Food Delivery: Otter Breads' Sourdough Bread and Sourdough Pancakes

Manila's three-month lockdown has turned many into bakers. My social media feeds have been full of cookie, buns, and cake photos that I thought I was browsing through a bakeshop catalog. But one particular post caught my interest. And that was Otter Breads' sourdough pancakes. 

Hello, Otter Breads.

The power duo behind Fat Girls Day Out has been busy baking sourdough loaves for months before it officially launched Otter Breads last April. 

First Bite: Sugar Factory

I love sweets and I can't resist it when someone offers me some. And when I got an invite to visit Sugar Factory, I replied with a big, fat YES. Indulging in huge milkshakes and childlike creations always sound like a good idea. 

Hello, Sugar Factory.

I was greeted by a well-lit and spacious dining area that seemed to be a combination of a fancy diner, Vegas and candy land. 

Since we were a huge party of foodies, we were moved to the second floor dining area which gave us a nice view of the whole place. On the other hand, the second dining area is a bit cramped and it was hard for us eager (and aspiring) food photographers to move around and take photos of the fun dishes served to us. But if you're there to simply enjoy the food, you'll be fine. 

First Bite: The Glass Jar

I was thrilled to try crocodile meat a few years back and visited a couple of restaurants just to sample this not so usual piece of protein. I first had a bite of it from a  Japanese restaurant in Manila and followed by a small café kiosk in Wilcon. And I was underwhelmed both times. It was not as special as I thought. And it was very tough too. In short, crocodile meat didn’t leave a good first and second impression. But third time’s the charm!

Hello, The Glass Jar.

This adorable restaurant on the second floor of Wilcon Home Depot along Chino Roces Avenue is the newest baby of the kiosk inside Wilcon serving crocodile dishes. And this one is not just nicer and bigger. It also revamped its dishes and turned me into a fan of this healthier source of protein.

We started our meal with some Classic Cocktails and I chose Woo Woo (PHP140).

Restaurant Love: Single Origin

Breakfast is love. If breakfast is a guy, I’d definitely date him and who knows, marry him as well. There’s something so appealing with breakfast that I simply could not stop having it all day long. And a lot of foodies share the same addiction hence the number of all-day breakfast restaurants around the city. One of my favorites is Single Origin and it surely delighted my tastebuds when I dropped by its second branch a few months ago. 

Hello, Single Origin. 

This was my first time to visit its Rockwell branch which opened last September and I noticed that it is bigger than its BGC branch. 

I was greeted by warm hues of brown, suspended lights and charming flowers on each table. I also spotted a few communal tables which are perfect for large groups or those who do not like feeling alone. 

Foodie Alert: Happy Lemon's Bubble Waffles

I have been seeing the mouthwatering eggette or egg waffle of Happy Lemon for quite a while now. The first store I know selling it is Egg-It in Kapitolyo. But I hardly visit the area now so I never had the chance to visit it. So just imagine my excitement when I found out that I do not have to brave the traffic just to go to Kapitolyo or to Makati (to visit The Dessert Kitchen or Milk Trade). Can’t picture it? Just think of a cat person wearing everything with cat prints who never had a cat but wanted a cat and eventually got a cat. Yes, that type of crazy happiness.

But the lukewarm reviews on Happy Lemon’s eggette made me delay my visit to the nearest store. It took me nearly two weeks before I braved the sun and visited the Happy Lemon branch in High Street. 

I asked the server if they have eggette as I didn’t see any signage around. He gave me a puzzled look and I had to repeat what I said. Apparently, he just knows bubble waffle and eggette is unheard of. And so, after a confusing exchange and charades, he told me that they were out of batter. *ugly cry* My 7 minute walk ended up as a waste of time and energy. 

Instead of heading back, I opted to visit Central Square Mall to look for other desserts. I went up to the cinema floor and discovered another Happy Lemon branch! 

I slowly approached the store afraid to hear the words “out of stock”. I hesitantly asked if they have bubble waffle and upon checking the stock, he gave me a sweet yes. *twirls*

First Bite: Unit 27 Apartment Bar + Cafe

It is very interesting how Manila has turned from an Aristocrat-Jollibee-Max’s-McDonald’s foodie scene into one where every corner has a yummy find. At Fort alone, there are a lot of places worth visiting and every month a new one opens. I get so overwhelmed (though mostly, it’s my wallet that gets overwhelmed) just thinking of all the places I could visit. And just yesterday, I visited…

Unit 27 Apartment Bar + Café.

