breakfast – Jellybeans in the City

Max’s Restaurant reopens in Forbes Town: A must-try destination for BGC Denizens

Max’s Restaurant, the home of the famous Sarap-to-the-Bones® Fried Chicken, recently reopened its Forbes Town branch in Bonifacio Global City (BGC). The iconic Filipino restaurant chain well-loved for its delicious food and excellent service, is now ready to provide those residing or working in BGC the perfect place to visit for a satisfying meal any time of the day.

Max’s Restaurant: A Proud Filipino Tradition

Max’s Restaurant started in 1945 thanks to Maximo Gimenez, who opened his home together with his niece, Ruby, serving the now-famous Sarap-To-The-Bones® Fried Chicken. Since then, Max’s Restaurant has established itself as a household name, an institution, and a proud Filipino tradition.

Start Your Day with Max’s Restaurant

Max’s Restaurant Forbes Town is now open for breakfast, offering an extensive selection of sumptuous meals, baked products, and coffee. The branch recently collaborated with local coffee brand, Yardstick, to offer its special Max’s Medium Roast Blend. Customers can choose from a range of specialty coffee drinks, including Double Espresso, Cappuccino, Americano, Mocha, Spanish Latte, or the Classic Iced/Hot Latte. Pair your coffee with Max’s Corner Bakery’s Pandesal for a great start to your day.

Al Fresco Dining Area for Nature Lovers

Max’s Restaurant has also built a new al fresco pet-friendly dining area for those who prefer to dine outside. The breezy outdoor space gives a casual vibe and is best enjoyed during the summer months or days with favorable weather. It’s an excellent spot for nature lovers who want to enjoy their meals while taking in the beautiful scenery.

For the Busy Bees: Take-Out Nook

Max’s Restaurant has created a take-out nook for those on the go. Located beside the entrance door, this take-out nook offers a more convenient way to place orders and grab meals when in a rush. Whether you’re a resident or an office worker in BGC, Max’s Restaurant has got you covered.

Enjoy Filipino food favorites

One of the reasons why Max’s Restaurant has become an institution in the Philippines is because of its classic Filipino dishes. The most popular dish is, of course, its Sarap-To-The-Bones® Fried Chicken, which has crispy skin and juicy meat that Filipinos have come to love. This dish is best enjoyed with a side of sweet potato fries and banana ketchup.

For those who want a taste of different Filipino flavors, Max’s also offers a variety of classic dishes such as Lumpia (spring rolls), Chicken Sisig (a sizzling dish made with minced chicken, onions, and chili peppers), and Crispy Pata (deep-fried pork knuckles). These dishes are perfect for sharing with friends and family, especially when paired with Garlic Fried Rice.

For those who are looking for a vegetarian option, Max’s Restaurant also offers a variety of dishes such as Sizzling Tofu, which is a sizzling dish made with soft tofu, onions, and bell peppers. Lastly, Buko Pandan, a sweet dessert made with young coconut and pandan-flavored gelatin, provides a sweet cap to the meal.

The Perfect Venue for Functions and Events

Max’s Restaurant has always been a go-to place for catering to functions and events. At the second floor of Max’s Forbes Town, you’ll find newly renovated sound-proof function rooms that can accommodate company meetings, birthday parties, baptisms, and other events. Max’s Restaurant provides excellent service and high-quality food, making it the perfect venue for any occasion.

Visit Max’s Restaurant in Forbes Town

Max’s Restaurant in Forbes Town is located at 26th Street corner Forbes Town Road, Forbes Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, open daily from 7am to 11pm. Come and enjoy the delicious food, excellent service, and welcoming ambiance of Max’s Restaurant.

For more information, visit the official Facebook page @MaxsRestaurant or call +63 2 88461652.

Disclosure: I attended a food tasting event held at this restaurant. Food items featured here were served at no cost to the attendees.

Check out my previous posts about Max’s Restaurant:

Sarap-to-the-Bones Fried Chicken at Max’s, Tomas Morato

Pinoy-style fried chicken delivery from Max’s Chicken

World-class dining at Wildflour Cafe, Uptown BGC

I realized that I’ve been working quite hard for the past year.

Despite the convenience of working from home, I’ve been attending lots of meetings, preparing reports, overseeing projects and so on.

With all the job-related stresses I go through each day, it’s only right to treat myself to something posh and delicious, right?

Well, treat myself, I did, at two different occasions at Wildflour Cafe in Uptown, BGC.

