Flapjacks of all treats

MANILA, Philippines – Pancakes — we grew up loving them, whether made at home and smothered with butter and milk or cooked on a hot griddle in a restaurant with a jolly dollop of whipped cream and good old Aunt Jemima syrup. Somehow, we never outgrew our love for pancakes — fact is, our growing waistline is testimony to our growing love for pancakes.

And now, you and I can have our pancakes and eat them, too. But Flapjacks is not just about pancakes. It’s about good food that fills the tummy and nourishes the soul.

“We’ve developed this homegrown concept as our first baby — it’s not a franchise,” says Lisa Ronquillo, marketing director, Creative Resto Concept Inc. “We’re inspired by the all-day breakfast concept, so here at Flapjacks, you can eat breakfast any time of the day. At the same time, you can have your lunch and dinner from breakfast to dinner.”

So, who says you can only eat your favorite bacon and eggs or omelette for breakfast? And who says you have to get up in the morning so you can grab some breakfast at some restaurant? Thank God there’s Flapjacks, night owls like newspeople and assorted nocturnal creatures can have their breakfast — and lunch and dinner, too — anytime of the day, every day.

So, what’s for breakfast?

Flapjacks goes big for breakfast — after all, it’s the first meal of the day and it’s supposed to fuel you for the rest of the day. Let’s see what’s on the menu … ah, there are the all-new Grand Slammers: Flapjacks Slammer (a hefty platter of imported sausage, shueblig or Hungarian, corned beef, and crispy bacon strips served with two eggs as you like ’em done and toasts); Lite Slammer (garden fresh romaine lettuce tossed in lemon cilantro dressing, served with toasted wheat bread, fresh fruit medley, and chunky chicken salad); All-Filipino Slammer (a platter of Filipino all-time favorites, marinated bangus and beef tapa with garlic rice and two eggs any style); and All-American Slammer (two fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with whipped butter and served with sausages, crisp bacon strips, hash browns, and two eggs any style).

With a breakfast as filling as these, who needs lunch?

But of course, I spoke too soon. Flapjacks’ lunch and dinner specialties are not to be missed. The salads are light and just right. Go for the Asian-Lite salad — grilled slices of chicken breast served over romaine lettuce and tossed in lemon cilantro dressing and diced tomatoes. The soups are simply soup-er! Try the ribeye goulash spiced up with beef and veggies or the double boiled chicken soup that’s doubly yummy.

Corporate chef Rey Huergas who grew up in the US, the home of the free and the land of burgers, is particularly proud of Flapjacks’ burgers. Flapjacks’ original hash brown burger is made of 100-percent beef patty with fresh tomatoes and lettuce, and topped with golden fried hash brown and melted American cheese. Another best-seller is the Flapjacks cheeseburger with its juicy, pan-seared beefy patty.

The omelettes are oh-so-awesome. You ought to try the ribeye steak omelette (fresh omelette stuffed with slices of premium ribeye steak, sautéed onions, green and red bell peppers; drizzled with cheese sauce; and served with toast and hash brown).

A friendly warning: The portions are really generous you shouldn’t eat alone at Flapjacks. Bring a date who’s not watching his/her figure and is a clean plate advocate or bring the family or your army of hungry friends.

“Our inspiration is Western comfort food,” Lisa points out. “So we’re still going by the Bistro Group of Restaurants’ big portions although our prices are lower than those in our Bistro counterparts.”

Meant for sharing with people we care for are Flapjacks’ assorted entrees such as the country fried chicken steak topped with creamy milk gravy and served with herb rice and chef’s vegetables; barbecued shrimp skewer basted with barbecue sauce and served with veggies and herb rice; white fish hollandaise made of lightly seasoned dory fish fillet breaded and deep-fried to golden perfection, and topped with rich lemon hollandaise sauce; baby back ribs with Flapjacks’ own barbecue sauce and served with apple cabbage slaw and french fries; and Flapjacks’ homemade meatloaf with brown gravy.

For something lighter, the chef recommends the putanesca with angel hair pasta, tender ginger chicken breast, and chilled mango salad.

But of course, leave lots of room for the pancakes that come in three, five, and eight stacks. Chef Rey assures us that Flapjacks’ pancakes are really soft and fluffy. The proof of the pudding, er, the pancake is in the eating. So we order the double blueberry pancakes — three savory buttermilk pancakes filled with blueberry and topped with blueberry compote and whipped butter. Berry good! I chow down all five stacks of pancakes — of course, with a little help from a friend or two.

Don’t hold back now and go for the ultimate in pancake indulgence: Chocolate Overload Pancake — three buttermilk pancakes filled with chocolate syrup and topped with warm chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, and whipped butter. Chocoholics, unite!

“We serve mini pancakes for kids, too,” says Claudine Dizon Peciller, director for operations, Creative Resto Concept Inc.

Sure to delight kids — or even the kids-at-heart — are the kiddie pancakes consisting of three mini classic pancakes served with chocolate chips, mini mallows, and colorful candy sprinkles.

As if that’s not enough, Flapjacks also has its French toasts and waffles. A certified toast of the town is the stuffed raisin French toast — two pieces raisin wheat bread dipped in Flapjacks’ own French toast dip, stuffed with cream cheese, and topped with powdered sugar, cherry compote, and whipped cream. Now, can anything top that?

When it comes to waffles, no need to vacillate. A runaway favorite is the real creamy and dreamy chocolate and cream waffle — two crunchy waffles drizzled with chocolate syrup and chocolate chips, and served with maple syrup.

So you can enjoy endless chitchat with your companions, Flapjacks serves endless coffee in a pot for only P85. Coffee, tea, or orange? You can enjoy all this plus fresh fruit shakes, floats, soda, beer, and wine at Flapjacks.

Surely, Flapjacks adds stacks of fun to pancakes.

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Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner (or all of the above) anytime of the day, every day at Flapjacks restaurants located in Greenbelt 2, Makati (telephone number 729-9121); Theatre Mall, Greenhills, San Juan (584-0638/39); Robinsons Midtown Manila (567-2745); and UP Ayala Technohub Commonwealth, Quezon City (441-1314/15). Visit www.flapjacks.com.ph for more information.