Comfort Food Prevails At Pancake House

Comfort Food Prevails At Pancake House

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Pancake House Caesar Salad
Comfort food is one that's simply prepared and redolent of home and solace; a haven of sorts if you will.

Pancake House Mini Pancakes
Pancake House is known for such comfort food like, well, pancakes. Light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth type, its pillowy-soft consistency wraps you in its warm embrace. I have a couple of favorites -- Caramel Banana Walnut and Chocolate Marble (I warned you I have a love-hate relationship with peanut butter). Meanwhile my daughter is an avid fan of their Mini Pancakes with Candy-Coated Choco Bites (P101). We've been on an epic battle over getting her to eat pasta or rice instead of this breakfast/dessert item. Admittedly, I've long past waved the white flag. I now know better than to force her to order something she half-heartedly likes and not finish it anyway. Our compromise: order the pancakes and eat at least 5 big bites from my pasta or rice dish.

Pancake House Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Pancake House's Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (P165) will forever hold a special place in my heart. It's one of those food that you grow up with, share with your kids and grow old with. A pool of dark red sauce packed with ground meat lays on top of interlaced spaghetti noodles; a tuft of shredded cheese at the crown. Its sauce isn't too sweet like most homemade Filipino spaghetti dishes, neither is it too tomatoey, which is a mark of an authentic Italian pasta dish. Irresistible to every child's and adult's palate, it is a mystery how it captures the heart of every diner that gets to taste it. I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like it.

Pancake House Hot Roast Beef
And I must not forget the Hot Roast Beef (P263). Thin slices of beef atop a slice of white bread devoid of its soft crust, all smothered with light, savory gravy sauce. Best eaten while still piping hot, a scoop of mashed potatoes and a cup of corn and carrots sit on its side. It isn't so much the flavor of the beef that makes this particular dish comforting as it is the temperature and palatability of the sauce. A tender bite brings with it the warmest blanket on a cold winter's night.

Pancake House Caesar Salad 2
I like the simplicity of their Caesar Salad (P170). Crispy salad greens, bacon bits, the crunchy croutons, powdered parmesan and the obligatory caesar dressing. All the essential ingredients coming together in a tumble of green, cream and brown. A perfect mix of saltiness from the bacon, the sharpness of parmesan, the acidity of the dressing and the cleansing power of the greens. The taste leaves an appetizing trail in your mouth that makes you hanker for more.

Pancake House Chicken in Lemon Sauce
One fairly new dish is the Chicken in Lemon Sauce (P170), which didn't leave a favorable impact at all. Shards of chicken, which were a bit tough, lay scattered across several steamed asparagus spears. The poor excuse for a lemon sauce was thin and pale and hinted of a faint citrus flavor, or did it really?

Pancake House Fish Burger with Malunggay Sauce
Also recently, Pancake House has introduced a few dishes inspired by the local reality cooking show, Junior MasterChef Pinoy Edition. Upon trying the Fish Burger with Malunggay Sauce (P235), my immediate thought was: you are better off sticking to comfort food, Pancake House! Five irregularly shaped patties lean adjacently on a mound of brown rice with caramelized ginger for a crest. The fish was a bit tough and dry, and the malunggay sauce wasn't much of a help since it was scarce and on the verge of evaporating even under the shelter of rice.

I believe Pancake House has lasted for decades because it has provided so many Filipino families with good food that brings comfort and a sense of home. I've noticed that the new dishes that appear on the menu are usually a mix of hits and misses, one that is a change, albeit not always nice, but something different just the same. It may provide a respite somewhat to the perfect meals they serve, but I still believe these classic plates are what will get people to come back over and over, time and again.

8 comments:

Kitten said...

when i ordered the lemon chicken it was at the megamall branch, i liked it naman. Maraming sauce and was tender

Guia Obsum said...

Wish I'd gotten a similar version, I would have loved that coz I like thick and rich lemon sauce like the ones usually served in Chinese restaurants. :)

peachkins said...

I love their Caesar Salad!I have to try that Fish Burger with Malunggay Sauce....it sounds interesting.

angsarap.net said...

One thing I missed with pancake house is their fried chicken, that was my lunch nearly everyday when I was working in Makati. They surely have more items on their menu now.

Gita Asuncion said...

guia, my hubs and i were supposed to celebrate our 15th anniv last 15. we wanted a simple dinner sana. the kind we used to have so went to an old favorite, Pancake. pero when we looked at the menu, a lot of things have been added na pala. we went to shakey's instead.

i agree, it is still the classics that make us come back for seconds. kala ko kasi wala na sila eh.

glad the spag, the roast bee, the pancakes/waffles, and hopefully, the tacos are still on the menu! :)

pics are great again, as always!

[pinkc00kies] said...

blueberry or choco chip pancakes, classic spaghetti or homestyle bangus for me :) sister is a big fan of their mango crepe! my friend said the spicy chicken fillet is good.

Guia Obsum said...

@Gita: The classics are still there, don't worry. Even the tacos! :)

Kitten said...

The tacos are so mahal na :(

but still yummy at least

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