Brunch at Maharlika

interior

interior

table setting

traditional sauces

Maharlika name means “royalty” in tagalog and it has been on my radar ever since i first got a taste of filipino food at Grill 21.  on a rare off-day, i was joined by a sorority sister for a delightful president’s day brunch.  my sorority sister Kim is of filipino descent and she has recently moved to NYC for work.  it was great to see her and i couldn’t feel happier for her, as she was able to pursue her dreams and made them come true. 

the restaurant is quite low-key and i was immediately greeted by a super friendly guy when i entered.  i sat at the table by the window (loved it!) and browsed the menu while Kim makes her way to EV.  the menu was quite witty and i chuckled when it offered NY water for the low, low price of free.  haha.  i opted for the sizzling sisig and Kim went for Maharlika’s signature dish, chicken and ube waffle.

Filipino Pride Chicken ‘N’ Ube Waffle Flourless Filipino-style fried chicken, ube “Prince-worthy” purple waffle, macapuno jam, anchovy bagoong garlic chive compound butter

the fried chicken was juicy and the waffles were simply out of this world.  it was slightly sweet, soft, and served as the perfect counterpoint to the savory fried chicken.  hmmm, i’m still thinking about it as i write this.  yummy!

Pampangan-Style Sizzling Sisig with Egg Pig ears, snout, cheek, belly (cooked 3 times—boiled, grilled, sautéed), with sibuyas, garlic, lemon. Served on a sizzling plate with garlic rice

garlic rice (sinangag)

the sizzling sisig is served with a raw egg and mixed-up in the sizzling hot plate tableside.  the sisig, though nicely seasoned, was a bit tough to chew.  the chunks of meat was quite dry and making it less-than-desirable. some of my favorite components of sisig were the crispy pig’s ear, belly, and pork skin, all of which were hard to find in the dish.  compared to Grill 21′s sisig, Maharlika’s version dulled in comparison.  however, the garlic rice saved the day.  it had crispy garlic bits, savory, fragrant, and i just couldn’t stop eating it.

brunch spread

overall, great service, decent food, charming spot, i had a great time catching up with Kim here.  if you go to Maharlika, remember that they’re cash-only.

Maharlika

111 1st Ave
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village

(646) 392-7880

http://www.maharlikanyc.com/

The Sunburnt Calf

the sunburnt calf is part of an australian restaurant chain called Moolife Group and they’re a gastropub known for serving up aussie food with lots of booze.  Christian and i planned a day of fun on the UWS and we figured that we could start with brunch at the Calf.

dining room

table setting

the restaurant doesn’t accept reservations and we showed up about 1/2 hour after they opened thinking that we would have no trouble getting a table.  wrong!  we waited for about 40 minutes to get seated.  we were led through the dark, narrow bar and out to a brightly-lit sun room.  it felt like we were eating at someone’s backyard.  haha.  the place was already filled with guests in their 20s and from what i can tell, already quite boozed up from the Calf’s endless-drinks.  the menu features standard brunch fares, for $10 more, you can have your meal with endless drinks (mimosa, bloody mary, greyhounds, and screwdrivers).  since we were gonna visit the Museum of Natural History later, we opted for the booze-free brunch.  in hindsight, it was a great idea.  

Hamburger with The Lot
lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, bacon, egg, pineapple, beets

the ingredients are a mouthful and it packed a huge flavor punch.  we loved the sweet pineapple, beets that offset the heavy bacon, cheese, and the beef patty.  it was delicious and the fries were quite good.

The Heart Stopper
grilled hanger steak, 2 poached eggs, crispy onion & bacon, hollandaise

i went on a (mostly) carb-free binge.  haha.  i asked to have my steak cooked medium, the steak was quite thin and overcooked.  it tasted bland and not very memorable.  poached eggs were fine, onion strings tasted stale, i think the only fresh part about the meal was the green salad.  but c’mon, no one goes out for brunch just to have a good salad.  haha.

our brunch spread

when our check arrived, it came with complimentary lemon drop shots.  okay, but hey, it’s free.  good burger, average steak, okay service, very loud crowd, and definitely not worth the long wait.  this place is for those who were hungover and just looking to eat okay food and wash it down with more booze.  meh, i’m not a fan.  there are much better brunch options in NYC and i don’t mind waiting for them.

The Sunburnt Calf

226 W 79th St
(between Amsterdam Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10024
Neighborhood: Upper West Side

(646) 823-9255

http://thesunburntcalf.com/

Back Again at the Brindle Room

After the snow storm last Friday, Spring had briefly made an appearance in NYC and we took advantage of the beautiful sunny Saturday with brunch!  oh how i’ve missed it so!      the Brindle Room has a very special spot in my heart and i’ve always wanted it to share it with ppl (though not too many ppl, i’m afraid the restaurant being so popular that food and quality will go downhill, not to mention i won’t be able to snatch a seat.  haha.  call me selfish!)  this time, i brought Christian here and does he like it?  gotta read on for the verdict!  

a typewriter by the window, very cool.

i had made a reservation for 2:30, Christian was running late and the staff was nice enough to hold it for about 20 minutes, but still, MTA was being lame and he didn’t show up until 30 minutes later.  boo!

chocolate hazelnut (left) and salted caramel (right) donut

i’ve lusted after the salted caramel donuts for months and finally got my hands on them!  yay.  they’re just as good as i remember, warm, made-to-order, drizzled with buttery caramel.  i’ve also tried the chocolate hazelnut (coated with almond slices), good but the salted caramel definitely took the cake.

