If only all mornings were as blissful...
I've mentioned about writing for Breakfast Magazine, and the first time I did was for their Christmas issue. Speaking of which, have you done---or started on---your Christmas shopping? The -ber months are just around the corner, and you might want to check out Zalora's Christmas gift guide if you want to get a head start this year, which, I might add, is always a good idea.
The second time I wrote for Breakfast was for their Anniversary issue, and the theme was a special breakfast experience. I chose Wildflour Café + Bakery. Why? It was actually my big breakfast aha! moment, one where I learned to appreciate forenoon hours away from the brouhaha of real life. What you read in print was a gist, and here I would like to share with you the whole experience...
In a world of stress, one thing you shouldn’t miss is Breakfast. It’s always fascinating to find a place you can enjoy and say, “If only all mornings were as blissful…”.
I gingerly walked inside, bag and camera in tow. The tall glass door was a bit heavy for my frame, and the staff with a sunny smile opened it for me, along with a greeting. Nestling into one of the wooden seats, I admired the place for a minute before staring at its name etched on the glass. Wildflour. Suddenly, it felt like I was in New York, a place I’ve been to only in photos found in books and magazines.
The pouring of water from a clear wine bottle broke my reverie, and I began to pore over the one-paged ivory-colored menu before me. My eyes scanned the familiar dishes I’ve read about one too many times -- Warm Sticky Icky Bun, Croque Madame, Scrambled Eggs on Toast, Belgian Waffle. As much as I wanted to sink my teeth into all these, I also wanted to degust something different, something I haven’t read about yet, something my palate didn’t know what to expect.
While waiting for the food, I let my eyes travel. Silver utensils in white tin cans acted as centerpieces; their fares were painted on posts and scrawled on chalkboards. This early in the morning, the place was still quiet, though not eerily so. Here was a relaxed atmosphere, an unhurried world where all the stresses and hullabaloos of everyday seemed to fade away. There were still available seats, a fact that would render untrue after about an hour or so.
I spotted a wooden table filled with a spread of bread and pastries, and immediately felt drawn in, and as I was nearing it, my eyes darted to the open kitchen at the far end, where the counter was covered with baking pans of brownies, sticky buns and donuts.
When I finally returned to my seat, the food began to arrive, preceded by the Homemade Granola. The sweetness of bananas, mangoes and candied walnuts was tinctured with the dried cranberries’ tartness and the acidulousness of yogurt.
Then, I smiled at the sight of the Wildflour Breakfast, its two bright golden orbs sharing a skirt of whites. The potatoes were crisp and scattered with salt, but I asked for ketchup just because. Two toasts and two homemade pork belly sausages completed the dish; a bit of spice and a distinguishing flavor of fennel seeds rounded up the taste, albeit something I can do without.
More people kept coming in as more food settled on the table. The hushed din grew a decibel louder, yet I didn’t mind it too much as I brought a piece of Kitayama beef flat iron steak inside my mouth. The noise even faded into oblivion as my teeth reveled in the tenderness of the meat. Suddenly, the kimchi rice brought me right back with a kick, and not a moment too soon. This Steak and Eggs was worthy of more than just a taste.
Hankering for something sweet to temper the rice’s spiciness, the Brioche French Toast got the job done. It was humongous but magnificent with its exceptionally thick bread lying in a pool of Vermont maple syrup. Its crust was tarnished with brown and sporadically covered with powdered sugar. One bite of this pillow-soft creation and I was smitten. There was some sort of custard just beneath the crust and the soaked bread just cocoons your mouth.
Fully sated and definitely satisfied, I let my eyes wander again. Somehow there’s a distantly familiar vibe, like I was in a different place, enjoying a temporary respite from traveling the world over, static for that instance in one particular destination. A sense of ease and peace embraced me. I then let out a blissful sigh.
Wildflour Café + Bakery
Spot: 4th Ave. cor. 26th St. Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Contact No.: 856.7600
Facebook: WildflourcafebakeryFortBonifacio
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