

Yep, we’re not yet done. There’s always room for dessert. Coming from the cholesterol-high, I came up with this picture.

 

In a fine dining restaurant. Hindi na ako nahiya.

Chocolate cake, buttercake and ice cream (from the Tasting Menu)

Dark valrhona chocolate cannoli with fresh strawberries, the flavors are so subtle but the texture is silky to the tongue. The rosemary buttercake tastes like herb-flavored cake (lasang dahon-dahon, kakaiba) while the vanilla almond ice cream is a fine-dining version of Chef Ariel’s Selecta concoction years back.

Vanilla Cream and Mango Beignets (Modest Portion, PhP 180)

The plate comes with spice mango marmalade, rose syrup and parmesan ice cream. The vanilla cream and mango is mango float with very subtle flavor yet sexy silky feel in the mouth. The parmesan ice cream is a gourmet rendition of the classic cheese sorbetes from Mamang Sorbetero. The flavor is fresh and extra creamy with a nice texture.

Iced Tea (PhP  170)

Brewed iced tea with pineapple orange. The juice dominates the taste so we’re not too ecstatic about it. We also shared a can of Coke Zero with the wagyu and lamb. Gourmet cheating never felt this good.

In Summary

1. You don’t get to be the most coveted fine-dining place for 11 years if you don’t serve excellent food. I am now a Lolo Dad’s fan given that they haven’t done anything wrong from the appetizers to the dessert. This is the place to be, when you want extremely good food. Four thumbs up! A word of caution, if you are like most Filipinos who love strong-flavored dessert, you might not get enamored with the barely-there flavor of the restaurant’s fares.

2. The ambiance is standard for a fine-dining place, nothing spectacular. It is perfect to impress your date and if you have lotsa moola to spare (read: high roller na high roller) you can binge with your friends and family. Btw, Lolo Dad’s can improve by offering bag stools for its lady guests. I am a perfectionist so I nit-pick.  I was given a chair when Person A requested a stool for my bag.

Lolo Dad’s

899 Quirino Ave cor Leon Guinto St

Malate

632.522.4921

Link to the Facebook page.

P.S. I am in no way claiming to be a food reviewer. I simply love good food and share my restaurant experience. I hope you understand the amateur article. –(“,)-*wink* 

Dome Cafe: Definitely Comfort Food

I was with a group of friends who wished to dine at Bonchon Chicken and by some twist of fate, we ended up in Makati Med's ER. After the short ER stint, it was decided that we walk ourselves across the street and head to Dome Cafe.


Boy, that was one of the best dinners I've had. The food is so good that the phrase "comfort food" aptly describes Dome Cafe's menu.


When I'm happy, I celebrate at Dome.
When I'm sad, I console myself at Dome.
When I'm hungry, I dine at Dome.


Four dishes were ordered and we shared them among us.

Chicken Pot Pie (PhP 310).


Diced chicken thigh fillets with onion, celery, carrots and mushrooms in bechamel sauce covered with puffy pastry.



Once you tear off the bread, a light, tasty soup welcomes your stomach. This is the type of dish that completes a rainy day or any given day. Just perfect! If you only wish to try one dish at Dome Cafe, this got to be it.

If you opt for pasta, this Spinach Pasta (I forgot to take down the name) is also good.



The white sauce is not overpowering and blends well with the spinach and fettuccine. If you're not a fan of cream sauce (I am not. I prefer olive oil and tomato-based sauce) this can make you change your mind.

If you opt for a rice meal you can try:

Dome All Meat Plate (PhP 410).

Grilled pork, barbecue and grilled chicken, all marinated in herbs and spices with greens.

The marinade pairs well with the meat and it's grilled just right. Not well done and not rare. I can say that this is a gourmet rendition of the barbeque and inihaw sa kanto. It's also worth noting that the herbed and buttered rice pairs well with the meat dish. 

New Zealand Dory (PhP 410).

Fish is tender and the sauce adds sumptuous flavor. This is also a must try.

Carrot Cake (~PhP 100).

Cake is soft and moist. Since carrot has a subtle taste, it is complimented by the sweet buttery icing. This is worth the order and calories.



Blueberry Cheesecake (~PhP 100).

I believe we are a cheesecake nation. We just love cheesecakes hence it's difficult to find the one given the number of restaurants offering the blueberry cheesecake. This cheesecake is unique: the cheese base is soft and gelatinous with just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the salty cheese. Also a must try.



In Summary

1. The food is definitely good. If you come to this place, it's because you want to have good food. Price range is between PhP 200-400 a plate which is good for 1 person, 2 if you don't eat a lot. However, most desserts are not available and you just have to make do with what's left in the display.

2. The lighting could be improved. I find it too yellow and too warm.

3. They give GCs. We paid PhP 2000 for the bill and got PhP 200 GC. I think it's safe to assume that they offer 10% rebate. I'll definitely use the GCs soon, I am just waiting for the perfect excuse to do so.

Dome Cafe
Dela Rosa St., Legazpi Village
Makati

Shangri-La Mall
Mandaluyong

Podium
Mandaluyong