The last time I was in Manila, N brought me to a cosy little place in Marikina called Rustic Mornings. Tucked in a quiet suburb near the Marikina Shoe Museum, the establishment serves great food in a charming ambience surrounded by leafy greens, quirky knick knacks and an artsy mix of vintage and contemporary decor. I liked it so much that on my recent visit, I had to go again! 😀

It was a hot day but the gazebos outside were mostly taken, so we sat in the blue/white themed dining area. The decor hasn’t changed much – still cosy, like someone’s living room, filled with various decorative pieces, china, chequered coasters and beautifully tiled floors to go with the wooden furniture.

I ordered what I did the last time – Bacon, Eggs and Herbed Hash Browns. Qualitywise, it was on par with my previous visit. The eggs were, again, quite bland but I really liked the fried crusted hash browns which were crunchy and savoury. Added on a side of pork tocino, which was sweet and fatty.

N tried a new item on their menu, the gourmet hotdog with chilli con carne. The serving came open-faced with a pair of messy sunny-side up eggs and a huge pork sausage on a bed of beans, minced pork and chilli. The sausage was juicy with that slight chewiness to the skin, and the chilli con carne was packed with flavour, with bits of lean and fat mixed in. Top that with the egg and you have an excellent, sloppy-Joe-like dish. The portions were also very filling!

Now I have to wait until god-knows-when to have it again,  but I’ll be sure to pay this place a visit the next time. Sort of like an annual pilgrimage. 😛

RUSTIC MORNINGS

11 I. Mendoza St, Marikina, 1800 Metro Manila, Philippines

Phone:  +63 2 425 8610

Opening hours: 8AM-4pm (Mon-Sun)

The Marikina Church is just a stone’s throw away.

Walking around the neighbourhood. Marikina is much cleaner, with better roads and infrastructure than downtown Manila.

The local city hall.

Dinner that night at N’s house – Menudo and Sotanghon.

More of Manila to come! 🙂