The Foodinista

Ihop has been operating in the Philippines for about 3 years now. I remember those days when the hype was so real people were falling in line when they opened their first ever branch at The Fort, BGC Taguig.

I had the privilege to visit their 2nd branch which is in Mall of Asia and I was able to visit their Century City Mall branch as well in Makati so I was able to compare and find out the difference.

Ihop Mall of Asia Branch is open from 7am to 11pm. It is located in the ground floor, entertainment mall, Mall of Asia. They are known for their big servings of great all-day American breakfast especially their pancakes! 

This branch is pretty spacious and they even have outdoor seating and smoking area. What I didn't like about this branch is the poor ventilation. Aside from the slow service, the temperature of the place made us upset. I was disappointed cause I thought they have high standards for their amenities since this is an international brand.

FOOD

I was craving for something light and healthy so I ordered the Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad. 

Grilled chicken breast served on Romaine Lettuce with parmesan cheese and croutons tossed in ceasar dressing served with garlic bread. I really like this one cause the lettuce were fresh and the meal was filling but they served it way too late so I already lost my appetite when it came. This is a really good to-go meal, it's healthy and it tastes good too! 

When I saw the Bacon Mac & Cheese on the menu I knew that I had to order it so I did. Classic macaroni and cheese made with bacons, onions, and bell peppers mixed with homemade cheese sauce. I have mixed feelings about this dish. I hated it cause the bell peppers were really off and overpowered the whole meal. I wish they just took it out cause it didn't made the dish better. It was all over the place to the point that I wasn't able to enjoy the cheese sauce anymore. The cheese weren't sharp and tasted a little blunt as well so i'm giving this a 3 out of 5 stars. 

Grrr. At this point I was already furious and wished I had eaten somewhere else because the food coming in weren't delicious at all. Good thing Kevin and I ordered the IHOP Cheeseburger, this is probably the only thing that didn't disappoint me that day. Their 100% beef burger is topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion on a grilled bun. 

The burger was perfect. It was so tender and tasted legit! Nothing extravagant but something I would order when I am craving for a good burger. The fries on the side is also something to take note of! 

The famous Ihop Tacos. Everyone I know was raving for this so I ordered it for the sake of trying and again to be honest it was just a 3 out of 5 for me. Pancake house' tastes better. This is made with marinated ground beef with diced tomatoes, onions lettuce shreds and grated cheddar cheese in taco shell. The meat was dry, I wish it was a little more sinful! I appreciate that they sprinkled it with loads of cheese but it didn't make it any better.

Verdict

Good thing I didn't use my money to spend for all of this! I was really disappointed with the quality of service they have. Century mall had a better service and ambiance than MOA so if ever I will come back I would probably dine in Century or in BGC branch. In terms of pricing, the serving is a pretty good catch for the amount you are paying for, focusing more on the quantity rather than the quality. I'd still prefer Pancake House over this. :( TBH

I wasn't able to try their pancakes cause I wasn't craving for it that time. Do you think it's worth trying? Let me know if you have recommendations!

Last December 2016, I was invited by Little Owl to attend their Media Launch while on Soft Opening. We were introduced to Sir Jonvic, the head chef and the Director of Lola Food Group, and the same team behind the famous Lola Cafe in Quezon City and Liberty Kitchen at Eastwood.

I was really excited when I got invited to this event because Lola Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants in the Morato Area. I've been here twice already and the quality of food has been very consistent so far!

Little Owl is located in Broadway Ave, New Manila which is just across St. Lukes Hospital and a few medical centers. A good place to spend lunch breaks for students and medical practitioners who works in the area. Their coffee won't disappoint cause they're in partnership with Toby's Estate!

Cool huh?

I like the vibe of this restaurant, it is very minimalist and homey. The white walls and high ceilings added a very welcoming and cozy feel to the restaurant. 

Little Owl has a second floor - mezzanine area that caters to private events. You can reserve ahead if you plan to celebrate events here. I like how it's private and can accommodate 20-25 pax.

Jonvic told us they're marketing Little Owl as an event place too and they have been receiving a lot of bookings for intimate gatherings.

