Here Comes the Milkfish: IHOP Adds Filipino Breakfast Items

The Breakfast Bangus is pan fried milkfish served with a side of garlic rice and eggs (P295)

Filipino favorite fried bangus or milkfish is one of three new Filipino breakfast dishes now offered at IHOP (International House of Pancakes). The United States-grown, all-day breakfast restaurant, which is known for its pancakes, waffles and French toasts, is endearing itself more to Filipino consumers as it expands its Filipino line.
“We currently have five Filipino breakfast offerings on the menu and are excited to be offering more. It just goes to show how IHOP has made an impact on our local customers. These are distinctly Filipino dishes with IHOP-sized servings and IHOP quality,” said Archie Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of Global Restaurant Concepts Inc., the local franchise owner of IHOP. “In addition to our Filipino Breakfast lineup, which is now part of our core menu, these three new, limited edition items are about raising the bar and showing what IHOP Philippines can do in terms of innovation in respect to both IHOP International Culinary Team’s standards and our local research and development team’s creativity.”
“These items are both classic Filipino favorites, thus the name, and are very familiar to Filipino diners, but, at the same time, have the signature IHOP stamp on it,” he added.
Prominent among the new additions is the Breakfast Bangus (P295), which is the all-time favorite boneless bangus or milkfish pan-fried. It is served with garlic rice and sunny-side-up eggs. The rice servings are in IHOP proportions—satisfyingly hefty—and these Filipino dishes have linings on fresh banana leaves on the plates, an amusing touch of local color.
Another breakfast favorite is corned beef, and IHOP has Corned Beef Hash (P275), which is corned beef mixed with IHOP’s own hash browns. This is also served with garlic rice and eggs. And lastly, the Longganisa Scrambler (P250) combines the favorite local sausage, the longganisa, and a favorite way of cooking eggs — scrambled with chopped tomatoes and onions. In this scrambled egg dish, the sautéed chopped longganisa is mixed with green bell peppers and onions.
These new items beef up the restaurant’s Filipino Classics line, which was introduced last year and includes the beef tapa, which is the top-seller in this range; chicken and pork tocino; longganisa; and chicken sausage.
“These dishes were developed by IHOP Philippines’ research and development team, and our principals approved and supported them prior to launch. It’s IHOP’s commitment to innovation, to keeping things fresh, current and relevant to the market that really inspires us to push the envelope and come up with product lines that we are sure the Filipinos will love,” Rodriguez beamed.
IHOP Philippines hopes that the Filipino breakfast items will be picked by IHOP in the United States and offer in stores located in communities with a sizable Filipino population.
Meanwhile, the three new items will be available only in the Philippines and for a limited period starting today, March 31. Also being offered together with the new Filipino breakfast items are the summer treats, which are culled from IHOP’s American menu.
The Summer Treats line is offered in partnership with Nestle Philippines and Pepsi, and includes the Ice Cream Waffle Sandwich (P245), or waffles with fillings of vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips and mango ice cream mixed with cheesecake cubes, served on streaks of chocolate and vanilla sauce; Funnel Cake a la Mode (P175), six pieces of small funnel cakes topped with vanilla ice cream, and a choice of cinnamon apple compote, blueberries, or glazed strawberries, whipped cream and powdered sugar; Banana Split Sundae (P225), chocolate, vanilla and mango ice cream balls, candied pecans, and glazed strawberries in a goblet, with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and sliced bananas; and soda floats (P145), soda with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce and served on a beer mug.
These new dishes mark IHOP’s second year in the Philippines, and this milestone comes with several developments.
“We’ve been doing very well and steadily growing in the Philippines. Since IHOP’s arrival in the local dining scene, I think we can be credited with changing the way people think of their comfort food. IHOP has shown that we can enjoy this concept, that special IHOP dining experience, anytime of the day whether for breakfast, lunch, snacks, or dinner,” Rodriguez related. “To date, we now have six branches in Metro Manila, with the seventh branch soon to open at Ayala Fairview Terraces. We’ve also begun to offer in-house and on-site catering services across these branches.”
“The IHOP experience can be in homes, offices, and venues for parties or get-togethers with the menu personalized for the client. We can work with them based on their need and budget with a professional team managing the spread,” he added.
Additionally, IHOP will also be delivering food starting April 25. It has partnered with Food Panda, which operates food delivery service via a mobile phone app.
“With the launch of our delivery service, we are happy to announce that IHOP’s Fried Chicken Dinner will be available for dine in, take out and delivery in six pieces, eight pieces and 12 pieces starting May 1. This is our answer to the clamor of our guests who love our fried chicken,” Rodriguez declared.

IHOP Philippines has branches in Bonifacio Global City, UP Town Center in Katipunan, SM Mall of Asia, Century City Mall, Filinvest City in Alabang, and Araneta Center. It will be opening its seventh store in Ayala Fairview Terraces soon. Follow their social media spaces on Facebook via IHOP Philippines and Twitter and Instagram at @ihop_ph.

