Sumptuous Sundays: Hatch 22 Cafe And Bakery

Oh, why must I always forget my digital camera when I'm having my best pig- out moments?! LOL. Maybe I should start bringing it with me everyday since I have this tendency to pig- out everyday anyway? Haha!

So again, pardon the crappy photos. Our restaurant for today is Hatch 22 Cafe And Bakery.

PRICE RANGE: Soup starts at P180.00; Salad starts at P290.00; Main Course starts at P290.00; Dessert starts at P90.00

Hatch 22 is just one of Chef/Blogger/Endorser Erwan Heussaf's many babies. If you follow The Fat Kid Inside, you know that he is into making healthy food look, sound, and taste appetizing with his kitchen skills, thus all his restaurants offer healthy, whole, yummy food options and with a bit of cheat meals on the side. Erwan believes that the right way of eating is to eat healthy all the time, but know when and how to treat yourself too-I agree with this wholeheartedly.

Off- topic: Erwan started with Blogging and that makes me super proud! :D

Hatch 22, seems to me, is inspired by Eastern and Western Continental cuisine as it offers anything and everything from Asian Salad, American- style breakfast, Filipino fare, French food, and more, and with Erwan's personal touch.

I remember, when Hatch 22 first opened to the public, it was HORRIBLE: Service was reaaaallly slow, almost everything on the menu was always out of stock, and the waiters weren't warm and friendly. After my third unpleasant visit during their first few months, I decided to not come back for a couple of months and that's what I did. When I went back just last year, they were finally doing MUCH BETTER and the food choices got better too.

Let's check out Hatch 22's best- sellers after the break.

French Onion Soup

- This is a nice and rich Onion Soup-it's a tad bit buttery and I liked it! That disc in the middle is called a cheese toastie, a piece of toasted bread covered in what seems like Gruyere cheese-I like the controlled portion of the bread! :D

Chicken Quinoa Salad

- Boy, this is one of the best salads I've ever had. I love how its taste evolves from light, salty, sweet, sour, to savory every time you chew on it-it tastes so "colorful", if you get what I mean. It's like this salad is telling you that "Healthy can taste THIS good too". 

Btw, this salad is really healthy as it has Organic Quinoa, a super grain, Orange slices, grilled Chicken breast, Beet slices, Feta Cheese, Balsamic Onions, and Tomatoes-I always order this salad when I dine in here.

Steak Frites

- Hanger steak with Browned Butter Brocolli and Parmesan Potato Fries. This is sooo good! It's not oily and the steak is perfectly cooked and seasoned!

Crispy Corned Beef

- Delimondo Corned Beef deep fried into crunchy perfection. I love Hatch 22's modern twist on the classic Corned Beef Silog.

Adobo Flakes

- It's much like Crispy Corned Beef, but this time, this is pulled Chicken and Pork Adobo. Taste wise, this is richer and much more flavorful than Crispy Corned Beef, but the meat is a bit dry always-I've had this dish for like 5 times already and yup, meat is still dry to me. It's yummy nonetheless.

The Full Monty

- This is comprised of tiny hash browns, two eggs, a small bowl of beans, tomatoes, bacon, and  a sausage link. I don't know what to feel about this one because I find its portion too small considering that it's technically the good ol' giant American breakfast. The bacon was too burnt as well as the sausage link, and overall, they don't look pretty. Not sure about the choice of bread too. Next dish please!

Off Topic: Early Bird's Full English is still the undisputed giant American Breakfast for me!

White Cake

- Strawberry cheesecake frosting sandwiched in between soft, yellow sponge cake layers and finished off with white buttercream frosting and almond slivers. It's tart and lightly sugary, and tastes lovely overall.

Artisan Ensaymada

- Hatch 22 has a tiny Bakery inside the restaurant too and one of their notable baked goodies is the Artisan Ensaymada: there's Red Velvet Ensaymada, Oreo Cheesecake Ensaymada, Bacon Ensaymada, and a whole lot more. This one is Brazo Mercedes Ensaymda-it's literally Brazo De Mercedes and Ensaymada in one plate and you know what that tastes like? HEAVEN!

The Full Monty aside, my Hatch 22 Cafe and Bakery experience is now more pleasant than ever. What I love most about this restaurant is that all the savory dishes have veggies (yummy veggies at that) in them-veggies aren't really someone's first option when dining out (unless you're a vegan) and I appreciate the restaurant's conscious effort in making us eat this important yet often neglected food. On top of this, they offer super yummy wholesome food that makes you want to forget junk food! :)

Must- Try in Hatch 22 Cafe and Bakery:

1. Chicken Quinoa Salad

2. Adobo Flakes

3. Steak Frites

4. White Cake

5. Artisan Ensaymada

Hatch 22 Cafe and Bakery is located at R1, Powerplant Mall, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell, Makati City.