 

SEBASTIAN’S STEAKHOUSE BURGER
Caramelized onion, pickle, fires.

Christian is a burger connoisseur and i’ve always wanted to bring him here since they have a reputation for serving one of the best burgers in NYC.  the burger is made with a thick beef patty, topped with choice of cheese (american, swiss, and etc..) and caramelized onions.  the patty was thick, juicy, meaty, flavorful; the cheese and sweet caramelized onions were great toppings.  we have also paid extra to add bacon to the burger, yummy!  however, the buns were not up to par, it fell apart midway through the meal.  i think it would’ve been better if they served it on a heartier bread, brioche or english muffin (surprise, surprise, english muffins actually make good burger buns.) perhaps?  the fries were thicker-cut, crispy, and not too greasy.

BISCUITS & GRAVY Bacon, poached eggs

perfectly cooked poached eggs

i was homesick and wanted southern food; the Brindle Room delivered.  my biscuits and gravy was delicious!  the gravy was creamy, rich, loaded with sausage chunks, though more black pepper would be even better.  the biscuits were tender and buttery, however, a bit lukewarm.  bacon was crispy, poached eggs were perfectly cooked, the beautiful yoke oozes out slowly as i cut through it.  it was a flavorful bite.   Christian thought it was a good, hearty choice, “bacon, sausage, gravy, biscuit, perfect breakfast to have it all!”  my friend Cristofer, who went there on the same day and got the same dish, loved it and raved that it was one of the best brunch he ever ate; and that he almost “licked his plate clean!”  though there were minor flaws, Brindle Room’s biscuits and gravy somewhat alleviated my homesickness.  

our yummy brunch spread

house-made hot sauce

the hot sauce was one of the highlights of our meal.  it was smoky, sassy, and gives you a HUGE kick when you least expected it.  like the label suggested, we put it on everything and it instantly made everything taste even better.  the gravy started to have more character, the salty bacon had a different profile, and dipped with fries, delicious!  the restaurant sells it for $6 a bottle, i think i should get one when i visit them next time.  haha.

great staff as always, awesome food, and i always look forward to my next visit.  

Brindle Room

277 E 10th St
(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City

(212) 529-9702

http://brindleroom.com/

 

 

 

Brunch at Westville (Chelsea)

storefront

storefront

outdoor seating

brunch is one of my absolute favorite thing to do on weekends, can’t really think of anything else better than sleeping in, rolling out of bed, going to brunch with some good company.  brindle room in east village is my go-to spot for brunch, but since we will be hanging out in the West Side, i thought it would be a perfect opportunity to try something new.

bar

bar

bar

bar

Westville has three locations in NYC, serving up no-frills, homey, organic, healthy food in a unpretentious setting.  they don’t take reservations and they do tend to get busy, but don’t worry, it’s a short wait.  about 15 minutes after we left our name, we were seated at the bar and greeted by the friendly and upbeat bartenders.

menu

-other than the regular menu, they also have a handwritten menu of the seasonal specials, produce, and desserts.

three egg scramble with chorizo, roasted peppers, organic spinach, field greens, and portuguese muffn

three egg scramble

-hm, where do i begin?  more than likely, i hit a writer’s block because a dish is so perfect that there’s nothing to pick at.  lol.  the eggs were fluffy, tender (rubbery eggs, no thanks.), moist (prolly made with a splash of milk or cream).  roasted peppers, spinach, and chorizo were perfectly cooked, and tasted fresh.  the egg platters came with a choice of toast and salad or potato hash, i picked the salad to round out the meal.  the salad was dressed with a simple vinaigrette.  i asked for rye toast but got Portuguese muffin instead, no complaints here though.  the Portuguese muffins were buttered and toasted, it was crispy, tender, and great for scooping up the scrambled eggs.

three egg scramble with bacon, sausage, and organic spinach, potato hash, and rye toast

-my friend Chris’ plate, he liked everything too.  in his words, the sausage was cured just right and the potato hash was delicious.

our food

cappuccino in the making

 

cappuccino in the making

-i apologize for the blurry pics, but i was very excited to see the drinks being made in front of me.  i always love sitting in front of a bar or open kitchen, watching how every dish or drink is prepared.  i mean, we eat with our eyes, don’t we?  

Westville is one of those places where i can’t wait to plan my next visit as soon as i took my first bite.  the place is homey, full of energy, with friendly staff and delicious food.  though the brindle room has a special place in my heart, Westville may be a close, close second after all.  

Westville

246 W 18th St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10011
Neighborhood: Chelsea

(212) 924-2223

http://westvillenyc.com/

 

Brindle Room – 2nd Visit

had to take Cristofer here because he saw pics of the french toast and wanted to try it too.  

salted caramel donuts

-amazing donuts!  Cristofer and i had to take a moment to ourselves to fully embrace the salted caramel sauce and tender donuts.  we loved these.

CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST
Banana, nutella

-Cristofer loved them!  

Pork Confit Hash

Pork Confit Hash

-yummy pork confit, with potatoes in a rich, flavorful sauce.  the poached eggs were perfectly cooked as well.  the portion was huge and i could barely finish it.

another satisfying visit, loved the salted caramel donuts, service is prompt and friendly as usual.

Brindle Room

277 E 10th St
(between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009
Neighborhoods: East Village, Alphabet City

(212) 529-9702

http://brindleroom.com/