Wildflour has been a popular brunch and bistro cafe since 2012, known for its creative menu that incorporates influences from the world’s best cuisines and makes use of ingredients sourced the best organic and local markets.

Its branches also have their own in-house bakery that supplies them with a wide assortment of freshly baked and premium-quality breads, pastries and cakes.

Saturday lunch with my daughter

On a Saturday after a particularly busy workweek for me (and during my daughter #ExhibitA’s lunchbreak from her work which, as luck would have it, sometimes requires her to work on weekends, we decided to have our midday repast at the Wildflour Cafe branch in Uptown, BGC.

During our lunch break escapade, #ExhibitA and I indulged ourselves with Wildflour’s continental dishes such as:

Beef Bourguignon (Php995).

Tender, chunk of beef slowly stewed in red wine sauce with mushrooms and served on a bed of pureed pumpkin.

Goat Cheese Ravioli (Php565).

Ravioli filled with buttery and tart goat cheese tossed in a tomato-sauce infused with basil harvested from Wildflour’s own garden.

Tres Leches (Php320).

Chiffon cake doused in dulce de leche and vanilla kappa and topped with fresh berries.

Partner these culinary creations with Wildflour’s relaxing and rustic old-world ambiance as well as its gracious and hospitable service, then you have a truly world-class dining experience.

Sunday brunch with former co-workers

A few weeks later, I met up with my former officemates to catch up and reminisce over brunch at the al fresco area of this same cafe.

Here, we broke our fast with breakfast bowls such as:

Beef Tapa (Php595).

Tender strips of pan-fried marinated beef on top of garlic fried rice and served with fried eggs and atchara.

Adobo Fried Rice (Php630).

Pork belly braised in garlic, vinegar and soy sauce served with fried egg and pickled chilis on Dalisay rice.

Bacon Fried Rice (Php625).

Thick slabs of bacon steak served with fried egg on top of fried rice.

Now, not all of us enjoy rice for our first meal of the day so some went to sandwiches and pastries from Wildflour’s bakery, which include:

Salmon Avocado Toast (Php595).

Slivers of smoked salmon and mashed avocado topped with cucumber slices, tomato, olives and dill on butter toasted bread.

Corned Beef Hand Pie (Php135).

A flaky turnover pastry filled with savory corned beef.

Hazelnut Cronut (Php170).

The variant of Wildflour’s flaky croissant-donut hybrid topped with dark chocolate swirl and chopped hazelnuts.

And what would brunch be without drinks?

Caffeine freaks went for handmade hot coffee variants while I cooled down with an Avocado milkshake.

Whether indoors or al fresco, Wildflour Cafe does fit the bill for up-leveled dining. And what better way to reward myself than to splurge on world-class eats, right?

This Wildflour Cafe branch is located at the Ground Floor, Uptown Ritz Residences, 9th Ave Corner, 36th Street, Taguig City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 83653872 or +63 917 6367957.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Six/Neo, 4th Avenue corner 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. (Tel: +63 2 88567600 | +63 917 8520950 | +63 917 6249006)
Ground Floor, V Corporate Center, Salcedo Village, Ground Floor, 125 L.P. Leviste Street, Makati (Tel: +63 2 88087072 | +63 917 3285915)
Ground Floor, O-Square Wilson St corner, Ortigas Ave, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan (+63 2 87753543 | +63 917 6279679)
Ground Floor, 8 Rockwell Center, Plaza Drive, Poblacion, Makati City (Tel: +63 2 88505503 | +63 917 7053329)
Ground Floor, The Podium, 18 ADB Ave, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong (Tel: +63 2 85718588 | +63 917 6289572)
Ground Floor, Frabelle Business Center 111, Rada, Legazpi Village, Makati (+63 2 88339799 | +63 917 5645748)
Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Esperanza St, Makati (Tel: +63 27 2132363 | +63 917 6303265)

To order for delivery, visit wildflourtogo.com.

Stay updated on Wildflour Cafes promos and offers by following it on Facebook and Instagram.

Indulgent weekend brunch at Rustic Mornings by Isabelo

Weekend brunches are always something to look forward to, wouldn’t you agree?

They give us the opportunity to leisurely enjoy a sumptuous meal with our family and friends, time well spent catching up on each other’s news and making plans for the next get-together.

That’s what we #OfficeMaritesses were up to one rainy weekend: we embarked on a foodie adventure at one of Marikina’s top brunch destinations, Rustic Mornings.

