Kanto Freestyle Breakfast

We just finished walking around the massive grounds of a carshow for the last 2 hours, and we are very tired and hungry. Naturally, same as everyone, we wanted some comfort food. Coming from the Manila International Autoshow held in the World Trade Center in Pasay, we traveled to Kapitolyo, Pasig just to have some breakfast grub which to us is one of our comfort foods.

Kapitolyo has become a foodie hub in the past few years. But one of the newest kids on its block(s), is Kanto Freestyle Breakfast. While not a new establishment per se, this is Kanto's newest branch. We have eaten at the Libis branch before, but this is our first time here.

Kanto serves breakfast food (duh).. but with a twist. I've heard someone describe their food as gourmet carinderia. Calling it gourmet might be pushing it a bit, but this is certainly not your ordinary carinderia fare either. For starters, I'm sure there's no other roadside eatery that puts tomato pesto as a side to their rice meals. Moreover, they plate the food. Sure you are having a simple tapsilog meal but it doesn't hurt that it looks just as nicely as it tastes right? The price might not be as cheap as Manang's little hole in the wall down the road, but with most meals pegged at under a hundred bucks it's still cheaper than going to a fast food chain.

We ordered the following:

Kim got the Breaded Pork Chop.

The breading wasn't as crispy as Kim would've liked, but it tasted good nonetheless. It came with a sweet/sour sauce, but it really should be paired with Mang Tomas which is what Kim did.

I got the Crispy Pork Belly.

This was just heaven in a plate. Crispy, crunchy and juicy. Perfectly fried pork belly that really went well paired with Mang Tomas and steamed rice.

For dessert, we shared an order of the Deep Fried Oreos.

Nothing surprising, as we already have had this previously and also know how to make this at home. But it's still a great dessert, especially when consumed while it's still hot and the insides still gooey.

Breakfast food is nothing fancy, but it doesn't need to be plain either. For those looking for some comfort food, trek on to Eastwood, Kapitolyo or Mandaluyong to have a first hand taste of Kanto's gourmet carinderia. They serve more than your average breakfast food, and I'm sure there's something for everyone in their menu.

Kanto Freestyle Breakfast
1st Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City
https://www.facebook.com/kantofreestylebreakfast

Valentine's - T House Tagaytay

We spent last Valentine's at T House in Tagaytay. T House is a quaint B&B nestled in the chilly ridge of Tagaytay. Small as it maybe, it has almost everything you need for a quick weekend getaway from the city. It has 15 rooms that has that modern, minimalist vibe. It has its own pool. It has its own spa. And most importantly, it has its own restaurant that serves great food. We spent our whole stay enjoying the place! It didn't even cross our mind to go out and roam around Tagaytay.

Before we discuss the food, let us show you the different facilities they have. After our dinner, we tried their full body massage spa for an hour which was inclusive with our meal package. It was definitely a relaxing experience since we were already planning  to sleep right after. The spa place is located in a long room with only curtains as their dividers, but we didn't mind this because the ambiance was very tranquil (except for the snoring customer on the other bed, haha!)

Their pool and jacuzzi are perhaps the coldest ones we've encountered in our life! We tried to swim during the next day but I only managed to swim for a couple of minutes while Kim, although in her swimsuit, just took photos and videos because she refuses to swim in the icy cold water, haha!

Now on to the food!

For dinner, they had this 4 course dinner for couples spending their Valentine's weekend there.

Our beverage was what they call April's Mint which is basically a minty (with actual shredded mint leaves) soda.

 

The appetizer was Battered Garden Mix Vegetable in Creamy Teriyaki Mayo Sauce.

This was just okay. The greens were fresh, but the batter and taste wasn't anything special.

We were then served soup, Pistou with Basil Oil.

Since it was really chilly that evening, we gobbled this down quickly! It sort of tasted like pesto, only more garlicky.

