Wild about Wildflour

I am guessing that at least half of you have heard of this newest place in town. And I am guessing too that probably, more than 10 people reading this have been here. Yes, I am talking about the newest It restaurant in Manila, the latest place to see and be seen, the brand-new and wildly popular WILDFLOUR CAFE + BAKERY at the burgeoning Bonifacio Global City.

Unlike most restaurants out there that just become famous because of the marketing hype the owners have created around it, this is one restaurant that’s more than that. Actually, if there’s one thing they don’t need anymore of right now, it’s the hype. They are too popular that they are always fully booked! Almost everyone – from the big foodies to the ladies-who-lunch to the busy yuppies to the young models slash fashionistas of today – almost everyone is here!

No such thing as a quiet day here! A Monday morning is as packed as a Friday night. People come here (and come back) for its nice, casual but cozy ambience, but more importantly, for their good food. Their menu is uncomplicated and their food is simple. Dishes are hearty and filling and yet warm and comforting. I should know because The Spoiled Mummy has been here four times in four weeks even though they just opened end of July and I’ve tried almost everything on their menu! (Okay maybe not, since there’s still some that I have yet to try.)

The breakfast menu. I like that it is written on the blackboard for everyone to see.

Since this is a cafe + bakery, all their baked goods are done in-house….from their granola to their cookies and brownies…

To their blueberry loaves and chocolate gingerbread and banana muffins…

And to their cheesy cornbread…

In fact, I think their pastry display changes everyday – which is a good sign that everything here is made fresh and on a daily basis.

As soon as you settle down in your seat, you are immediately served their warm, homemade baguette and salted butter. I appreciate the fact that this is probably one of the few restaurants out there that still cares to serve their bread warm. We all know that it is common practice nowadays for restaurants to give you whatever bread and cold butter they have on hand on your table. Well, this one is an exception. Their homemade baguette is served warm, so the moment you take that first bite, you know that this place takes their baking seriously.

And they have their own salted butter too…gleaming with pride right beside that humble piece of baguette. It has just the right amount of fleur de sel sprinkled on top that makes you want to spread it right away on that warm and crusty bread.

Now, let’s get on to the food I’ve tried here so far…Remember, I’ve had four visits – so there’s definitely a lot of food here!

TARTE FLAMBE with CARAMELIZED ONIONS, BRIE CHEESE and APPLE.

This dish is delicious as it looks. I love how it is presented on a flat wooden board. It’s a very popular dish and I think I must have seen it in almost every table in the restaurant every time I’m there.

The crust of this Tarte Flambe is perfectly thin, light and crispy. The apple chunks and brie cheese toppings are just the right combination of sweet and salty. And the arugula on top is always fresh and adds that nutty flavor.

You can tell they don’t scrimp on ingredients here. Check out that thick slice of brie on that thin crust!

This is their other TARTE FLAMBE. This one has CARAMELIZED ONIONS, BACON and GRUYERE CHEESE.

Again, the crust has the same texture as the first one…thin, light and crispy. But this variety packs more flavor and is especially good for all bacon lovers out there. And we are not talking about the usual strips of bacon here… this is the real deal! These are big and chunky pieces of pork bacon that lay beautifully on top of your very thin, flaky crust!

See what I mean when I say their crust is thin, light and crispy?

ARUGULA SALAD WITH FRIED EGG, CHOPPED BACON and GRATED CHEESE.

The greens here are fresh, the egg is fried just right, their bacon chunks are once again mixed in, and the cheese — oh the cheese — is just the perfect ending to an already perfect salad.

And even when the salad was already cut up and divided amongst 4 people, it still looked and tasted good!

This is their other salad. I would say, this is the more traditional one. GREENS with CARAMELIZED WALNUTS, GOAT’S CHEESE and MANGO VINAIGRETTE.

I didn’t like this salad as much as the previous one, because I know this is something I can make at home. But for those of you who like their salad with some chopped fruits and cheese, then this could be your best bet.

RED SNAPPER with ASPARAGUS, BROWN BUTTER, LEMON and CAPERS.

This dish was ordered by a friend of mine who didn’t want to eat meat that day. I tried it (of course) and is quite simple and light in taste but still okay.  I guess this was added on the menu for all those who don’t eat meat or for those who are always watching their diet…well, obviously, that’s not for The Spoiled Mummy! 🙂

CALIFORNIA BURGER with CHEDDAR CHEESE, CARAMELIZED ONIONS and BRIOCHE BUN.