In this quaint eatery, we were able to surround ourselves with gorgeous greenery, eclectic artworks as well as other points of visual interest made from scrap and recycled materials while enjoying a delicious meal which consisted of:

Spinach Dip (Php400). Isabelo’s famous rich and creamy spinach dip accompanied by pieces of toasted ciabattaa. A tasty start to our lovely brunch!

Berry Cream Cheese and Bacon-Stuffed French Toast (Php500). Thick pieces of French toast generously stuffed with berry cream cheese and crispy bacon.

Waffle Churros (Php290). Sweetly spiced crisp waffle tossed in sugar and cinnamon powder.

Brunch Platter (Php990). Group platter good for two-to three persons that includes breakfast favorites: pancakes, waffles, bacon, scrambled eggs and hash browns.

Filipino Platter (Php990). Group platter good for two to three persons that has a delicious sampling of the classic Pinoy almusal: beef tapa, tocino, crispy bangus, fried rice and sunny-side-up egg.

Drinks. Brunch wouldn’t be complete without hot drinks to perk us up or iced drinks to cool and refresh us.

We loved the fresh and airy feel of dining al fresco in such a beautifully reinvigorating setting, which is quite conducive towards sharing all the hot goss on various office and barkada topics.

We found the group platters to be well-curated as they combine various breakfast favorites in reasonably priced packages.

So if you want to enjoy your own a setting for spilling the proverbial tea with your fellow Maritesses or to enjoy a lovely morning meal with family and friends, it’s high time you indulge yourself at Rustic Mornings.

Rustic Mornings is located at 11 Isabelo Mendoza Street, San Roque, Marikina City, open from 8am to 4pm.

While walk-ins are welcome, the place can get full pretty quickly so it’s best to call ahead of your visit to reserve your table via +63 2 8425 8610.

You may also course your takeout or delivery orders via Viber at +63 995 2493732.

@beingjellybeans
Enjoy wholesome breakfast faves and al fresco dining surrounded by eclectic art and nature at @Rustic Mornings by Isabelo. Deets at beingjellybeans.com! #beingjellybeans
♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

Know more about Rustic Mornings via its website or follow it on Facebook or Instagram.

Top of the Morning weekend breakfast buffet at Timberland Highlands Resort’s Ridge Cafe

Weekends are for leisure and enjoyment, do you agree? That should certainly include your breakfast.

Weekend breakfasts provide you with the opportunity to take things slow – in contrast to the mad rush during workday mornings – and spend time with your loved ones.

At Ridge Cafe in Timberland Highlands Resort, you can do that and more!

Ridge Cafe is one of the resort’s dining venues which boasts of well-appointed interiors, definitely an elegant venue to enjoy a show-stopping meal.

It also has an al fresco dining area where diners can enjoy the crisp and clean mountain air as well as the magnificent view of the surrounding mountains and the Metro Manila cityscape.

Aside from its usual menu of Filipino and international dishes available ala carte, Ridge Cafe also serves a sumptuous buffet on Saturday and Sunday mornings, dubbed as the Top of the Morning buffet.

Curious as to what you can look forward to at this weekend buffet spread? Check these out:

Imagine waking up to your true-blue almusal faves: the silogs! Pair your choice from viands such as Corned Beef with Potatoes, Tocino, Longganisa and Tocino, with Garlic Fried Rice and your choice or fried eggs from the Egg Station.

Want to break your fast with something wholesome and healthy? You can opt for locally-grown fresh produce for salads or fruit desserts.

If you prefer baked goods for your first meal of the day, then you can have your fill from a woundrous variety of freshly baked breads and pastries. These include four types of pan de sal (regular, ube, cacao and malunggay), cinnamon and fruit Danish, as well as various jams, cheeses and butter to spread on them.

There’s something for the kiddos as well, thanks to continental breakfast choices such as cereals, chicken nuggets and breakfast sausages. You might as well let them indulge in sweet treats that include mini pancakes (with syrup!) and cookies.

Of course, the best part about having so many choices available in the buffet spreas is that you can pick and choose your favorites or explore a totally new cuisine for a weekend breakfast experience that you assembled for yourself.

Whether you’re on your first breakfast buffet at Ridge Cafe, or on your umpteenth visit, you can count on a delicious meal that you can savor with your nears-and-dears.

Top of the Morning breakfast spread is priced at Php650 per person, and is served at Ridge Cafe from 7am to 10am on weekends.

To reserve a table, email timberlandfbm@timberlandresort.com or message 0999-889-2659 | 0995-840-3206 | 8891-8288 local 1030 and 1032.

Ridge Cafe is located at Timberland Highlands Resort, inside Timberland Heights, Barangay Guitnang Bayan II, San Mateo, Rizal 1850 Philippines.

Book your room via Klook today to enjoy great savings!

Perkier Mornings with New Breakfast Dishes at Italianni’s

Mornings at Italianni’s just got perkier with the addition of new breakfast dishes.

And for those who live near Greenbelt, this branch now serves breakfast daily while Italianni’s Bonifacio High Street is open for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays only.

Jumpstart your day with an item or two from this selection: French Toast and Fruits, Italian Sausage Scramble, Smoked Salmon Scramble, Granola & Mixed Fruits; Avocado Toast, Pancetta & Potato Hash, Croquette Madame and Breakfast Grilled Pork Chop.

Of course, there are the breakfast mainstays such as waffles and pancakes, omellettes, salads, Continental Breakfast selection, local favorites and coffee, tea, fruits and juices.

Bring your Bistro BFF Card and enjoy 20% discount on breakfast fare on Saturdays & Sundays. Follow Italiannis on Facebook and Instagram.

Details and images provided in a recent press release.

Sweet Sunday meetup at Sundays, Marikina

During pre-pandemic times, one of the highlights of my workday is the #HappyLunch I used to enjoy with my officemates.

We used to scope out the various dining spots in the vicinity of our workplace and choose a new place in which to spend that precious lunch hour. These midday adventures not only presented us with gustatory delights, they also provided our group with a welcome break from our work environment and an opportunity for some levity in between periods of being good little workers.

Well, things happened (some officemates transitioned to other companies, and, of course, COVID-19 reared its ugly head in the metro, which curtailed opportunities for dining out), so we haven’t been able to get together for almost two years.

Thanks to the loosening of community quarantine restrictions, I was able to meet up with two of my former office friends for brunch at Sundays Cafe & Restaurant.

One of the newest dining spots in foodie-friendly Marikina, Sundays offers breakfast, comfort food and coffee. Located along J.P. Rizal Street, it’s housed in a single-story Spanish villa-inspired building, with clean and minimalist interiors well-suited for intimate gatherings as well as a pet-friendly al fresco dining area.

Quite fittingly, I met up with my friends on a Sunday morning for brunch. After experiencing some confusion in the drive over (note to self: rely on Waze, not Google Maps, for directions in this part of Marikina, especially with the one-way streets), I was able to snag the last remaining parking spot, quite ably assisted by the parking attendant.

One of my friends was later in arriving than me and had to park quite a distance away from the cafe.

In between various chika and catching up on events in each other’s lives since we last saw each other, my friends and I broke our fast with Sundays’ cafe staples, which included:

Mocha (Php145). A chocolatey version of the restaurant’s cafe latte, served hot.

Eggs Benedict (Php250). Sundays’ version of my favorite breakfast dish consists of fluffy brioche buns topped with slices of homemade bacon and poached egg drenched in hollandaise sauce, with a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

Homemade Bacon Slab on Kimchi Rice (Php320). This breakfast food given a Korean vibe consists of thick slices of homemade bacon, a fried egg (sunny side up, per our request) on top of flavorful kimchi rice served on a skillet.

Tres Leches (Php130). I indulged my sweet tooth with this light sponge cake soaked in a sweet milk mixture and topped with sweetened whipped cream with a sprinkling of cornflakes for texture.

The restaurant was still on soft opening mode during our visit so hopefully, it will be able to smooth out some kinks in its operations, particularly some delays in serving our food and in providing the bill.

That said, the restaurant was true to its proposition of providing “Great food. Great memories.” It certainly was a memorable brunch meetup with my friends over delicious food!

Sundays Cafe and Restaurant is located at J.P. Rizal corner V. Gomez Street, Barangay San Roque, Marikina City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 8am to 10pm and Fridays to Sundays from 8am to 11pm. For reservations, call +63 917 1572634.

The Jelly List: Top breakfast finds at Lamp Quarters, Marikina

Foodies in Marikina and nearby places, it’s time to rise and shine, especially with the sumptuous breakfast choices awaiting you at Lamp Quarters!

