First Bite: AM:PM Brunch Bar and Cafe

I hardly frequent San Juan as traffic there gets too insane at times. I still remember the times when I get stuck in standstill, no thanks to a certain school. But thanks to Waze, I discover new routes in order to get around its small streets filled with good food finds. And a few weeks back, I discovered this new restaurant that offers everything from breakfast to bar chow that is worth braving the traffic for.

Hello, AM:PM Brunch Bar and Cafe.

It'd be easy to miss this restaurant as it is located on the second floor of the newly built TNA Building. But the intense desire for ribs was so strong that I sniffed my way to this restaurant. Okay, I kid. I saw a signage on the side of the building and I know that the restaurant is on the second floor.

I was greeted by a floor that seemed quite bare which reinforced the idea that the place is very new. As I turned left, I spotted AM:PM Brunch Bar Cafe.

The first thing I saw was a bar which serves coffee, milkshakes and cocktails. I was warmly greeted by the staff who led me to the table where Noah and his partners were meeting.

I was given a cup of Caramel Macchiato (PHP145) for starters.

Despite the not so good latte art, the coffee's not bad at all. In fact, it would be something non-coffee lovers would love. It had a nice note of caramel which I love.

As I continue to sip my cup of coffee and learn more about how AM:PM came about, plate after plate of savory dishes were served.

I had my eyes on American Corned Beef (PHP220) and Bangus (PHP230) as I just love anything breakfast. And when I was told that their corned beef is different and that the bangus is boneless, I was even more convinced that I just have to sink my teeth into those goodies!

The American Corned Beef was not as oily as the usual but was equally flavorful. It would have been better though with a dash of garlic powder. But that's just me, a garlic addict.

I absolutely love the boneless bangus. The tangy flavor of the milkfish is something that I always look forward to when eating this breakfast favorite. I could easily eat two plates of this in one sitting.

The Cereal Chicken Salad (PHP159) was pretty good too. It's a must order dish for those who want to "try" to be healthy. The deep fried chicken bits covered in crunchy corn flakes were really good and something I'd love to munch on a lazy afternoon. 

Drizzling it with thick salted egg sauce made it even more delectable and went superbly well with the crisp greens.

If you have kids with you, ordering Chicken Cordon Bleu (PHP185) would be a great idea. The chicken rolls with ham covered in crisp batter and made extra flavorful by garlic mayo would delight any kid who loves poultry.

The AM:PM Baby Back Ribs (PHP300) was bang for the buck! I still can't believe that one order only costs PHP300. 

The delectable sweet barbecue sauce and succulent ribs were the highlights of my visit! The meat was so tender that it was a breeze munching on it.

I also loved AM:PM Signature Burger (PHP220) which happens to be one of the restaurant's bestsellers. The combination of hickory pepper, caramelized onion and cheese sauce with the delightful no extenders patty easily made this burger one of my favorites! Though this one could also be for sharing, I have no plans of sharing the wedges. 

The Salted Egg Wings (PHP165) is another crowd favorite; and for wings, it was pretty big and meaty! 

Though the sauce tasted a bit too sweet for my liking, the salted egg taste and texture was evident making this dish perfect as bar chow. 

But the best dish to pair with beer would be the Crispy Chicken Skin (PHP89) which remained crunchy after an hour of sitting on the table. I absolutely love this one and I wouldn't mind ordering 3 or 4 plates with 2 extra cups of rice. 

I totally forgot that I was taking antibiotics when I gulped down the refreshing glass of Blue Mojito (PHP150). It tasted just like your ordinary juice but I'm quite iffy with good tasting alcohol. I tend to drink a wee bit too much and then it'll hit me hard to the point of blacking out. 

I tried to wash down my tasty mistake by finishing a glass of Original Custard (PHP130). This simple, no frills milkshake is my kind of shake. It was straightforward and very basic. The smooth vanilla custard texture was a winner and delighted the tita in me.

I would definitely swing by again and get more of those ribs, bangus, chicken skin and milkshake! Thank you, AM:PM Brunch, Bar and Cafe for the generous invite! 

AM:PM Brunch Bar and Cafe is located at Ground Floor, The Ignacia Place, 62 Sgt. Esguerra Corner Mother Ignacia Avenue, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.