MANILA, Philippines - This is what having breakfast in paradise is like. You enter a 270-square-meter restaurant that sits like a queen on a lush 3.2-hectare property. The interiors are tastefully done, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the pitch-black ceiling that complement the black and white Machuca-tiled flooring. The main dining hall is both spacious and airy, its walls peppered with big and beautiful impressionist paintings. You find yourself seated on a table — with crisp white linens and white napkins, no less. The restaurant constantly gets a sweet whisper from the cool mountain breeze, so sweet you become dreamy, hopeful and excited about what awaits you in this restaurant. The verdant surroundings concomitantly become the playground of birds and butterflies. The place evokes a casual yet elegant feel. This is paradise. This is Breakfast at Antonio’s in Brgy. Neogan, Tagaytay City.
After the visual treat comes a feast for the palate. It’s breakfast time and you care for an Italian frittata. The ever-courteous waiter delivers it to your table — fresh and hot. Each bite of the Italian sausage that is almost hidden lusciously on a bed of whipped eggs is enough for you to declare that indeed you are in breakfast nirvana. You savor the merry and sumptuous mix of black and green olives, bell pepper, mushroom and Gruyere cheese that comes with the frittata. It is no coincidence that you like it with so much gusto. After all, the Italian frittata is one of the many favorites of Tonyboy Escalante, the charming owner and excellent executive chef of Breakfast at Antonio’s.
Tonyboy is also very proud of his smoked New Zealand King Chinook salmon on homemade whole-wheat bread with cream cheese and scrambled eggs. This dish is to die for especially when topped with capers, thinly sliced onions and onion leeks. (Believe it or not, I finished my Chinook salmon in a jiffy that I almost ran out of breath because of excitement. The salmon meat I ate was tasty and its fine flesh gently glided down to my stomach. Ah, very filling!)
The restaurant’s crepe stuffed with fried eggs, tomatoes, bacon and house potato is simply divine. You poke the egg and its yolk sinfully scatters around the crepe. Each bite of this dish is a sure ticket to food heaven.
If it’s meat that you like for breakfast, the fresh corned beef with eggs (served with house potato and panini bread) or steak with eggs (250 grams of sirloin steak and served with toasted tomato, house potato and panini) is just for you. The fresh corned beef is so tender and lip-smacking that it melts in the mouth. The sirloin steak is just super and superb for a hearty breakfast.
What’s with the ambience at Breakfast at Antonio’s that even partaking of the two-stack pancakes or the plain waffle (with blueberry, raspberry or strawberry whipped cream) in this restaurant becomes a celebration of sorts? The place is paradisiacal enough to enjoy better heavenly creations from its kitchen.
After five years, Tonyboy decided to bring last May his breakfast place very close to his Antonio’s restaurant. Breakfast at Antonio’s is now located at the back of the equally famous Antonio’s — sharing the same gated entrance, the same gardens. And talk about the well-manicured gardens of the place (replete with the much-coveted Indonesian grass) … Tonyboy says Breakfast at Antonio’s is also open for weekday weddings. Did I say that many a romantic nook abounds in the lush and luxurious property?
It’s called Breakfast at Antonio’s but the truth of the matter is the restaurant is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. High-noon specialties include seared Angus sirloin steak with herbed butter sauce and vinegar potato fries; baked chicken stuffed with herbs and cheese and served with tagliatelle; rosemary paprika roast chicken with rock salt potato fries; and pork barbecue with peanut rice.
There are also sandwiches and pizzas. A must-try is the thin-crust, 12-inch mushroom pizza with Fontina cheese and button, shiitake and Portobello mushrooms. Slather a slice with the rich chili oil and you are sure to finish the whole thing. I’m not kidding!
For some sweet endings, you have a choice: bread, butter and fig pudding, flourless chocolate cake or Nutella pizza. I’m sure they are all good but I chose to go back to the very first thing that was written on the restaurant’s extensive menu: homemade yogurt in a glass topped with lemon curd. The yogurt cleansed my palate and made me ready to eat again.
I’m saving another hearty appetite for my next visit.
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Breakfast at Antonio’s is located at Brgy. Neogan, Tagaytay City. For reservations, call 0918-899-2866, 0917-899-2866 or (046) 413-0975.
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E-mail the author at bumbaki@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter @bum_tenorio.