Sunnies Café
Unit 748, Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City
Open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
(SPOT.ph) Sunnies CafĂ© has been a brunch go-to since they first opened their doors in July 2016 with their BGC branch. Their palette of neutral tones and minimalist furniture make for a familiar aesthetic: one that also means menu items that taste just as good as they look. And as much as catching brunch is great, there are days when you have to start early. It can feel like a chore—and the best thing you can do to get your day started is to fill your belly.Â
"For a long time, we’ve been planning to expand to breakfast,” says brand manager Ally Javier. She shares that the folks behind Sunnies Café have been wanting to create a selection of dishes made especially for the morning crowd in search of breakfast classics. According to Javier, the menu takes inspiration from the directors of Sunnies Café and their favorite breakfast places.
This new menu is exclusive to their BGC branch and is only available from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. every day. Instead of dreading early morning call times, you might just set your alarm to wake up in time to catch these.
Rice is an integral part of the Filipino breakfast, and we get why you'd be looking for it to start your day. Their Corned Beef Bowl (P240) offers a different take on the usual—it's a corned beef hash with onions: two fried crispy discs of meat topped with deep-fried wontons to add a slight salty crunch. This bowl is served with garlic rice because really, not having sinangag for breakfast just doesn't make sense.
If you're in the mood for a Spanish breakfast, try their Arroz Ala Cubana Bowl (P210), which has sweet ground meat with a liberal sprinkling of raisins and a sunny-side-up egg on a bed of brown rice. Two banana croquettes top the dish, replacing the usual pan-fried saba slices.
Their Crispy Bacon Bowl (P170) is generous with strips of bacon drizzled with savory gravy that goes well with the garlic rice and egg. You'll feel the crunch in every bite. Cutting back on rice might be part of your New Year's resolutions, but it's impossible to do so with this one. Trust us, we tried.
There are a lot of breakfast staples to be had but it can get difficult to decide exactly what you want, so why not have a little bit of everything? Their Full English Breakfast (P320) doesn't skimp on the good stuff: a full plate of crisp bacon slices, garlic and mushrooms, stewed beans, brioche toast, and potato cake greet you as the order arrives to your table. You can have the eggs for this dish cooked any which way you want, too.
If you just want eggs for breakfast, the Spinach and Mushroom Omelette (P220) is just as hearty as any meal. You can taste the gooey melted cheese with every bite, with the medley of mushrooms, onion, garlic, and spinach tucked in the folds of fluffy egg adding another dimension of flavor to the usual omelette. Have some brioche toast and side salad to complete your meal.
There are some days when you want to go for a lighter, healthier option that can still fill your belly. For something refreshing, try their Acai Bowl (P380), which has bananas, apples, mangoes, and strawberries laid on a mix of acai juice, non-fat milk, avocado, and berries. They also have the Greek Yoghurt Bowl (P260), which features the same sliced fruits over a greek yoghurt base. Both bowls look too pretty to eat: Each one is finished with a flower fashioned out of mango slices and a sprinkling of sweet granola to add crunch to every spoonful.
Pancakes are as breakfast as you can get, but they've added a savory twist to the classic. Their Sausage and Pancakes (P260/half, P310/whole) features two hefty, soft pancakes topped with bacon bits, a sunny-side-up egg, and sausage. The sweetness of the syrup and the salty yet slightly spicy sausage makes for an interesting party in your mouth. The result is just the right balance of two different but complementary tastes. The crisp bacon bits also add a nice contrast to the fluffy pancake.
Savory dishes might not be your thing—they also have something for your sweet tooth: The Brioche French Toast (P290) is a classic done right. A plate has three slices of brioche toast with whipped cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, and caramelized strawberries and bananas. The toast itself is firm and golden brown and each mouthful has just the right creaminess to it. Here's a tip: Have a bite with a slice of strawberry—the acidity cuts right through the rich, sweet flavor of the toast.
For those in need of caffeine to jumpstart their day, try their bestseller: the Flat White (P140). Milky without drowning out the robust roast of coffee, this drink can energize you to start your day right.
Waking up early can sometimes feel like a drag but when you have something to look forward to, it's not so bad. Sunnies Café is yet to add their breakfast menu to other branches, but if you ever find yourself in BGC one early morning, you might just want to stop by here first.
Photos by Vincent Coscolluela
