Wildflour Café + Bakery
on 5 August, 2012
When you’ve got a few food lovers in your network posting food porn in your Facebook newsfeed everyday you tend to find out more quickly of the newer places out there. But the stars sort of aligned at one point last week in that pictures from this just-opened place called Wildflour kept popping up. And with said friends going back several times within the week I figured it was worth a visit to see what all the fuss was about.
This place is built around the breads that they bake on-site. You get a loaf of baguette once you sit down and the ciabattas, baguettes and brioches are also used in their massive sandwiches. The menu is very straightforward; filled with solid, hearty food. Consisting of only a handful of quality ingredients at most. (And I have to say one of the few places in Manila that has quite a limited but well thought-off breakfast menu. At least on paper.) Did I mention the bread being divine? The complimentary baguette was served warm; the crust was nutty, crunchy and a gorgeous golden brown.
I had lunch with the wife and Sanju’s better half, C, and we had decided to order a few things on the menu to share. We had the tempura of mixed vegetables (asparagus, zuchini, oyster mushrooms) as a starter. Flavor-wise it was good but overall I found it too greasy. It’s obviously deep fried but it was more that batter soaking up too much of the frying oil that tends to get you.
The wife had ordered a croque madame; basically a ham and cheese sandwich topped with egg. However it didn’t look so basic when it arrived. It was a beautiful hulking gooey mass. Thick cut, milky brioche loaded with layers of ham, melted gruyere and with a perfect sunny side up sitting on top. Quite overwhelming.
I had ordered that particular day’s special, which was the porchetta sandwich. Again, the menu just states pork belly, arugula and bread but what arrives is something really impressive. Two six inch ciabattas generously stuffed with slices of the most tender, aromatic, fatty roasted pork; it’s richness counterpointed by the fresh bitter greens. The bread was firm enough to absorb the juices from the roast without turning soggy.
C’s order was quite the dark horse. She had ordered the “soup, salad, sandwich”. And what arrived was really the most awesome cheddar and emmenthal grilled cheese sandwich; with thick brioche slices buttered on the outsides and then pan fried. Decadent is an understatement as it not only drew sighs but expletives upon first bite. The thick tomato soup and the acid from the green salad just makes for a really balanced meal.
For dessert we had ordered the Wildflour Sundae; made with home-made ice cream, bananas, nuts and brownie squares. C commented that it’s profile was similar to a Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. It was not my favorite thing, though. I had originally wanted to order the passion fruit cream pie but had no space left in my stomach.
But what worked for me was the chocolate pot de creme; a smooth pudding made with lots of eggs and cream. Their version is topped with a layer of sea salt caramel and chopped nuts. It’s really so sinful and addictive; the texture so silky. The touch of salt just gives that additional depth and roundness. It’s something to come back for.
What I concluded on this first visit is that there is a need for more visits. Despite all the food we had on the table, we kept on looking at all the food coming out of the kitchen and on the surrounding tables: the thick burgers, the huge 800g dry aged cote de beouf with all the trimmings, meatball and smoked salmon sandwiches. But what I like about this place most is that it makes good on the basics and builds up on those to create simple, satisfying, unpretentious food. Of course I can’t expect everything on the menu to be stellar; but this early on I can tell this place will have a lot of regulars. Oh wait… it already does.
Wildflour Café + Bakery
G/F, Net Lima Bldg,
4th Ave. corner 26th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel. (+632) 856-7600
LABELS: Anonymous Paul, bread, fort bonifacio, wildflour cafe + bakery
13
comments
Post a commentAUGUST 7, 2012 8:08 PM
grace said...
i wanna try this place!
AUGUST 8, 2012 2:11 PM
Anonymous Paul said...
Hi Grace, I think it's worth a shot :)
AUGUST 14, 2012 7:16 PM
lori said...
The owners texted me when I was in Italy recently and since then, I've been meaning to try their place out. Come across many blog posts about Wildflour but this is the best one I've read so far. It makes me want to drop this alfalfa and watercress pita I'm eating.
AUGUST 14, 2012 9:51 PM
Anonymous Paul said...
Welcome back, Lori! Your Italy series kills me. Most especially the lardo bruschetta!
AUGUST 17, 2012 11:08 AM
anonymous said...
it's hard to call your restu!! I suggest you add some contact numbers.
AUGUST 25, 2012 1:11 AM
JB said...
I've heard a lot of good things about this place and your post makes my wife and I want to try it even more. The bread and sandwiches look amazing!
AUGUST 27, 2012 8:44 PM
Anonymous Paul said...
Hi JB was there last Saturday again; got to try more items and was still a good experience.
AUGUST 30, 2012 11:44 AM
passive observer said...
tried it already. very good! although a bit pricey. service was good, they are very attentive even though the resto was packed. i love the baguette and those pizza-like appetizers. yummy! must try the desserts when we go back!
AUGUST 30, 2012 8:36 PM
Anonymous Paul said...
good to know! btw, burgers (done to medium rare, served in brioche) are awesome as well.
OCTOBER 2, 2012 1:24 PM
Nena said...
Currently my favorite restaurant. You hit the nail on the head about its menu sounding unpretentious almost understated, but dishes arrive and impress. It's one of those rare place where they just do things right. They don't try too hard, but they get it right. In one week I went three times! And that's a lot for me. I dream of their hazelnut hot choco everyday. :)
DECEMBER 7, 2012 12:20 AM
A quick review of Wildflour Cafe + Bakery | Dementia Foodista said...
[...] ordered the Soup, Salad, Sandwich because of Table For Three’s review about it. The salad is dressed with citrus juice, I think tangerine, so it’s sweet and much to my [...]
FEBRUARY 28, 2013 11:41 PM
grace said...
Really one of the best restaurants we have now! Definitely, a favorite of mine!
APRIL 14, 2013 3:50 PM
Melanie said...
Manage your expectations on the service. They have bad service. We reserved in advanced, but were not given the appropriate table for the number of people we were. Serving takes long and the staff is not respectful at all.