Atoy’s Pork Chop – BF Homes Paranaque

Atoy’s Pork Chop was the answer to our fried food fix one Saturday night in BF. They operate 24/7 and sell the usual Pinoy breakfast fare… tapsilog, tocilog, bangsilog, chicksilog, porksisilog (sisig), and that one item that made them famous, especially in the southside– porkchopsilog.

An order of porkchopsilog costs P78.00. Not bad for a medium slice of flavorful porkchop, over easy egg, and fried rice. I don’t know what they did with the pork, but the fat was just absolutely crispilicious. Sarap with the banana ketchup plus sili! I hope there’s more garlic in the sinangag though. :D

Atoy’s is located along the busiest strip in BF Homes– Aguirre Ave. It’s near restobars like Tav Asia, NLOs, and Recovery. It’s a good place to binge after a drinking sesh.

Atoy’s Pork Chop
195 Aguirre Street,
BF Homes, Paranaque City
02 4006604

// listening to Gary Clark Jr. – Bright Lights

Kanto and Kid in Kapitolyo

After the almost two-hour drive from Pansol to Manila, we went to Kapitolyo for some comfort food. And to us, breakfast food = comfort food.

It’s Miko’s first time to eat at Kanto Freestyle Breakfast. It’s my first time to eat at their Kapitolyo branch. The branch I frequent is the one in Mandaluyong. :)

Miko had New Zealand Beef Tapa (110php, sarap ng timpla… kinda sweet) and I had Spanish Sardines Tempura (95php, my favorite… sardinas sossified). Both come with garlic rice, eggs, and tomato with pesto.

Add a side of perfectly crispy bacon. Uhhhm ummmm ummmmm! Just 25php per strip. :)

Tried two (relatively) new dishes– the Ube White Chocolate Ganache Pancake (95php) and Toasted Ensaymada, Spanish Bread, and Pan de Regla with Creme Anglaise (75php). I’m not an ube lover, but I liked it. And the crème anglaise of the 3 panaderia picks was yummy.

After our heavy breakfast merienda, we went to our other Kapitolyo favorite– Kitchen Diaries, which is just next door.

We had coffee and tea. And took home a bagful of freshly-baked goodies!

My favorites! Cupcakes with perfect frosting, Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkles (best crinkles in Manila, I tell you), chocolate chip cookies, and oatmeal crisps. Not really sure about the names of the last two, but I’m sure that parehong masarap. :P

Make it a point to visit Kitchen Diaries and Kanto Freestyle Breakfast when you are in Kapitolyo! ;)

// listening to Dean Martin – That’s Amore

Early Bird Breakfast Club – Century City Mall

“I toast to all things breakfasty, and especially I toast to toast. I would toast to love, but that’s not breakfasty enough for my appetite.” 
― Jarod Kintz, Love quotes for the ages. And the ageless sages

I was ecstatic to eat some real food after being stuck with cookies and noodles in my several days on the night shift. I was ecstatic when Jan agreed to spend our catch-up date at Early Bird Breakfast Club in Century City Mall. Keber kung ang topics namin sa chikahan session eh love, loss, at mga babaero. Kalam ng tiyan > kirot sa puso (mwehehe)

Early Bird Breakfast Club is a pretty and cozy. I also liked the look and feel of the place. Maraming spots na pwede mag-photo op! Hahaha! I also liked their newspaper-style menu. May games like word search and sudoku pa sa likod, but I was too hungry to play.

Started off my meal with Butterbeer! It’a slightly fizzy, nicely sweet, creamy, and refreshing! I wonder if the ones in Hogwarts are as yum. Early Bird’s butterbeer (155php) is def better than the one from Starbucks! Yes, it’s on their “secret” menu! 😜

The caramel thingie on top was delicious. It was not cloyingly sweet. I want some more. And yaaaay mini mallows! Jan had the Lemon and Mint Iced Tea (125php), which also looked great. But hey, Butterbeer!

Jan had the Sunny Salpicao (325php). It’s one of their bestsellers and it’s not hard to believe why. It’s pefectly seasoned, and pampa-feeling healthy kasi it’s chicken. Sarap pa with egg. It’s so good that we wanna copy it!

Then there’s the French Toast Fondue. Loved how they served it, with eggshells containing cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and melted chocolate. Not bad for 210php. I wish there’s an option to choose the dips. I’d love some strawberry sauce or peanut butter with my french toast, too.

Then there’s the Sausage Skillet. It’s 275php worth of spanish chorizo, English bangers, hashed potatoes, and caramelized onions. It was so-so but I liked the salpicao better. I took the leftover chorizo home and added it to some spaghettini, chili flakes, lots of garlic, and cheese the following day. Fabulous.

Items that I’d like to try next time are their Yin & Yang Champorado (has dark Belgian choco and white Belgian choco… Kaya kaya itumba nito ang Chocnut Champorado with Tuyo Flakes ng Kanto Freestyle? 😁), Viva Longganisa (their heirloom recipe) and their Nutella Cheesecake.

Not all bright reviews about this place thoigh. My friend who’s soooo choosy when it comes to food found their Eggs Ben and Katcino disappointing. The former daw eh nalunod sa PikNik-looking potatoes, and the latter just didn’t make the katsu-tocino hybrid work. Oh well. To each his own!

Basta kami ni Jan, we had an enjoyable experience at Early Bird. Even my new stuffed toy from Sg– Brekky The Hungry Puppy (I named him after the place) found it lovely. :)

Early Bird Breakfast Club
GF Century City Mall,
Kalayaan Ave, Makati
02 4031897
Facebook and Instagram: earlybirdbreakfastclub

// listening to Maroon 5 – Secret

Mandarin Deli – Makati

Have been swamped with loads of work that need to be accomplished in shifting schedules, so I have been terribly busy and quite out of the loop lately.

I had to make time for Mandarin though, as the iconic hotel is about to close after almost 40 years of operations.

I went to the Mandarin Deli one morning that I was craving for something rich and chocolatey.

If I weren’t craving for a specific kind of cake, I would have had my all time favorite– their cheesecake!

I’ve always like the Mandarin Deli because they serve good pcakes, breads, and pastries. Their coffee is also intense yet smooth and delicious.

This is a bit pricier but a much nicer alternative to cake and coffee at Starbucks or the likes.

I had a petite Sacher Torte. This intensely chocolate cake is named after the famous Viennese hotel. It’s dark and delicious. It also has apricot jam! I loved it!

The torte went extremely well with the coffee. The brew was served with a fruit and pistachio bread stick. Cake and coffee for 400+, not bad at all.

Ending my breakfast at the Mandarin Deli was a surprising and uplifting Bible verse. This made the breakfast much much more memorable. :)

Too bad I’d have to wait for 2020 when the new Mandarin Oriental will re-open when I get to have this experience again. Anyway, until then, Mandarin!

// listening to Stevie Nicks – Landslide (Acoustic)

Chocolate Kiss – UP Diliman

The career fair was held at the Bahay ng Alumni so I invited Shanei (my workmate) to have breakfast with me at Chocolate Kiss. It’s been a while (2 or 3 years maybe) since I last had brekky there.

I had my favorite Spanish Omelet with Ciabatta and hot chocolate.

Shanei had the tapsilog, because she didn’t have time to go to Rodic’s. (I did go there for lunch though.) All’s well, she liked CK’s tapsi.

Their hot chocolate is always something to look forward to. Thick and sweetened just right.

I still liked their omelet, but I think there’s something that changed, like they changed the recipe and the old one’s better, more savory.

Check out my blog about my Chocolate Kiss Dinner with Jan here.

// listening to Yeng Constantino – Chinito