Almost two years ago, I came across an interesting little shop that sold breakfast items and plenty of other exciting products from all over the Philippines. After just one visit I became a huge fan of the The Breakfast Store and until now remain a regular visitor. One of my questions when I interviewed one of the owners was if they ever planned on putting up a restaurant. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who asked this as they were bombarded with the same inquiry from their avid admirers.
Finally, the owners took pity on us and decided to put up a place where they can showcase their amazing products as well as create wonderful new breakfast traditions. It’s a testament to how well-loved they are that, before they even opened, their Facebook page already had 14,000 likes. The Breakfast Table (TBT) is a culmination of great food and well thought out and executed concepts.
I dare you to step through the doors of The Breakfast Table and not be thoroughly charmed. The cozy blue and white theme is accented by delightful and environmentally friendly knick knacks that were recycled, up-cycled or re-purposed. Several features in the establishment also pay homage to their farm to table philosophy: chicken wire as decoration, farm pails and old milk cans as overhead lamps, shovels mounted on the wall, scrap wood, colored bottles, crates, an old kettle, and in the bathroom, a fascinating mini wooden plow instrument as tissue holder, among other things.
And then there’s the food. For breakfast lovers like myself The Breakfast Table is a dream come true. They give customers several options to enjoy Filipino breakfast fare. On weekends, they have a Rodizio-style Buffet where, for P395, you can enjoy all-time favorites such as different kinds of longganisa, danggit, eggs cooked different ways, garlic rice, bread chips, homemade cheese, and so on. Just tell any of the friendly wait staff that you want to go buffet. They have this adorable system where you flip a sign to let your waiter know that you want them to keep topping up your plate. When you’re done, simply flip it to the other side.
Keep in mind though that the buffet menu changes every week depending on product availability. TBT is a farm to table restaurant. They believe in serving what’s good and fresh. The owners also strongly adhere to the promotion of local farmers so everything in the restaurant from the decoration to the food is homegrown. On weekdays, they give you the option to build your own menu. The price depends on whatever you order. You will be handed a checklist of food items and all you have to do is check whatever you fancy and they’ll prepare it for you.
If neither of the first two options floats your boat, you can always order from the regular menu. The Breakfast Table puts a Pinoy twist to breakfast favorites such the Eggs Benedict. Their version, Eggs TBT (P190), is two poached eggs on challah bread topped with tinapa flakes and drizzled with a Pinoy hollandaise. For me, the best part of eating poached eggs is when you break open the egg white and the ooey, gooey, creamy, golden yolk just oozes out. It’s the ultimate food porn. The tinapa flakes add a salty and smoky flavor to the dish that makes it an excellent alternative for the usual ham topping.
Another dish with a twist is the Binagoongan Omurice (185). Crispy pork binagoongan bits are mixed with garlic fried rice and folded into a fluffy omelet. Binagoongan just happens to be one of my favorites so it’s a no-brainer that I love this dish to the moon and back.
TBT’s Breakfast Burger (195) combines several Pinoy staples that make for a satisfying meal: soft pan de sal buns, well-seasoned ground beef and longganisa patty, served with perfectly thin and crispy kamote chips. It also has a fried egg which is always a welcome addition to any sandwich.
Wash it all down with your favorite breakfast drink. The Breakfast Table offers a wide selection of local Coffee (P60) such as barako, sagada, bukidnon, benguet, and kalinga. They also have a refreshing TBT Cooler (P70) made up of calamansi, tanglad (lemongrass), pandan, malunggay, and muscovado. Their most popular drink up to date is the Taho Shake (P99). I expected it to be as syrupy as the taho but was pleasantly surprised that it is light and tastes more like a soymilk smoothie with sago than anything.
Taho ShakeTBT is the kind of place where you want to bring your family and friends for a relaxing meal. Their interiors are conducive to good conversations and warm smiles which is what breakfast is usually all about. No matter what time it is, the staff always greets guests with “Good morning!” because in The Breakfast Table, it’s always time for breakfast. And where it’s always breakfast, it’s always happy.
*Breakfast buffet signs courtesy of The Breakfast Table Facebook page
