When talking about a classic breakfast fare in the Philippines, the tapa will bring lots of happy morning meal memories to Pinoys. This beef is prepared dried or cured, with ingredients to add different levels spice, tart, and sweet, such as salt, garlic, vinegar, and pepper. A favorite way of enjoying this breakfast beef is the triad of tapa, sinangag (garlic fried rice), and itlog (egg); and as Pinoys love abbreviations, a serving of this is called Tapsilog. It is said that a restaurant in Marikina's claim to fame is that it first introduced the tapsilog to customers in the 80s.
Craving for tapa is just like craving for breakfast — it can come by you at any time of the day, just as how comfort food should be. It's no surprise, then that tapa can be found in most fast food restaurants, and as part of the morning buffet spread in a lot of hotels. In this edition of The Click List, we present to you 18 restaurants where you can find your tapsilog whenever your hunger strikes.
Photo from Banapple Facebook Page
1. Banapple
Aside from their popular cakes and pies, Banapple is known for their comfort food fare. Have some Garlic beef tapa with creamed parsley eggs (P185); their tapa is fried in garlic pieces and melted butter, paired with fluffly and creamy eggs.
Order their Beef Tapa with scrambled eggs (P326) or with ham/cheese omelette (P406). Cafe Mary Grace's all-day breakfast is available in selected branches.
Photo from Early Bird Breakfast Club's Instagram
Early Bird sets itself apart from its breakfast-serving contemporaries with its cutesy pastel interiors and Instagram-worthy food plating. Their number one best seller is their Tenderloin Tapa (P375), a plate of beef tenderloin with sweet marinade, served with breakfast rice and your choice of egg.
4. GoodAh!!!
Choose among their Altanghap of Tapsilog (P89), Tapsarap (P99, rice all you can), and TapsiMax (P139, with two eggs), available in Sweet, Spicy, and Original.
Photo from Hatch22 Facebook Page
5. Hatch 22
This cafe and bakery by the driveway of Power Plant Mall serves three items as part of their Manila Breakfast, and of course, tapa is included. Have their Tapsilog 2.0 (P370): marinated beef sirloin, garlic tapa rice, crunchy egg, seared tomatoes, and pickled vegetables.
Photo from Kanto Freestyle Breakfast Facebook Page
At Kanto, your 100 Pesos goes a long way, as practically all their breakfast items are priced under P100. Try their Batangas Beef Tapa (P99), served with 2 eggs freestyle, garlic rice, and tomato pesto.
Photo from Max's Restaurant Website
Part of their all day breakfast menu is the Beef Tapa Meal (P218.90), tender slices of fried beef marinated in vinegar and garlic. Served with garlic rice or plain rice, fried egg (sunny side up or scrambled), and atchara.
8. Mr. Jones
This diner at Greenbelt is known for their milkshakes and their rendition of the tapa. The Jones' Famous US Ribcap Tapa (P320) is served with 2 eggs any style, garlic rice, atchara, and spicy vinegar.
This family pasttime-turned-restaurant (now four branches strong) serves US Beef Tapa (P250), crispy strips of marinated beef served with egg, garlic rice, and atchara.
10. Pancake House
This pancake restaurant is home to all sorts of pancakes (obviously), great tacos, and an array of breakfast fare. Have the Beef Tapa (P240), served with your choice of garlic or plain rice, fried egg, and atchara.
11. Recovery Food
Get their Tapa De Morning (P180), a bowl of homemade tapa, scrambled or fried egg, ensalada, choice of brown or white organic plain rice. Need a bigger portion for recovery? Get the tapsilog bowl in Full Recovery (P260). Go all out and upgrade your plain rice to Talangka Rice (additional P35).
12. Rodic's Diner
On a very tight budget? Head to Rodic's for their no-frills tapsilog experience. The Tapsilog (P75), consistently sweet and tender minced tapa, is served with a huge cup of rice, greasy sunny side up egg, and tomato slices. If your budget is tighter, you can opt for their half-order meals that ranges from P30 to P45.
Photo from Rufo's Famous Tapa Website
This 24/7 casual restaurant is home to Rufo's Famous Tapa (P108), a dish they have been serving since 1984 which patrons come back for over and over again. It must be because of the affordable price, and that signature sauce.
14. Sinangag Express
Here's another place for cheap eats. Dubbed as 'SEx' by most of it's patrons, Sinangag Express is very popular for their cheap meals, especially their unique Tapsi (P49). Their distinctly flavored tapa meat is shredded, just like corned beef.
15. Stacy's
This homey and dainty place serves all-day breakfast meals in large portions at very reasonable prices. Their tapsilog is named Stacy Jones (P215)–tender strips of yakiniku cut US Beef tapa served with eggs.
Photo from Tapa King Website
16. Tapa King
Open since 1987, Tapa King offers the tapsilog in popular variants that differ in sweetness, spice, and saltiness. Take your pick from the orginal Tapa King (P135), Tapa Flakes (P110), Tapa Prince (P135, sweeter blend), and Tapa Queen (P135, sweet and spicy).
Photo from Tapsi Ni Vivian Twitter page
17. Tapsi ni Vivian
This 24/7 bulaluhan and tapsilog spot is located in Marikina. People have been flocking to this restaurant for their famous Tapsilog (P80), which they have been serving since 1984.
Photo from Tapsilog Centrale Facebook Page
This Kamuning tapsilog spot prides itself with their thinly sliced 'sukiyaki cut' and perfectly marinated 'bacon-style' 100% pure USDA Certified Angus Beef Tapa. At 100 grams per serving, you can choose among Original (P125), Spicy (P150), Korean (P150), Tropical (P125), and Tropical Spicy (P140).
