Yes, it may be quite a trip from the downtown area but having breakfast at Karlo’s Gourmet and Coffee in Matina is quite a treat with city’s skyline seen from its windows.
Located inside the compound at Jack’s Ridge, Shrine Hills, Matina, Chef Karlo Mercado is offering a new breakfast menu to its diners who are looking for a good meal in the morning.
A week ago, we were invited to try the dishes prepared by Chef Karlo.
- Mangosteen Frappuccino
While waiting for our breakfast to be served, they served us the Mangosteen Frappuccino. I’ve had coffee with durian before and this flavor combination was pleasantly nice.
Our meal started with the Breakfast Bruschetta, which is toasted bread rubbed with cream cheese, seasoned tomatoes and herbs then topped with poached eggs. It is drizzled with their own pesto sauce and crispy sweet potatoes on the side.
This is a personal favorite of mine. A very simple dish but delicious. I just love how the egg yolk coated the toasted bread after it was cut open. I also liked the freshness and sweetness you get from the tomatoes. The pesto sauce was the cherry on top for me as it tied everything together. The dish was bright and tasty.
I can’t shake off the taste of the Breakfast Bruschetta. Everytime I looked at its picture or think about it, I can still remember how it tastes. In short, I just love it.
Next on the table was the Chorizo Skillet, which is traditional Filipino style pork sausage simmered with their home-made tomato sauce and topped with egg, roasted pomiento, and mozzarella cheese.
Then we had their version of the Waffles and Chicken, which was drizzled with maple syrup. I also enjoyed this dish. The sweet aroma from the waffles was so good and the taste did not also disappoint as it tasted great.
The Fresh Toast with Banana was served next. The French Toast was really good and it was moist but not soggy.
Then we had Karlo’s Full Breakfast, which includes honey cured bacon strips, egg, hash browns, saute’d shetaki mushroom, tomatoes, and toasted French bread with a side of strawberry jam and butter. For those who are looking to start their breakfast with a bang, this one is for you. Just by looking at it, it is one tummy filling meal.
Next on the eating block is the Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwich, which is smoked salmon, cream cheese, tomatoes and salad greens dressed with orange balsamic vinaigrette sandwiched in a bagel.
Then we were served the Morning Croissant, which is filled with ham, runny egg, tomatoes, and their special aioli sauce. It is served with a side of salad greens and sweet potato chips.
We were then served the Tropical Overnight Oats which is topped with slices of banana, mango, apples, and oranges. To be honest, I was least excited about this dish because of how it looked and I was expecting the oats to be bland. Then I had a spoonful of it. Then I had another and another and another. This was really delicious for an oatmeal! The oats were milky and the fruits gave it the right amount of sweetness it needed. It was good.
The Daing na Bangus was then served. The dish is marinated milkfish, pan fried then served with garlic fried rice topped with egg and paired with cucumber salad.
Lastly, we were served Pancakes. I love pancakes and I am very much excited about the cafe’s take on this. Presentation wise, it looked really good but at the same time it seemed odd because it does not look like the pancakes we are familiar with. But the moment I took a bite of it, I wanted more. It was delicious, fluffy, and I am loving this dish.
Of all the dishes, I was not able to get a bite of the Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwich and the Daing na Bangus but based on what we had, these two would also taste great.
When we thought the breakfast was already done, Chef Karlo surprised us with at Triple Chocolate Mousse. It was beautiful! We were then given slices of the cake, which has white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. This cake is delicious! The mousse was smooth and I love how it was not very sweet.
The dishes at Karlo’s Gourmet and Coffee were great overall; not because this was an invited meal but because the food were simply good.
I still can’t get over the simplicity and how good the Breakfast Bruschetta was. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I just can’t stop speaking about how much I love it. The Breakfast Bruschetta is my type of partner, simple yet elegant and flavorful (char). 😉
I’m rambling already. Anyway, I guess it is now time to make a trip back to Jack’s Ridge and try the dishes Karlo’s Gourmet and Coffee has to offer.