This food hub nestled in the quiet suburb is a perfect place to enjoy the first meal of the day because:

It houses a diverse collection of restaurants offering various cuisines
It has a spacious outdoor dining area where you can meet up and dine with family and friends in comfort (you can also bring your fur-babies with you)
Its San Diego-inspired decor will make you feel like you’ve stepped into sunny Southern California

So if you’ve been feeling cooped up at home for the past few months, you can definitely step out and enjoy the morning in the great outdoors with these fab breakfast finds from Lamp Quarters’ restaurants.

Dampa sa Cogeo Marikina Branch

Get a taste of the sea’s bounty with Dampa sa Cogeo’s various seafood dishes plus more for a wonderful start to your day.

Breakfast Bilao (Php599, good for 2-3 people). What’s Pinoy breakfast without the silog? Enjoy a hearty meal with this breakfast staple along with daing na bangus, tocino and beef tapa, all classic flavors we just love to wake up to!

Seafood Stir-fry (Php699, good for 2-3 people). For breakfast with a bit of zing, check out this sumptuous seafood dish made with fresh crab, squid, mussels and shrimp stir-fried with veggies in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. You’d definitely be asking for extra rice to go with this!

Dampa sa Cogeo also delivers its seafood bilao and party trays. For more details, call +63 945 8646423 or +63 961 4207400 or follow it on Facebook.

Night & Day Restorante

A fusion of Italian and American flavors await you at Night & Day.

With its Breakfast Buffet (Php299, available on weekends from 8am to 11am), you can feast on a whole slew of tasty, all-you-can-eat breakfast dishes. This July, the breakfast buffet consist of beef salpicao, corned beef, daing na bangus, aglio olio, pancakes and waffles, sanwiches and sliders, eggs, roasted sesame salad and breads, accompanied by iced tea, lemonade or hot chocolate.

Night & Day is open everyday from 8am to 10pm. To reserve your slots for its Breakfast Buffet, call +63 917 1079678.

For updates on its offers and promos, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Kebomb

A wise man once said “Why have abs when you can have kebabs?”

Why, indeed, when you can indulge yourself with delicious yet very affordable Mediterranean-inspired food that will also appeal to Pinoy tastebuds!

Widen your morning meal horizons with Kebomb’s breakfast dishes such as beef shawarma tapa, kebab longganisa meal and chicken tocino meal, as well as its best-sellers like beef or chicken kebab rice plates, keema, keemadilla, hummus, Persian burgers in shawarma wrap and my newest favorite: chicken skin nachos!

Kebomb also delivers via Grabfood and FoodPanda. Pickup options are also available. For more details, call +63 956 9781805 or follow it on Facebook or Instagram.

So if you want to catch the sun’s early morning rays as you fill up on tasty breakfast meals with family and friends, drop by Lamp Quarters in Marikina!

Lamp Quarters is located along Gil Fernando Street, Centro de Buenviaje, Bgy Santo Nino, Marikina City. For updates on its special promos and events, follow Lamp Quarters on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Together with my foodie friends, I attended a food tasting held at this venue. Food items mentioned here were served to elicit honest feedback and were not paid for by the attendees.

#TheBistroGroup Trinoma Food Crawl: Denny’s

Renowned writer Robert A. Heinlein once said “One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast.”

I can definitely agree: breakfast fuels you at the start of the day, readying you for all the challenges you will face from then on.

And where do we go to get a tasty and nourishing breakfast, in the morning or any time of the day?

Denny’s, of course!

The first stop of an epic food crawl that my foodie friends and I undertook at the Trinoma Mall, Denny’s whetted our appetites for a satisfying day of eating.

Denny’s is known as America’s diner. It started in the 1950s as a donut stand called Danny’s Donuts. Since then, it has evolved into a global restaurant chain with 1700 locations, as well as adopted a slightly changed name.

In the Philippines, it is one of the restaurants managed by The Bistro Group, a collection of international and local hospitality brands.

In response to the need of the times, The Bistro Group has instituted safety protocols for safe dining-in at its restaurants. These include: regular health checks for all its personnel, compliance of all outdoor and indoor seating to physical distancing guidelines, hand sanitizers available at the entrance and on every table, as well as contactless menu ordering and payment.

These protocols require diners to submit to temperature checks, provide contact tracing details and using the hand sanitizers and sanitation mats prior to entering the restaurant premises, as well as wearing their personal protective equipment (PPEs) while inside. Would-be diners who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to people who do, have underlying health conditions or have concerns about contracting the disease when dining out are advised to stay home and avail of the restaurant’s contactless delivery options.