The mains were Pan Fry Fish Fillet, Mashed Potato in Prawn Bisque Sauce, and the other one was Tenderloin Beef Medallion, Mesclun Salad With Mint Chutney.

Kim had the Fish Fillet which was fried nicely, but the Prawn Sauce was a little too rich for her.

I had the Tenderloin Beef which was seasoned well but was a tad bit  overcooked for my taste.

 

 

Dessert was Honeyed Pears in Puff Pastry Walnut Crumble, Ganache Sauce.

This actually tasted good. A little to sweet, but a great dessert to finish off the dinner.

We also had breakfast the next day. They served us with a variety of complimentary bread with butter and mango jam on the side. Kim had the American Breakfast while I had the Longganisa.

Both servings were really big. It was definitely a good starter for our day!

And oh by the way, they also gave us  a complimentary cupcake when we checked out that their cook personally made. How sweet! :)

So if you just want to have a break from the busy whatnots of your everyday life, you might as well consider getting a reservation at T House, Tagaytay (just don't expect the pool to be warm in anytime of the day! Haha!).

 

T House

3195 Calamba Road, Tagaytay City

http://thousetagaytay.com/

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IHOP

October 20. Sunday.

When IHOP opened in the country earlier this year, it was all the rage! Everyone was buzzing about it and long lines seemed to be the norm. Kim and I have actually planned on trying it before but with patience not being a strong suit of mine, we have always put it off until just recently. We ran in the recent Rexona Run with friends and since it started really early (3:30AM!), it also finished early. So it meant that we'd grab breakfast afterwards, which was the perfect opportunity to try out IHOP. The hype may have died down but since we haven't been here yet, we were a little excited.

 

 

Our group ordered the following:

JT had the Breakfast Sampler. 395php.

This order was packed! Well, actually almost everything in IHOP is. If you can't decide on what to have for breakfast, this is definitely the way to go (actually, there are other similar orders but this is the no brainer one). This has two eggs, two bacon strips, two pork sausage links, 2 hams and they also come with a couple of your basic buttermilk pancakes. Not for those on a diet, but if you're not counting calories and carbs, this is well worth the price.

Francis and Alex shared the Big Steak Omelette. 325php.

They had some plans after breakfast and didn't want a heavy meal, so they shared on an omelette. This had steak strips on top of the omelette. The omelette itself had hash browns, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese in it. Each omelette comes with buttermilk pancakes or mixed fruit. They chose to have it with pancakes.

Kim had the Bacon Temptation Omelette. 285php.

Bacon strips on top, together with diced tomatoes, cheese sauce, and Jack and cheddar in the omelette. Kim said this was really very filling compared to all omelette she has had before. She chose the mixed fruit to go with it.

I had the Rooty Tooty Fresh N' Fruity. 345php.

This sort of resembles JT's sampler, only it didn't have ham with it and my buttermilk pancakes were topped off with cinnamon apple compote but you can choose strawberry or blueberry to go with it if you like. The cinnamon apple on top of my pancakes were good enough on its own, but I liked it better when I added some maple syrup to it.

We weren't able to take down what Hannah's order was, but here's a picture of it.

It had a big piece of hash brown, a couple of scrambled eggs and bacon strips. And it came with a cheesecake pancake.

I get it why people go to IHOP, the food is well prepared and served.  I wouldn't say the food tastes special or better than most breakfast joints (well, the pancakes are really fluffier here), but the quality of the food and the service really make the difference. And the menu isn't really priced higher than other places considering the quantity you get, so if you haven't tried IHOP out yet, it's well worth a visit (or the waiting line).

IHOP
W Global Center
30th St. cor. 9th Ave., BGC, Taguig
https://www.facebook.com/IHOPPhilippines

Ally's All Day Breakfast Place

September 6, 2013. Friday.

We love dining in familiar places. Another thing we also love is having breakfast food during anytime of the day. So it was a win- win when we discovered Ally's All Day Breakfast Place in Malingap Street, which is near Maginhawa (it actually intersects it at one point).

