Before heading home, by coincidence, cousins and I ended up at the newly renovated and renamed cafe at Bloomfield Hotel, the Patch Cafe. Forgot what it used to be called but I do remember what it used to look like. In all fairness, the renovations plus new concept and chic decors changed the atmosphere. Along with the change in space is the change in the menu items and service. All better. Much, much better from what I remember dining there some two years ago.
Their sweet Cappuccino
Was handed the menu of 3 print-out pages on a clipboard. Cute. Selection range includes all-day brunch, sandwiches, pasta dishes and hot and cold beverages. A true cafe. Nice. Although, not on the menu are their displayed selections of cakes, cupcakes and pastries, which i didn’t notice ’til later. Note to self: need to check those out another time…
While sipping my cappuccino, I checked out more of the menu and thought, “I’m hungry”. Among the sandwich choices, the “Bleu Burger” stood out. According to the menu, it’s their “signature beef burger…” and what made it “bleu” (french for the “blue”) was the blue cheese infused into it. Interesting, yeah?
Served in a grilled store-bought burger bun (no judgement, just an observation) with fresh vegetables and a simply dressed potato salad on the side, I’d say it’s one of the good and tasty burgers I’ve had. Juicy, seasoned just right, filling and you can say it’s freshly made – no “frozen patty” vibe. I’m sure the blue cheese was in there somewhere, but since it’s mixed in with other ingredients, the blue cheese-ness was toned down, which I think is fine. Blue cheese can be overpowering, sometimes. What i appreciated on that plate, in general, is the simplicity and honesty. It’s a burger and the burger stands out, as it should.
No added grease or condiments, no fluff, no messy sauce…I like!.
Went back two days after to meet with friends. It’s a nice and convenient hangout spot and was kind of impressed with the burger, so, I wanted to try more of their picks. This time, had brunch…at 1 in the afternoon. It’s unhealthy, I know.
Eggs Benedict, in the strict sense, is poached egg served with bacon on an english muffin and hollandaise sauce (savory, thick, creamy, butter-based sauce). Haven’t had eggs benedict in a while, so i tried the “Patch Benedict” – their version of it. This time, it came as a poached egg served with bacon and lettuce on a perfectly toasted slice of good bread and delightfully cheesy sauce. Although I found the egg a bit overcooked, I still enjoyed the balance of velvety yolk with crisp bacon, cheese sauce-soaked bread and the lettuce gives a refreshing effect to every fork-full (which I devoured with gusto).
Also, Benedicts are not as common breakfast menu items around town, so, in a way, this was a treat!
I asked my companion to order the “Chili Tuyo Pasta”. It’s the item on the pasta menu that wasn’t common. I thought of ordering for myself but I was already full from my own plate, so, I asked him to get it so I can have a taste off of his. Thank God for enablers! Haha!
Has local zing and zang, this one. Love it! Although, would have liked it more with garlic bread (hint, hint)
Visually, it’s linguine pasta in olive oil with flaked tuyo, chili flakes, topped with Parmasean cheese and slivered green onions. On the tongue, it’s a delightful bit more. Simple as it is, pasta dressed with oil tend to turn out with a greasy feel. I was happy that this was not. It’s neutral pasta, salty tuyo and parmasean, spice coming from the chili flakes and a dash of chili may have been infused into the olive oil. Could feel the tingle on the lips. But wait, there’s more and it’s a kicker. It’s subtle, but the tangy-ness of lime pops up wonderfully. I loved the blend of honest flavors in this!
A nice and hip hangout for small groups, pairs or for individuals to just sit and chill. It’s right smack in the middle of town so, it’s convenient. I like that each dish I’ve had, so far, had no pretensions and didn’t try too hard. It was refreshing. The build-up of expectations was subtle, it was impressive. Nicely played!
Like stitches, I hope they keep it consistent, to keep the patch in place.
(Krish note: Notice the awesome writing on this one? I could only do a fraction of what’s done here – and that’s me being optimistic 🙂 Thanks to my favorite eating buddy (Chef) Aguinaya for this post. We indeed are happy to have Aguinaya write more delicious posts on Eats in Baguio.)