Now on to the food, we were served the following:

THICK BACON CUT STEAK 

MIXED MUSHROOM & ROASTED VEGETABLES
served with scrambled eggs and fondue 

This was Kevin and I's Top 1 on the list that they served us during that day. The scrambled eggs where so soft and light it melts in the mouth together with the melted cheese, oooh! This is actually what I can describe as a GOOD BREAKFAST. It's light, healthy and organic.

CEASAR SALAD P285 

The Carbonara was fine. I didn't expect much anything from it since a Carbonara is a Carbonara. I find it pricey for P295 cause it's quite ordinary. Though the cream they used were thick and heavy so I guess that's what made it expensive. Pretty good pasta meal.

 FLUFFY EGG WHITE OMELETTE 

I have mixed feelings about this sandwich. I love anything grilled cheese but this lacks in flavor. The cheddar was gooey and all but really lacking. It cheddar lacks sharpness, I wish it was paired with a tomato soup instead of the sauce since it didn't came out strong. But I liked the string fries on the side which reminds me of Picnik!

DESSERTS 

ESPRESSO COCKTAIL  

(Espresso Shot, Vodka, Caribbean Rhum & Amaretto) 

Hate anything with cucumbers but this Green Sangria made with Green Apple, Cucumber, Calamansi, Vodka, Wine & Soda was good. It's light and refreshing! A perfect drink to beat the summer heat!

PINK OWL 

(Watermelon, Lychee, Vodka, Mint Leaves, Soda) 
This one is my favourite! SUPER LIKE. Good thing I ordered this and I recommend this to ladies who doesn't drink often. It's very light, peachy, sweet and tangy. Love how the soda added some kick and spark to the drink! Plus it's PINK!

FLUFFY BANANA PANCAKE w/ maple syrup 

INSIDER TIP: 

The restaurant is a few blocks away from Mind Museum so it's a perfect first stop before roaming around BGC. The place is cozy and the interior is very youthful and pleasant to the eyes. The ambiance is warm and the overall branding is chic. Their furniture and decorations remind me of Heima, a brand well-known for their colorful and youthful furniture. Everything screams the perfect ambiance for a wonderful breakfast!

The seats are comfy and the place is very neat. 

The staff are also very accommodating and attentive to our needs. 

They have creative hand-painted scriptures all over the wall and it just gives off pure good vibes. 

The overall brand is well-curated and well-thought of! The menu is a customised Early Bird newspaper and they update the layout of the menu every few months. So creative right!?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It fuels up the body for the entire day giving us sufficient energy to work and be productive. It affects our mood too! Some even say that people who do not eat breakfast consume more calories and are more likely to be overweight. Maybe it's because people who don't eat breakfast would get hungry during other meal times and will consume more food to make up for the skipped breakfast.

The menu design is impeccable! I enjoyed browsing through the photos and scanning through the menu. I wouldn't usually hold the menu for a long time when ordering but this one made me want to keep it. You know the brand's legit when every detail has been thought of well enough!

 Visit this link to view the complete menu: http://www.earlybirdbreakfastclub.com/menu.html

My boyfriend ordered Adobo Sunrise. The meal was topped with hashed Crispy Adobo Flakes which was so savoury and good! The adobo flakes were not too dehydrated so it's not as crispy as I expected it to be. The meat is tender and goes perfectly with the scrambled egg. It tasted good but there's nothing really note-taking about this dish.

Lo and behold ~ the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich! 

 Anything loaded with cheese is my weakness so I know I had to get this. The different cheeses added here were cheddar, mozzarella and gruyere.  The sandwich is mixed with caramelized onions and sided with a roasted Tomato Soup that perfectly complemented the dish. Early Bird's Tomato Soup by far was one of the best i've tried. The soup has the perfect blend of sweetness and sourness from the tomato. So comforting! I was actually looking for a saltier and savoury overall taste because that's what i'm used to, but this one is unique and full of hearty goodness!

For my drink, I ordered an iced White Chocolate Mocha. It was the perfect ending for all the savoury goodness we were taking in earlier. It's milky, light and refreshing! Even their drink didn't disappoint!

Going back to Early Bird Breakfast Club was a great decision! This restaurant is a must visit not just because of its fancy and instagrammable ambiance but because of their impeccable food worth trying and re-visiting! I'll definitely invite my girl friends here next time to explore more of their lovely dishes!