As I was cleaning out my files one Friday, I saw two pictures of past meals I had in different locations. I realized that these pictures had something in common: they were pictures of traditional breakfast fare incidentally taken on the same day. What happened was that two months ago, I accompanied a close friend of mine to Divisoria and we stopped by a patisserie near Robinsons Magnolia for lunch. After we parted ways, I stopped by a coffee shop in Cubao to have my tea fix. The pictures were from these two stopovers.
The next day after I cleaned out my files, me and my parents suddenly went on a trip to Tagaytay. We ate at Breakfast at Antonio’s since Dad really wanted to eat at the place. We thought it had a breakfast buffet at first (they had none), but the food they served beats one any day. In addition, the restaurant offered a spectacular view of Taal Volcano. I fortunately brought my camera along to take a picture of my meal, and good thing I did.
Longsilog: perfect any time of day
Nothing beats the traditional Filipino silog combo (garlic rice and sunny side-up egg) for breakfast. Paired up with longganiza or Filipino sausage, it makes for a damn good meal anytime. This longsilog meal (P150) from Azucar Boulangerie & Patisserie in New Manila – just a stone’s throw away from Robinsons Magnolia – was a satisfying one. You can choose from pork or chicken, though I chose the latter since I’m starting to cut down on eating meat. Post-meal sweets are no problem, as the place also sells cakes, breads, coffee, and various pastries. Check out their Facebook page here.
Enjoy Her Majesty’s breakfast without flying to England!
The classic teatime combination of tea and scones is fantastic likewise for a morning meal. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a member of royalty or have a British accent to enjoy them. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s (CBTL) English Breakfast Tea Latte and Raisin Scone offers an experience close to the real thing. The scone comes with either strawberry jam or butter, and you can ask the server to heat it for you. Loaded with raisins, the scone is an absolute delight – much more with strawberry jam – and beats TWG’s scones when it comes to size. The English Breakfast Tea Latte pairs off nicely with it, with a brisk, full-bodied flavor toned down by the milk for a mellow finish. Feel free to like CBTL Philippines’ Facebook page here.
I’d like to thank Chef Antonio for whipping up a fantastic omelette like this.
Breakfast at Antonio’s in Tagaytay offers a nice view of Taal Volcano and the surrounding lake, and the restaurant’s namesake delivers a good meal. This morcilla (blood sausage / black pudding) and mushroom omelette (P400) is the epitome of a “heavy breakfast” indeed. Served with house bread and a piece of hash brown and topped with either sundried tomato or basil pesto, the omelette does not scrimp on flavor. The morcilla and mushrooms in this dish are generous, with the blood sausage offering a unique flavor to the dish. It’s saltier than the average sausage and has a tougher casing. Thanks to this dish, I finally appreciated the delicacy that is black pudding – I didn’t realize pork blood could be made into something other than dinuguan or pork blood stew. Check out Breakfast at Antonio’s on Facebook for more information.
Until the next food trip, bon appetit. By the way, I’ll be posting something different soon so stay tuned. 😉