Ally's serves breakfast food all day (duh), ranging from rice meals to pancakes to waffles. It's location is perfect because while there are a lot of foodie places in the Maginhawa area, there's really no dedicated breakfast place there aside from the usual tapsihans. It's a little small, but it's interiors are bright and well lit. We loved the orange and yellow motif, and the tile- topped tables. It's quaint but charming.

Kim ordered the Adobo Flakes

Adobo Flakes. 130php.

The adobo flakes, which was copious, came with an egg, rice and a side of tomato and bell pepper. The flakes were a little dry but still tasty enough. The combination of tomato and bell pepper was a little weird, though. We think it would've been better if it was just a little tomato cut in half instead.

I got the La La Longanisa.

La La Longanisa. 350php.

I usually order tapsilog at breakfast places but since I always end up disappointed if it's not Rodic's. I tried to avoid it this time. The La La Longanisa is from the Big Breakfast Attack part of their menu, which is enough to be shared by two. But since I can eat for two (most of the time), I ordered this for my own. This was sort of like a longanisa platter as it came with 2 pieces each of Vigan, Lucban and Cabanatuan longganisa, and 3 pieces of Alaminos longganisa. That's a grand total of 9 pieces of longganisa! Of course, it also had egg, rice and their weird side of tomato and bell pepper. It also came with bottomless iced tea. The different longganisa's each had their own distinguishing taste, but all of them shared one trait -- they were garlicky! I was still tasting and smelling the longganisa on my mouth a few hours after eating. This meal was great since it was big and really filling, but we think that the price is a little high for it even when shared by two.

For dessert, we had our own pancakes made.

Their menu has their Signature Pancakes on it but for those who want to make their own, you are free to do so. They'll just give you a small paper to tick whatever ingredients you want to put on your own creation. We opted for a chocolate batter, topped with blueberry and ice cream. Simple, but heavenly. The vanilla ice cream made for a nice contrast from the slight tartness of the blueberry, and it was heavenly as it melted from the warm, soft and pillowy chocolate pancakes. Oh, and you can name your pancakes too! We named our KiMiguel of course.

Despite being situated in an area filled with a lot of great restaurants, Ally's manages to differentiate itself from the pack*. The place, while small, is inviting and cozy. The staff is friendly and helpful. And the food selection is great, with option for customization as well. It's just like waking up to breakfast served at home.

*We ate here when it was still the only breakfast place in this area, but about a couple of weeks later π Breakfast and Pies from the Pino guys opened almost just across the street.

Ally's All Day Breakfast Places
50 Malingap St., Sikatuna
Quezon City
https://www.facebook.com/AllysAllDay

Slappy Cakes

July 5, 2013

We both love breakfast food, it doesn't matter what time of the day we take it and where we get it from. But it has taken quite some prodding to get Kim to agree to eat at Slappy Cakes. It's not the restaurant and it's not the food she has problems with, but it's the location! Slappy Cakes occupies the space once rented out by Kim's favorite restaurant -- O'sonho. I'm not sure as to why the Portuguese Fusion Restaurant moved out, it might be because of the poor foot traffic in the area it's located at (that was the case before J.Co moved in a couple of doors down), or poor service. I've dined at O'sonho a couple of times and the food was always great. It's just the slow service that was always a big letdown. But I digress.

 

Slappy Cakes is an American import that prides itself in being a breakfast restaurant that offers a fun and different dining experience. How could a breakfast joint be different you say? Well for one, Slappy Cakes menu is not littered with -silog meals. Although they have some -silog in it, it's not more than a handful like most other places. And oh, almost forgot, you get to cook your own pancakes! That's why there's a griddle at the middle of every table!

 

But before you get to cook your own pancakes, you need to choose what kind of pancake batter you want. They have Buttermilk, Whole Grain, Peanut Butter, Vegan, Chocolate. We chose the Peanut Butter to step out from the usual buttermilk batter.