With these measures in place, diners can just focus their attention to the hearty and flavorful dishes that Denny’s offers, such as:

Denny’s Share for All (Php695). A filling collection of appetizers such as pancake puppies, quesadilla, chicken fingers and fries served with ranch dressing, honey mustard and caramel sauce.

Lumberjack Slam (Php675). Two buttermilk pancakes, a slice of grilled ham, two bacon strips and two sausages. Thanks to Denny’s BOGO (Buy One Get One) Everyday deal, you get a free Garlic Smoked Bangus with your order of the Lumberjack Slam.

Filipino Breakfast Platter (Php1,395). Good for sharing by up to three persons, this is a smorgasboard of home-grown flavors which include bangus belly, crispy pork, sausage, eggplant, saba and side veggies accompanied by three pieces of pancakes.

Fill up on your brekkie faves and enjoy great savings with these great offers:

Buy One Get One Everyday: 15pc Wing Basket + All-Time Breakfast (Php395), Lumberjack Slam + Garlic Smoked Bangus (Php675), Any Ribs Dish + Fried Chicken & Waffle (Php395)
Bundles: 4 pcs pancakes + 4 pcs waffles + 6 pcs wings (Php795), 2 pcs pork belly + 2 pcs Denny’s Fried Chicken + Rice (Php795)

If you’ve got a monster-sized appetite or a major craving for breakfast food, head on to Denny’s!

You can also get great savings with the BFF Card, The Bistro Group’s loyalty program that gives members exclusive perks across 15 restaurant brands such as:

30% off on Mondays
20% off on Tueadays
Complimentary coffee or hot tea single-serve with entree purchase
Online seats reservation
Six Php250 e-vouchers with minimum purchase of Php1,000 per voucher

This Denny’s branch is located at Fourth Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 8pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 9pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 77723371 or +63 905 3713998.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City
Ground Floor, Venice Grand Canal, McKinley Hill, Taguig City
Ground Floor, Uptown Parade, 9th Avenue Corner 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Second Floor, Ayala North Exchange, Ayala Avenue Corner Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Ground Floor, Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila
Ground Floor, AllHome, C-5 Road Extension, Manuyo, Las Piñas City

Denny’s delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Check out my posts about other restos of The Bistro Group:

MOS Burger introduces mouthwatering breakfast items

Start your day right with MOS Burger’s delicious selection of breakfast items. They are available for dine-in, pick-up, and takeout at its Robinsons Galleria store from 8am to 11am.

To ensure the health and safety of its customers and employees, MOS Burger observes the strictest health and sanitation measures. It is implementing a modified seating arrangement, with sticker guides to ensure physical distancing; having acrylic partition tables in place; and constantly disinfecting work and dining areas.

On its breakfast menu are Japanese French Toast Sandwiches together with three of its popular burgers.

The MOS Japanese French Toast Sandwich is available in spam and bacon, while burger selections include the well-loved MOS Cheeseburger, Yakiniku Garlic Rice Burger, and Natsumi Yakiniku. You can order them a la carte or as part of a breakfast set.

Free Coffee on Breakfast Sets

All the breakfast sets come with complimentary coffee. Customers can choose between the MOS Cafe Drip Coffee (hot or cold) and MOS Cafe Au Lait (hot or cold) for their free coffee.

For an additional PhP10, they can also have the MOS Cafe Cocoa (hot or cold) or premium iced tea to go with their breakfast set.

Delicious Side Dishes

Apart from the breakfast sets, MOS Burger also offers its delicious MOS Fries, Sweet Potato, and Karaage on its breakfast menu.

Bottled water, softdrinks, and orange juice are likewise available to order.

How to Order

You can either call or visit MOS Burger at the second level of Robinsons Galleria or place an order via Foodpanda or GrabFood.

For those who would like to place their order via phone, please call +63 2 77472695. Settle your bill via bank transfer (MOS Burger Philippines: 0000-014751-363) and email the proof of your payment to payment.mosburger@gmail.com. Once your payment has been confirmed, you can pick up your order at the store.

For those who’d be visiting MOS Burger Robinsons Galleria, you can scan the store’s digital menu via a QR code. A service specialist will the take your order. Payments are accepted via GCash, in cash, and through credit card. MOS Burger is open seven days a week from 8am to 7pm.

Image and details provided by MOS Burger in a recent press release.

Bench Cafe opens newest branch in Trinoma

The clothing brand Bench has been around for as long as I can remember. One of the “proudly Filipino” enterprise success stories, it has been a major player in local fashion and has even expanded its sphere of influence to that of a lifestyle brand with its personal care producrs, skin care services and hair salons.

It even ventured into the food business, notably with the opening of the first branch of its eponymous restaurant Bench Cafe last year.

Fast forward to today and Bench Cafe has already opened its fifth branch at Trinoma Mall in Quezon City. Such speedy growth is proof that its concept of combining traditional and modern takes on Filipino food works and has found its place in Metro Manila’s highly competitive food scene.

The cafe held a special preview for bloggers the day before its Grand Opening. Together with my fellow foodies from #WeLoveToEatPH, I got a taste of how Bench Cafe’s Chef Carlo Miguel melds local flavors together and updates classic Pinoy favorites such as:

Binagoongan Ceasar (Php149). Romaine lettuce with dilis and croutons tossed in a creamy dressing made with bagoong (shrimp paste) and queso de bola.

Tinapa Cones (Php129). Homemade lumpia wrappers formed into crispy cones and filled with tinapa (smoked fish) mousse and salsa.

Gising Gising (Php195). A spicy dish of chopped beans cooked in coconut milk and chilis.

Sisig Skillet (Php249). Pork cheeks and belly cooked in two ways and served topped with calamansi foam.

Fried Chicken (Php480). Whole spring chicken fried to a golden brown with crispy flavorful skin and juicy meat served with a honey patis sauce.

Dancing Fish (Php400). Crispy butterfly tilapia doused in escabeche sauce.

Pancit Guisado (Php239). Stir-fried noodles with shrimp, meat and chopped vegetables.

Silogs (from sinangag or “garlic rice” and itlog “egg”) are breakfast staples for many Filipinos. Bench Cafe serves these with garlic rice, fried egg and homemade atsara. The silog variation we’ve tasted here is the Tendon Silog (Php199) made with melt-in-your-mouth beef tendon in pares sauce.

Bongalmusal (Php349). If you’re ever at a loss on what to have for brekkie, this hyped-up silog meal serves up everything you could want! Spam, US beef tapa, tocino, daing (dried fish) and corned beef. Best of all, this dish is good for two so do share it with someone special.

Bench Cafe also introduced Bench-Tos which are glamourized takes on the fare available at a Pinoy turo-turo. This small roadside eatery is where diners point out the food they want and a serving is placed on their plates. Bench Cafe updates this concept by merging it with the Japanese bento – the chosen viand is served on a tray along with vegetables, homemade salsa and atsara as well as steamed Ifugao rice. Variations of this offering that we tasted include the Bagnet Kare Kare (Php339) which has a rich peanutty sauce that has no need for bagoong to have flavor, and the Inasal Liempo (Php299) which is Bench Cafe’s take on the Visayan grilled pork belly.

To cap out meal, Bench Cafe serves up its own takes on dessert classics with the smooth and creamy leche flan it dubbed Flan B (Php185) topped with macapuno and Classic Turon ala Mode (Php49).

Bench also applied its own twists on the popular dessert called Halo-Halo, which consists of sweetened fruits and other fixings topped with shaved ice and served with milk. Its variations include White (Php85 for 12oz | Php129 for 16oz) made with coconut shaved ice with garbanzos, caramelized banana, leche flan, nata de coco and coconut ice cream; Mango Otap (Php90 for 12oz | Php109 for 16oz), mango shaved ice with crushed otap, mango puree, cream and fresh mango cubes; Ube (Php95 for 12oz | Php149 for 16oz), ube halaya and palm beans added to the White Halo Halo; and Mais con Hielo (Php60 for 12oz | Php100 for 16oz), corn- flavored shaved ice with milk and kernels of sweetcorn.

I had a great time discovering fresh ways to enjoy the food that I grew up with at Bench Cafe.

Many thanks to the management and staff of Bench Cafe for having us and to EJ of #ILoveToEatPH for extending the invitation.

This Bench Cafe branch is located at Ground Floor, MRT Wing, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pagasa, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 9pm.

Other branches are located at:

Second Floor, Bench Flagship Store, Bonifacio High Street, 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Level 2, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City
Ground Floor, Padre Faura Wing, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a foodie meetup held here wherein food and drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.