IHOP now serves Pinoy breakfast

Tapsilog in an American resto chain? To see — or should I say, to taste — is to believe! If you love the pancakes IHOP (International House of Pancakes) is internationally known for, you’ll surely love the silog dishes now being served with a Filipino accent at this US-based restaurant chain.

But it’s not your typical silog place where the aroma of fried garlic and burnt caramelized sugar wafts in the air as soon as you enter.

Here, diners have the option to enjoy their silog meals — tapsilog, longsilog or chicksilog — not only with atchara (pickled green papaya) and seasoned vinegar, but also with buttermilk pancakes, waffles or brioche on the side.

Well, who would have thought that the omnipresent silog (garlic rice and fried eggs served with a viand) dishes Pinoys oh, so love can be had at IHOP, known for its hearty American breakfast fare and fluffy pancakes!

The International House of Pancakes (IHOP) now serves beef tapa, pork tocino, pork longganisa and chicken longganisa with two pieces of sunny side-up eggs and garlic rice in its three branches in the country: Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, UP Town Center in QC, and SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Manuel Zubiri, vice chairman of Global Restaurant Concepts Inc., admits it wasn’t easy to get the nod of IHOP principals in the US.

“It took us roughly six months to have the dishes approved. We went through a tedious process, but it was all worth it. This is actually the first time that IHOP officials gave permission for a franchisee to add local dishes to its original menu. They, too, realized that we also need to cater to the needs of the Pinoy diners,” relates Zubiri.

He adds that the original plan was to introduce 12 Filipino breakfast items, but the list was narrowed down to five.

“These dishes were developed with the Pinoy palate in mind. The Breakfast Beef Tapa, for example, is not too sweet or spicy. The taste is just right,” enthuses Leah Amagsila, senior operations director.

However, I found the beef tapa too sour for my taste; I want my beef a bit toasted and caramelized.

Each order of IHOP’s Filipino breakfast fare is good enough to share — consistent with the restaurant’s large serving portions.

The Savory Pork Longganisa, for instance, had two thick, juicy sausages served with a large cup of garlic rice and a choice between scrambled eggs and two sunny side ups.

For me, the Lean Chicken Sausage tops the menu. It’s smoky and juicy, and a bit healthier than the two.

“Our Lean Chicken Sausage is made of chicken breast. So there’s nothing fattening in it,” says Zubiri.

You don’t have to wait for breakfast to sample these delish Pinoy meals as you can hop over to IHOP any time of the day.

* * *

IHOP has branches at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, UP Town Center in QC, and SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.