Peanut Butter Batter (260php). Bananas (45php) and Nutella (75php).

Each batter comes in an 8oz. squeeze bottle. While that may not sound a lot, but I guarantee you it is more than enough to feed two people. After selecting your batter, you get to choose some fixins and toppings if you'd like. We went safe with the combination since it was our first time here.

And now that we have our batter, fixins and toppings, let's cook! And trust me, cooking pancakes is so basic no one could ever mess it up.

 

The pancakes themselves were really not that special, but then again that's not the main draw of this restaurant. It's the chance to cook and make funny pancake shapes with friends and families that makes this place different. Takes personalization to a whole new level.

Aside from the pancake, we also ordered  their Classic Breakfast.

Classic Breakfast 280php.

The classic breakfast comes with 2 eggs, breakfast potatoes and bacon or sausage and toast. We had the eggs scrambled, and had the potatoes and bacon. Although I'd prefer hash browns in my breakfast plate, the square cut breakfast potatoes weren't bad at all. Surprisingly, it was the highlight of this plate!

We enjoyed getting the chance to cook our breakfast food together at Slappy Cakes. The staff was also courteous and efficient in their service. You should definitely try Slappy Cakes if you want a different breakfast food experience!

Slappy Cakes
Unit 1880-5, Ground Floor,
New Eastwood Mall, Quezon City
http://www.slappycakes.com.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/SlappyCakesPH

Levante

June 28, 2013. Friday.

Midnight Mercato in BGC is arguably still the most popular and most frequented night food market in the Metro. But there have been a few other night food markets and bazaars to pop up in other areas. The latest one is Levante in Eastwood, which is brought to us by the same people behind Midnight Mercato, the Mercato Centrale Group. This night food market aims to serve the people residing/ working in Eastwood, Cainta, Marikina and other neighboring communities every Friday from 6PM to 3AM.

Levante is located in Eastwood Citywalk 2. It doesn't have as many concessionaires as Midnight Mercato, but I'm sure there's something for everyone here. The dining area also is considerably smaller than other night food markets, so you'd be better off taking your food to go. We've already tried some of the food from some of the same vendors from Midnight Mercato and Cucina Andare, so Kim and I decided to check out the other vendors we haven't ordered from before.

Sinangag Trip

https://www.facebook.com/sinangag.trip

Tapsilog. 90php.

I can't help but order Tapsilog everytime I see it on a menu, even though Kim always reminds me that I'll probably end up disappointed more often than not since I always compare it to Rodic's and Hungry Rover's version. And this case isn't any different. The tapa was tough and underseasoned. It may have been a bad day, and I'll probably give this another chance.. hoping that I won't end up disappointed again.

B. Wings
https://www.facebook.com/B.WINGSRESTO

 

5pcs Wings (Mild Spicy) with Blue Cheese. 130php.

We've seen this in a couple of night markets already, but we have never tried it despite loving Buffalo Wings. Wings is best eaten with your bare hands, and eating with your hands in a food market/ bazaar with sparse wash areas isn't a good idea. But since we are taking our orders to go, to be eaten in Kim's condo, we ordered the mild spicy with blue cheese. The wings were good, kind of a cross between Sunrise Bucket's and BWnT's.

Juana Bowl
https://www.facebook.com/juanabowl

Rib Eye Steak Value Meal. 110php.

This was our favorite out of all the things we ordered this night. 110php for some properly seasoned and cooked US Rib Eye Steak and rice? Now that's value for money. Of course, it isn't premium beef and the cut isn't as thick as most steak restaurants serve. But would you expect that for 100php? We're definitely ordering from Juana Bowl again.

There's still a lot more vendors we want to order from, including a couple of burger joints, so we will probably be back here again in the near future. Levante is definitely a great addition to Eastwood. It provides everyone with some nice alternative food choices even if only for a night.

Levante
Eastwood Citywalk 2
Every Friday 6PM to 3AM
https://www.facebook.com/LevanteEastwood