Monday, June 20, 2016

First Bite: IHOP

I have never tried IHOP here in Manila for two reasons, crowd and bad first impression. I tried IHOP in the US and everything I ordered were too salty or too oily. It made me wonder how this breakfast joint became so popular (even to Filipinos). But I guess there's no avoiding IHOP when P invites you while you're on a Sakura vacation. I immediately replied GAME when she mentioned IHOP. IHOP, we are meant to enjoy each other's company. 
Aaaaaand... I was late. I was trying to avoid Uber surge that morning but I eventually gave in with 1.2 surge as I was really running late. And to make things worse, I didn't know that 9th Avenue (or was it 7th) was closed for an event. Almost everyone was there when I arrived. 

After a few catching up and sharing our food finds, we eventually ordered. 
First served was my Splashberry (PHP175) drink. It was so refreshing and I loved that there were whole strawberries inside!!! Yum! The fizz from the lemon-lime soda and the sweetness of orange juice made this drink the top choice to beat the summer heat! Pricey? Well, did I mention that it was refillable? WE HAVE A WINNER HERE!!! 🏅

We also got to try some of IHOP's LTO (limited time offers) for lunch! We had Southern Fried Chicken (PHP195, one piece | PHP295, two pieces) and IHOP Tacos (PHP125, single | PHP195, double).
First served was the Appetizer Sampler (PHP425) and it was goooood! The sampler comes with giant onion rings, chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks were a bit on the bland side and lacked the gooeyness great mozzarella sticks have in common. But it was good with the marinara sauce. I liked the chicken tenders more as it was so crunchy on the outside and quite juicy on the inside. It went well with marinara sauce too. The onion rings were great too! I ate 3 rings, I think. I totally ignored the honey mustard sauce as I fell in love with the red dip. 
The Southern Fried Chicken was served next and it was delectable. Simple and straightforward, it's that type of chicken that reminds you of home cooked fried chicken, only better! The skin was so crispy and the meat inside was so juicy. The one we got though had slight red spots which I didn't like. I guess I should request for breast for more white meat. 
The tacos and pretty much everything else were served after. We took advantage of the natural light and scored some nice photos. But it took us long enough for the Banana Hazelnut Crepe (PHP275) to require some retouch. 
After getting nice shots, we returned to our seats with the dishes. 
The tacos were amazing! It was no wonder they are having a hard time when to stop offering this dish. I used to frequent Pancake House for tacos but I found a better one! 
And they can serve it with soft tacos! The marinated ground beef had a nice sweet flavor and it was well complemented by the greens and cheese
The Chicken Fajita omelette (PHP325) and Big Steak omelettes (PHP395) were great as well. The eggs were prepared well. It had that nice fluffy and buttery texture I absolutely adore. The chicken bits (which had a tinge of tart) and veggies added bite and flavor to the dish.
Big Steak had a cheesier taste with its cheddar cheese topping. It was more packed and definitely heavier with the steak chucks. 
The Breakfast Sampler (PHP395) was bang for the buck. It was a really heavy dish as it comes with a huge chunk of hash brown (which is internationally sourced), ham, bacon strips, sausages and eggs. The eggs were cooked just the way JP likes it. The yolk was gooey and simply perfect! I tried the ham and sadly, it was a bit tough to slice. 
The New York Cheesecake Pancake (PHP255 if you order a la carte) that came with our breakfast sampler was yummy. Fluffy pancake and strawberries on top, two of my favorite things! I didn't get a taste of the cheesecake though. Not sure if my taste buds decided to have siesta or if the taste was really faint. 
I got a bite of the P.Noy favorite waffles and I love it too! Simple you cannot go wrong crunchy waffles. 
Overall, this meal made me change my mind about IHOP. I'll definitely go back for more tacos and pancakes
Thanks, looloo for the invite and IHOP for feeding us and listening to us yap about food while waiting for food, while eating food and while secretly burping. ❤️
IHOP is located at W Global Center, 30th Street corner 9th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. 

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