First Bite: Bread and Botany

Ever since I heard from my cousins how much Aguirre has evolved from a quiet residential strip to a blooming foodie destination, I always find myself drooling over food pictures captured from that area. Yes, I did a bit of stalking and it sure makes me sad how far it is from my place. But after months of planning and a bit of coordination, my college friends and I finally made it happen and our first stop was Bread and Botany as it is one of the stores that open before lunch. 

Hello, Bread and Botany!

Located at the second floor of Prime Building along Aguirre, the quaint shop seems a bit bare with only a few wall decors, shelves and seats. 

We approached the counter and was greeted by the young lady manning it. She gave us some suggestions on what to get and we eventually went with Tori Sando (PHP230) as we were told that it is one of their photogenic dishes. I also ordered Kyuchimi Fries (PHP100) as side dish. E on the other hand went with McEgg (PHP220), the store’s lightest sandwich option. 

Service was quick as our fries were served in less than 10 minutes. 

Drizzled with several spices and paired with bull gravy, this dish was pretty good though steep for its price. The spices gave the fries an interesting and unique taste, similar to KFC’s fries but not quite. It was served hot and fresh from the deep fryer but the gravy was cold. Well, I guess they wanted to create some sort of contrast. Nonetheless, dipping the fries in the chilled gravy made it more delectable. I just wish that they put the spices evenly as it didn’t seem proportioned. Some were a bit too spiced and salty while other fries were on the bland side.

Soon, our sandwiches were served.

First served was the Tori Sando and I was hoping it would look nicer than this given its price. It was a small sandwich cut in two. I was disappointed with the bread used as it was just a typical slice of bread that you could get from the supermarket. The chicken though was good. It was crispy and flavorful. 

The Japanese coleslaw added a tinge of tanginess to the sandwich making it more interesting. But it was not worth PHP230. 

E liked his sandwich though which reminded him of McGriddle. He just had issues with the sticky bread which seemed to be brushed with some maple syrup. 

K ordered Fried Chicken (PHP190) and it was the saddest fried chicken I saw. I didn’t even bother to take a photo of it. There were only two pieces on the plate but K remembered that he was told that it should be 4 pieces. Nonetheless, it was crispy and flavorful. But it felt like a ripoff to pay that price for two small pieces.

Just when I was ready to give this place three stars, I found out they do not issue official receipts. I hate it when establishments do not issue receipts. And with this, I’d give the place two stars. 

Botany and Bread is located at 2nd Floor, Brine Building, 115 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque.