What’s a perfect brunch setting for you? Well, if you would ask me, it’s a good vibes morning with the sun not too hot, just the perfect temperature. Waking up to the sound of nature, smelling the pancakes, jazz or country music and well, waffles**. No car or motor sounds.. just the calming breeze of air and a good view to ponder. Sounds dreamy? Too bad, we’re living in the metro.. and unless you have your own garden in a super secured subdivision with no outside noise to distract you, then we’re the same. Perfect brunch setting doesn’t exist in the metro. But! Thank God we have restaurants that serve an all day breakfast that gives you just the same experience, at least for the food. :)
During weekdays, we don’t usually eat waffles or any kind of extravagant breakfasts. Or maybe that’s just me? I don’t know about you but my breakfast usually consists of lunch viand because working in a mid shift makes me wake up in noon time already. But yes.. weekends are different. I love cozy restaurants that offer good vibes and what else? Good food! Especially breakfast food, because aside from midnight snacks (which I don’t usually do), my favorite meal of the day is breakfast. Eggs, bacon, waffles, oats, freshly squeezed juice. Yes, just by thinking about it makes my heart melt. Insert heart emoji here.
Aside from the Wholesome Table that offers yummy breakfast, Rustic Mornings by Isabelo is something you should try if you opt for a weekend brunch, or just you know.. brunchin. Never mind what day it is, the food here is something you definitely want to try.
We went here on a Sunday morning after you know.. let’s just call it “Saturday night after”. My boyfriend’s barkada wanted to eat breakfast in a restaurant that’s somehow different from the usuals. And since we’re in Antipolo, Marikina is just a breeze away. The place is hidden from the main road (hence, the statement “hidden gem”) but if you searched it in Waze, you won’t have a hard time finding the place. Parking’s available but it is limited. We came on a Sunday so maybe there’s really a lot of people coming in and out. Upon going inside, what welcomes us was a setting of a garden with your own private gazebo. I would say the place is perfect for al fresco dining but if you want to be seated in an air-conditioned room, they also have a place for you. The interiors (or should I say exteriors) are also very nice because some of it were recycled and made from used bottles. How could someone make something so sophisticated from old bottles?
I could imagine families bonding here.. this is the right place for “titos and titas” of Manila! HAHA. And that’s a good thing btw. The place is so instagrammable that every shot you take of the place can be so bright without trying hard. Flat lays of food? No worries! Even without good skills in flat laying (just like me), you can take an amazing photo because the setting is so colorful. I just wonder how is the place during rainy days. Could be a little hassle, eh?
As for the food, as I would say, taste is subjective but I would still describe it as how I remember it. I ordered their omelette. And I love omelettes. For me, it is okay. normal. I mean, how would you describe an omelette? My boyfriend’s friends also said their food is yummy. Plus points for the serving size because it’s really generous. We also ordered the banana pancake which looks normal on the outside but is delish when we tasted it. Indeed, good food and good ambiance.
Service on the other hand is quite slow. Maybe there are just too many guests but this shouldn’t be a problem to them. There’s a bell on each table for I don’t know what’s its purpose but we assume it is to get the attention of the servers. We tried using it, but it gave no difference. Servers didn’t notice it and some of them would purposely not look at our way when we try to get their attention. Even when getting the bill and waiting for the change, we waited for more than 10 minutes just for the change. This affects the number of people waiting to be seated too. Instead of people leaving the place right after paying and receiving the change in a short amount of time, what happens is we sit there for an additional 10 more minutes. I do hope though that this isn’t their normal serving time.
So how will I rate it? 8/10 for the price, 8/10 for the food, 9/10 for the ambiance, 8.5/10 for overall satisfaction. And yes, I will recommend and go back here too if given the chance. Thank God for something like this in the metro, we don’t have to go to Tagaytay for a nice brunch.
M-Su. 8AM - 4PM
#11 Isabelo Mendoza St., San Roque, Marikina City
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