We hop to IHOP!

All-day breakfast restaurants are becoming the "in" thing these days, much to my delight. Brekkie is my favorite meal of the day and I love breakfast food anytime - be it for lunch and dinner, even afternoon snacks. In 2013, an American all-day breakfast restaurant opened here in the Philippines and instantly became a hit. It's IHOP, which opened in California in 1958 as the International House of Pancakes. In 1973, it became known simply as "IHOP".

Before 2014 ended, my office friends and I were happy to have the chance to try IHOP at the UP Town Center at lunchtime. And I found out, their food were a delight to the eyes as they were to the tummy. 
We ordered:

Berries and Cream Belgian Waffle, P325.

New York Cheesecake Pancakes, P285.

Double Blueberry Pancakes, P275.

Pick-a-pancake combo, P385. Includes 2 eggs, a hash brown, bacon, sausage and a choice of pancake

Chicken and Waffles, P345.

Breakfast Beef Tapa, P375.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Garlic Bread, P455 (full), P325 (half).

Mixed fruits, P95.

Never Empty Coffee Pot, P125

Menu

Assortment of syrups on our table

Inside IHOP at the UP Town Center

My friends and I were happy eaters that day, yes, oh yes! I can't even wait to go back! All of us loved our orders. I was happy with my chicken and waffles - the plain ones which were so good when smothered with butter and poured with good 'ol maple syrup. For dessert, I had mixed fresh fruits and capped my meal with freshly brewed coffee. Interestingly, at IHOP, when you order coffee, you will be served a whole thermos of it so you'll be happily drinking more than enough. You may share with your companion if you must. I'm not sure if they allow it, though. Hehe..I definitely recommend IHOP as your next foodie place. The menu is quite extensive (they serve rice meals, too, plus omelettes, crepes, burgers, steaks, and even added -silog meals for the Pinoy foodies) and the service is friendly. As for the price, it may be a bit steep but the taste and quality of the food are so worth it. 
See you at IHOP, guys!
(Aside from the UP Town Center branch, they have, too, in Araneta Center Cubao, 
Century City Mall, SM Mall of Asia, and The Fort)

Today's Word: Philippians 4:8

What runs in your mind at this moment? The mind is so prolific it can produce so many ideas at such a magnificent speed. Sometimes, the mind becomes so busy at work it results in our lack of sleep. You know, right? This is especially true when our thoughts cause us to worry. The things that we think of are sometimes good, and sometimes, bad - the negative ones. As Christians, however, we know that we should fill our minds only with good thoughts - with what is right before God and beneficial to others and ourselves. The Apostle Paul  says this in his letter to the Philippians. So, let us discipline ourselves and our minds and think only of what is praiseworthy. God bless you today.  

                                                    (Thank you, Crosscards and Jesus.org for this picture)

Amo Yamie Crib and Movie House: Perhaps U-belt's hippest hangout

Before 2014 became history, I was happy to discover a nice, new place for hanging out at the University Belt Area in Manila. Amo Yamie Crib and Movie House had just opened then, not even a month old, and me and my daughter hauled off ourselves there right after she saw it on Facebook. And we were happy finders that weekday afternoon. The place was cool, hip, with a totally different concept from most places we'd been to. I was in awe as we stepped inside - there were many small rooms that were like.. well, cribs - one on top of another, with groups of friends huddled in each one, sitting on the floor (you'd have to leave your shoes outside, by the way) and eating on a small, low table. How cozy each room, err, crib, looked! Perfect for a barkada hanging out after classes, chatting away the time. There was quite an extensive menu of drinks but not so much 
food - only snacks that included waffles, burger, cakes, tacos and nachos. 
No heavy meals here, no pasta, no rice and viands.
Anyway, these were our orders:

Taco 

Mini burgers with fries

Strawberry Waffle 

Cafe Latte

'Jack and Jelly'

I was impressed by everything that we had except for the waffle. My taco was soo yummy it just might be the best I've had in a long time. It was meaty, crunchy, delicious and filling. The burger was good, too, and fun to eat because of their miniature size. The waffle failed to impress me, though, because I had just eaten 
a really good one somewhere. Hehehe..

The 'cribs'

 

Entrance

Anyway, as their name says, Amo Yamie includes a movie house which is a separate unit in the same building, just a few steps away from the food and drink place. There are several rooms of different sizes. One can accommodate a couple or up to four persons while some may hold a bigger group of about 20 people. It can be rented for P500 (or was it P550?) for two hours for movie-watching, and there's already unli-popcorn for the group.
Nice, right? 

Movie room

My daughter and I had a great time eating and hanging out at Amo Yamie. The food and drinks were generally good, service was friendly and the prices, just right - pretty affordable for students. I give the highest mark to the ambiance, however, because I totally liked how homey and cozy each "crib" was and how cool it was to spend time there eating and drinking and just hanging out with friends or family.  I definitely want to bring my whole family here for some bonding time eating and watching a movie. 
Amo Yamie Crib and Movie House is at the 2nd Floor of Gordi Plaza Building on Legarda St. near the corner with C.M. Recto Ave. in Manila.