Corned beef sautéed with hash browns served with garlic rice and eggs (P275)

Longganisa Scrambler has scrambled eggs mixed with sautéed chopped longganisa, green bell peppers, and onions. It is served with garlic rice. (P250)

Six pieces of mini funnel cakes topped with creamy vanilla ice cream; crowned with a choice of cinnamon apple compote, blueberries, or glazed strawberries; and garnished with whipped cream and powdered sugar (P175)

Vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips and mango ice cream mixed with cheesecake cubes in between freshly made waffles. It is served on a bed of chocolate and vanilla sauce

The banana split sundae is a goblet full of chocolate, vanilla, mango ice cream balls, candied pecans, and glazed strawberries. It is drizzled with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, and garnished with sliced bananas with a cherry on top (P225).

Soda Float is soda topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. It is served on a beer mug (P145)

House of Happiness: IHOP Arrives in the Philippines

The first IHOP restaurant in the Philippines at the Bonifacio High Street

            After a couple of months since it opened, American restaurant IHOP (International House of Pancakes) still has queues, especially on weekends, attesting to its popularity and the quality of its food.

It took 10 years, the last three spent in negotiating for the franchise, before IHOP, which is famous all over the world for its pancakes, omelets and breakfast items, was brought to the Philippines by Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc. (GRCI) through its subsidiary InterDine Corp., said Archie Rodriguez, its president and chief executive officer.

“IHOP has been interested in bringing the brand to this region for a number of years; Asia-Pacific and the Philippines in particular represent an enormous opportunity for the growth of the IHOP brand over the next 10 to 20 years,” Rodriguez revealed.

“Extending the unique IHOP experience into the Asia-Pacific region has long been part of our vision,” confirmed Julia Stewart, chairman and chief executive officer of DineEquity, Inc. “But the key to achieving that goal was finding the right franchisee who had the necessary experience in the area and who shared the same commitment to excellence and putting our guests first that IHOP’s reputation has been built on. With InterDine Corp. and their parent company Global Restaurant Concepts, Inc., we have found the perfect fit to bring our restaurants to this new region and extend our global brand.”

            IHOP is a welcome addition to GRCI’s restaurant franchises, which include California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang’s and Mad for Garlic, bringing in “more mainstream, comfort food.” What is more comforting than breakfast foods. Breakfast is like a drop of sunshine, sweeping away the cobwebs of sleep and lethargy. Its smells—eggs and bacon frying, bread being toasted, refreshing orange juice, garlicky fried rice, fluffy pancakes—conjure happy memories. Breakfast fares are so popular that many people want them anytime of the day. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of restaurants offering American-style breakfast all day. Thus, the opening of the first Philippine IHOP branch was warmly welcomed, aside from the fact that the global restaurant chain has built a solid reputation for good food.

            IHOP, founded by Al and Jerry Lapin, along with early investors Al and Trudy Kallis, first opened in 1958 in the Los Angeles suburb of Toluca Lake, California, United States. After two years, the company started to expand through franchising. By 1992, there were 500 stores all throughout the United States. Average sales at that time per restaurant were more than $1 million. The following years saw IHOP restaurants popping all over the world until it reached the Philippine shores.

  

Big Steak Omelette

           With 360 square meter of floor space and two floors, the first Philippine restaurant, which can accommodate about 160 to 180 diners, was unveiled at W Global Center at the posh Bonifacio High Street in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City, wedged between California Pizza Kitchen and Mad for Garlic, a Korean-based Italian bistro.

            BGC has become a fast-rising lifestyle, retail and dining hub in Metro Manila in recent years. Because of its green design with open spaces and parks, it has also become a favorite place for runners. It is estimated that more than 5,000 runners a day pass by the W Global Center building, at the corner of 30th Street and 9th Avenue, as part of a morning and late afternoon jogging path, making it a prime location for IHOP.

“We are confident our guests will find that what IHOP offers—its unique world famous menu filled with items they crave, a sit-down all-day dining experience in a friendly, warm environment with food freshly prepared for every single guest will soon make IHOP their restaurant of choice over the competition,” Rodriguez averred. “And many Filipinos have visited IHOPs in the course of their travels overseas and have developed a love for the brand. In fact, a common post on the U.S. Facebook page is from Filipino guests who have been to an IHOP in America and are wondering when one will open in their own country.” 

John Merkin, IHOP’s vice president of operations and international, added, “Finding a partner with the operational capability to be able to implement and maintain the high standards that we and our guests demand was paramount in choosing the franchisee who would enable us to bring the brand to the Asia-Pacific marketplace. InterDine Corp. and Global Restaurant Concepts Inc. bring the necessary resources and experience as well as a proven record of success in establishing and running respected American restaurant brands in this region. With them as our franchisee, there are more than 100 million people in the Philippines who are about to discover why IHOP is famous the world over for great food and great service.”