 You know when the burger meat is cooked just right if when you bite into it, the juices still come out. This burger is that, and it is perfectly complemented by the sharpness of the cheddar cheese and the sweetness of the caramelized onions.

But if you ask me what really makes this burger great? It is their homemade BRIOCHE BUN!  Yes, the burger bun that they use here is not your typical bun that is found in most supermarkets and bakeries out there (you know, the ones that look and taste like white flour). This is a Brioche Bun that they make themselves, it’s sweeter and softer than the usual and is packed with flavor that you can actually eat on its own!

See what I mean when I say the burger is cooked just right?

I appreciate the fact that they asked me first how I would like my burger to be done…shows you their attention to service as well. As with most burgers, the best is always to have it done medium or medium well (at least for those who really can’t take the sight of “blood” in their food.) My burger was cooked well on the outside, but the inside was cooked medium so the juice of the burger remained and the meat didn’t toughen nor dry up.

I hear that this is one of Wildflour’s best-sellers. And why not, the burger is juicy, the brioche bread is soft and tasty. I can say that this is probably one of Manila’s best burgers to date!

This next dish is another favorite of mine…CROQUE MADAME with HOMEMADE BRIOCHE, HAM, GRUYERE CHEESE and FRIED EGG.

Once again, the star of the show here is their homemade brioche. Any sandwich that uses homemade bread is a major plus for me. And because Wildflour bakes their own bread, they can make sure that the quality, taste and texture of their baked goods are always consistent and done right.

This photo shows you that they do know how to cook their eggs! Mind you, not all restaurants know how to fry eggs. Yes, it is one of the simplest dishes to make but I still find a lot of places (especially those who claim to be breakfast or brunch spots) make that mistake of over cooking or over frying eggs!

I like mine exactly like this – the yolk is soft and runny and the egg white around it is just subtly formed.

(I am in love with a lot of egg dishes that I can eat them any time of day. I’ve actually written about another egg dish that I so love in this previous post here.)

 Even though this Croque Madame is part of their breakfast menu, I’ve had this for both lunch and dinner. Yes, it’s that good, it doesn’t matter what time of day I have it -because I know my stomach cannot tell the difference anyway. 🙂

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIB with MASHED POTATO and RED WINE SAUCE.

This dish is typically ordered by the men in our group. But always, the ladies end up finishing them! The meat is tender, it easily falls off the bone with just one prick of the fork. The red wine sauce is not too little nor is it too much (I don’t really like my meat swimming in sauce!) and the mashed potato is not your usual bland kind of potato, because this one tastes light and creamy but good.

ROAST CHICKEN with POTATO, ROASTED SHALLOTS and CHICKEN JUS.

This is a simple Roast Chicken dish with just the right amount of flavor. Nothing overpowering. Not too oily nor saucy. This is good for those people who like to eat “light”.

BAKED ESCARGOT with GARLIC BUTTER and PUFF PASTRY.

Beautifully presented dish and best eaten while still warm.

This is for those who love to start with something small. This is not really my kind of dish since I’m not a big fan of escargot…I also like my dishes hearty and filling, even though they are just my appetizers 🙂

The escargot up close and personal. I think he (or she) was hiding from me! 🙂

“BAHN MI” SLIDERS made of CRISPY PORK, CHILI and BRIOCHE.

These are 3 small but wonderful delights that just spell I -WANT- YOU! This is part of their appetizer menu, but if you can finish all 3 of them in one sitting (and I’m sure you can), it can very well be your main dish.

And this is how it looks inside…the pork is actually shredded first and made into a patty, that is then enveloped by a croquette-like shell and then deep fried to give it that crunchy texture. The pork slider is then slid inside their famous homemade brioche bun that has a mixture of shredded veggies that have already been mixed in with their own chili sauce concoction. Now, multiply that goodness three times and tell me if you can spell I-WANT-YOU again!

MACARONI and CHEESE.

A very simple and basic dish that must always be done right. It is a classic, but when cooked perfectly becomes special. Wildflour’s version is creamy, cheesy and good…my kids have definitely put their stamp of approval on this one. (And believe me they’re even harder to please than their Spoiled Mummy.)

Now on to the even more exciting part of the meal, the DESSERTS!! (You know The Spoiled Mummy cannot end this post without showing you the desserts, right? :))

Photo above shows you their VALRHONA CHOCOLATE POT AU CREME.