The place is screaming cute and it reminded me of Hole in the Wall with its charming décor.

Since I made my research before going, I found out that Unit 27 Apartment’s bestseller is its Jack Daniel’s Aussie Bacon & Egg (PHP495). It is one of the restaurant’s expensive dishes but since it made me curious, I ordered one and decided to split it into two (one as early dinner and the other half as my lunch the following day). 

The other dishes ordered were the Peanut Butter & Banana Pancake (PHP280), Truffled Fries and Popcorn (PHP350) and House Party Nachos (PHP495).

Second Bite: K&L Café

Summer is here and the intense heat is driving me crazy. I want to walk around especially during food trips but the sun wants to fry an egg on my head. So when J and I went on a White Plains food trip, we try to escape the heat by having saba con yelo (hielo) at Pan de Amerikana (and brewed coffee and pandesal for a sasaw sa kape afternoon treat). And after a bit of cooling down, we were game to visit our last stop… K&L Café.

Hello again, K&L Café.

It has been quite a while since I last visited the adorable K&L Café.

They were busy setting up for a mini gathering when we arrived so we were requested to dine at the second floor.

The second floor is pretty cute too. The wall ornaments and the frosted window with the logo of the shop made the place homey.

After checking the menu, we went with the following: Longganisa Locale (PHP219), Mozz-Ham-rella Sticks (PHP195), and Ultimate Red Velvet Pancakes (PHP295). We also got Strawberry Calamansi (PHP95) and one of their new drinks that I forgot to take note of.

First served were our drinks. I loved J’s drink as it was sweet yet citrusy. Mine, on the other hand, was a bit too sweet and wasn’t much of a thirst quencher.

The mozzarella (with ham) sticks were served next. Served warm, the stretchy mozzarella with bits of ham was a great appetizer. I’m sure cheese-loving kids would love this dish.

McDonald's McGriddles Now Available in the Philippines

I love breakfast! I love to eat breakfast meals for breakfast (duh!), lunch, dinner, or as midnight snack! I dislike it when restaurants only offer breakfast meals in the morning. What if I’m craving for scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages at 1 p.m.? Anyway, rules are rules. :| One fine Sunday though on our way to visit our lovable grandma, we passed by McDonald’s for a much needed breakfast.

I was about to order Egg McMuffin when my sister told me to order a McGriddles instead as it’s “limited edition” breakfast. I spotted bacon so I ordered the Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles (PHP113 with coffee | PHP128 with coffee and hashbrown). My mom ordered the Sausage, Egg and Cheese McGriddles (PHP113 with coffee | PHP128 with coffee and hashbrown).

While waiting for our order, I made a quick check on what McGriddles is all about and apparently, it’s a pancake sandwich with maple flavoring. Sinful? Oh yes! Yummy? Definitely.

Okay, I wasn’t able to try my mom’s McGriddles as she ate it while I was not looking for me to flash my annoying puppy eyes (which do not really work on anyone). But since she finished it, I’m guessing it was good.

My Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles was pretty good. The bacon was quite crispy (though the serving was a bit stingy with just 2 small strips) and I love the contrast of its saltiness with the sweet griddle cakes. If only they put in more bacon, it would have been my everyday breakfast meal. Hello, Super Size version of me!

And speaking of Super Size Me, the McGriddles was mentioned in the well-loved documentary. Morgan Spurlock described it as “one of their fattest sandwiches to date.” So try to keep it down to once or twice a week. ;)

Here’s the list of McDonald’s branches with McGriddles:

Navotas

Sun Mall Welcome Rotonda

Farmer's Market

Pioneer Reliance

Ortigas Extension Cainta

Quirino

Granada

Tarlac Hi-way

Sto. Tomas Batangas

Dona Soledad

Bankmer (along Ayala Ave)

Lucky Chinatown

Matalino

San Pedro

Binan

Blue Ridge

Las Pinas Talon

Project 8

Angeles Intersection

(List from Pickiest Eater in the World)

Try them all before it’s too late!

-Gluttonshopper