Cinn-a-stack Pancakes

            Confidence in the brand and the partnership bolstered GRCI to open up more branches here as well as in other Asian countries. Manuel Zubiri, vice president of GRCI, said they are set to open four to five more branches this year, with a branch in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, next to open. A total of 20 restaurants are to open in five years, leading the way for IHOP to open in Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, and creating over 1,000 jobs in the region.

            “IHOP sees the Philippines as a potential gateway to the rest of Asia. The Philippines in particular has a record of successfully embracing American restaurants and other products. The Philippines presents an opportunity to reach millions of potential guests, and IHOP is bringing a unique dining experience to the region that isn’t available at any of our competitors,” Rodriguez affirmed.

            Rodriquez predicted that “buttermilk pancakes, along with the other variations and our omelettes” will sell like, well, hotcakes in the Philippines. 

Eggs, bacon and hash Brown, part of Stuffed French Toast Combo

  “Pancakes are a comfort food and delicious any time of day. People choose to eat them all through the day into the late evening. By offering them as an option all through the day, people have gotten into the habit of coming to IHOP to have ‘breakfast for dinner’ as some people call it,” he said.

“The average IHOP restaurant serves more than 325,000 pancakes per year. This means the IHOP system serves in excess of 500 million pancakes annually, lathered with 250 million scoops of butter, and drizzled with two million gallons of syrup,” he further said.

In the Philippine IHOP restaurant, 70 percent of the ingredients are imported and the rest is locally sourced to preserve the integrity of taste of the original IHOP, Zubiri said. He added though that as times goes by locally sourced ingredients will increase as they find suppliers that suit their needs and standards. Not only that, in time, there is a possibly of innovations and customizations unique to the Philippine store.

“In certain locations, IHOP adjusts the menu to fit local customs and tastes. For example, in Middle East IHOPs, pork products are not served. In this region, IHOP will be offering seasonal fruits and milkshakes and a different coffee than we feature in other locations, all tailored to the tastes of our guests in this region,” Rodriguez revealed.

Funny Face

 As of now, people are more than satisfied that the IHOP goodness that millions of Americans love is now accessible. Topping the favorites is, of course, their fluffy and heavenly pancakes, using buttermilk. One can choose the classic and plain original buttermilk pancakes (P195) or those with flavors and toppings.

A bestseller is the New York Cheesecake Pancakes (P285), prepared with creamy, rich cheesecake pieces and topped with strawberries, powdered sugar and whipped cream. The Double Blueberry Pancakes (P275) has blueberries and is topped with warm blueberry compote and whipped cream. Chocolate lovers can drool over the Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes (P255), which are chocolate batter pancakes filled with chocolate chips and topped with powdered sugar and whipped cream. Cinnamon roll addicts can have their fix too with the Cinn-a-stack Pancakes (P235), which is layered with cinnamon roll filling and then topped with cream cheese icing and whipped cream. Have fruits and pancakes in one with Strawberry Banana Pancakes (P265), which has fresh banana slices and is topped with strawberries, more banana slices and whipped cream. The health-conscious can opt for Harvest Grain ‘N Nut Pancakes (195) with grains, oats, almonds and English walnuts, or the whole wheat pancakes with blueberries (P225).

Garden Stuffed Crepes

             Another perennial favorite is the omelette and IHOP offers it mixed with its famous buttermilk and wheat pancake butter to make fluffier omelette, and with many varieties: Big Steak Omelette (P325) with strips of steak, hash browns, green pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, cheddar cheese; Bacon Temptation Omelette (P285) with bacon strips, diced tomatoes and cheese sauce; Country Omelette (P265) with ham, hash browns, onion and cheese and sour cream topping; and Chicken Fajiota Omelette (P265) with grilled fajita seasoned chicken breast strips, green pepper, onion, cheese blend, salsa and sour cream topping. They also have vegetarian omelette and healthy omelette varieties. Also, diners can create your own omelette from a list of ingredients.

New York Cheesecake Pancakes

             Rodriguez revealed that these two well-love items are in IHOP’s menu since the beginning.

“If you look back at the menu from 1955, the year the first IHOP opened in Toluca Lake, California, there are a number of items that you can still find on the menu. Buttermilk pancakes, of course, waffles and omelets have been featured throughout the last 55 years, as have the waffles, chocolate chip pancakes and several other favorites. IHOP is always innovating their menu, adding new items that become favorites like stuffed French toast, and introducing signature pancakes that appear for a limited time.  These have included everything from carrot cake pancakes to pineapple upside down pancakes,” he said.

Simple and Fit Omelette

              The menu is packed with mouthwatering items such as French toasts, waffles, oatmeal, hash browns, sandwiches, sweet and savory crepes, hamburgers, breakfast combinations (French toast, hash brown, eggs, bacon and sausages, for example), steak combinations (T-bone steak, eggs and pancakes, for example) and items for kids. Many of these items have the Simple and Fit options, which use low-calorie and low-carbohydrate ingredients. Customers can ask for egg substitute or low-calorie eggs, sugar substitutes, sugar-free syrup, turkey bacons, etc. Also, be sure to watch out for new items. Need I remind that these are available all day?