This is pure chocolate-y goodness. If you love chocolate and you like it dark like I do, then you will surely fall in love with this one. When you scoop it up with your teaspoon, you will see that it’s rich, thick and heavy –  a sight that just tempts you to lick your spoon right away – no kidding!!

(And if you’re still unaware of my deep love and connection for all things Chocolate, click here and here.)

YUZU CHEESECAKE.

Light and cheesy. Sweet, tangy and citrusy. It can very well be called Lemon Cheesecake. This is for those who can’t take too much chocolate. (Okay, so we know that’s not me.) But even though this doesn’t have a tiny sprinkling of chocolate in it, I would still order this again… but it will act more like as a “side dish”  to my other dessert, also known as my Chocolate dessert. 🙂

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM PIE.

Lovely layers of graham crust, mashed bananas, peanut butter and cream. A dessert that’s worth every calorie! (My secret wish though is that they add more peanut butter here…because who doesn’t love a thick spread of peanut butter on their bananas and graham crackers?)

 If you must know too, The Spoiled Mummy is in love with anything that has Peanut Butter. I am currently doing my “food research” on the best Peanut Butter desserts…so to all you Peanut Butter lovers out there, watch out for that! 🙂

NUTTY CHOCOLATE COFFEE PIE.

This pie has crushed Chocolate biscuits for its base, then topped with coffee and ice cream! Yes, it is an ice cream pie as well! So really, what’s there not to love? This is perfect for those people who like to combine their chocolate with coffee (or vice versa)- which is okay, me again. (Well you already had me at the mere mention of Chocolate there!)

So for me, it’s actually a toss between these two beauties! They’re equally good, but in their own sweet, distinct way.

CARAMEL ICE CREAM (ala BANANA SPLIT??)

This is not part of their usual dessert menu, that’s why there are question marks there. But once when I was there, I craved for some ice cream to go with my other desserts…so I asked the waitress if they have any on the menu, and she said there’s none. But like an angel that suddenly appeared in front of me, another waitress approached our table and said,  “But we can make one for you, Ma’am!” Now that’s what I call attentive service! And so in a few minutes time, out came this miracle baby – a tall clear glass with 2 scoops of glistening Caramel ice cream shouting my name, surrounded by sliced bananas and homemade chocolate brownie chunks!

And as if those desserts mentioned above were not enough, (and mind you, all of them were delicious and really worth it), I am ending this post with yet another dessert, the one that has ultimately won my heart…

Ladies and Gents, presenting the best SALTED CHOCOLATE CAKE in town!

This is the restaurant’s latest creation! This is their newest dessert that was just launched on the day I happened to be there. So I guess, you can say that we were really meant for each other! And The Spoiled Mummy is more than happy of course, to finally meet her perfect match 🙂

I’ve had so many chocolate cakes in my life (believe me) but this is THE RIGHT ONE.

This is not just any other Chocolate cake. And this is neither a Chocolate brownie nor a Flourless kind of baked Chocolate (those are totally different from each other!), but this is your traditional cake that makes use of flour and butter and that needs to rise just perfectly.  It may look simple yes, but to make it as soft, moist and delicious as this one, is really the challenge for most bakers out there. How many times have I tried a Chocolate cake that looks so good and beautiful on the outside because of its rich, glossy frosting, but is actually dry and tasteless on the inside?

This debutante right here is just right. The cake itself is pillowy soft, the chocolate icing on top and in between the layers have just the right chocolate-y flavor in them – not too sweet nor too buttery in taste – and the fleur de sel on top (and I can taste a tiny sprinkling too in between the layers) add just the right amount of saltiness to this sweet, oh so moist and delicious Chocolate cake. We were really destined to meet that day. This is my heaven in a slice!

WILDFLOUR CAFE + BAKERY is worth all that hype and much more. Rarely do we come across a restaurant such as this that not only has a nice, cozy ambience that makes you want to stay and linger, but is also a place that makes you want to come back to try everything on the menu!

 As a big foodie, I am always on the lookout for new and exciting food concepts and restaurants out there.  My only wish is that more places like this will open in the Metro. Don’t you think Manila is more than ready for them?

WILDFLOUR CAFE + BAKERY  

Net Lima Building, 26th street corner 4th avenue

tel no +632-856-7600