Flossom Kitchen + Cafe at N. Averilla, San Juan

In our many years of eating out, it's quite rare for us to keep visiting a particular restaurant as there's always that constant desire to try something new. After all, there are thousands of new restaurants yearly and the choices are pretty much endless. However, there's one particular restaurant that I've been frequenting on a weekly basis. I guess we got ourselves a winner. :)

It was one afternoon in December when my friend M came home for a quick visit and invited me out for a coffee break. Since I had to feed the twins round the clock and I only have a two hour window to be away from them, the challenge is to find a good cafe nearby. It was in the wee hours of the morning when I stumbled upon Flossom Kitchen + Cafe. It was then a newly opened restaurant located right behind Rustan's Supermarket along P. Guevarra, literally a stone's throw away from home. Perfect!

Luckily, my friend M was game to try this new cafe out and that marked the start of my love affair with Flossom Kitchen + Cafe. Stepping inside the restaurant, it was love at first sight. Each corner was so photogenic or in millenial-speak -- totally Instagram-worthy! I love how well-lit the entire restaurant was with the two couch nooks on one side, the huge glass window panels and my favorite spot -- the Glass House.

It all began with one slice of Ube Cake and a plate of Panna Cotta (Php. 150). I didn't thought much about it as, in fact, the place was empty when we went. Very typical for a new restaurant still trying to build its clientele and making itself known in the neighborhood. Other restaurants would eventually bloom into the hottest spot or others would just quietly disappear within a few months time. The food industry, after all, is a very tough world where survival of the fittest is one that restaurants deal with from day 1. As I sinked my fork into the Ube Cake, I remember noting how springy it was. "The chiffon cake was so soft and fluffy", I thought to myself. Taking a bite, I love how full-flavored the ube was. This is definitely the real deal. The Panna Cotta was also very refreshing as it was served with sweet mango cubes.

PLATES
A few days after that, I invited my family to give Flossom Kitchen + Cafe a try. Over lunch, we had their Baked Meatloaf (Php. 320) which was their house specialty and one that won our hearts 6 times over. It was soooo good! Sweet embutido topped with melted cheese. If you think about it, it's simple -- yes but truly comforting. Served with rice, this makes for a great lunch plate on its own. Then again, who am I kidding? I can never stop at just one plate.

To go with the Baked Meatloaf, we had the Buttermilk Chicken (Php. 350) which was another winning dish. Deep-fried, crunchy Chicken Thigh served with Cajun Rice, Coleslaw and Bacon Gravy. We were lucky that day as we also got some maple syrup which, in my opinion, made the chicken taste so so so good! I love how they're so generous with their serving making it good for sharing.



If you're not a fan of deep-fried chicken, then there's the Asian Chicken (Php. 350) which is grilled chicken thighs this time with plain white rice and pico de gallo as sides. As for me, I still love the deep-fried option anytime.

We also tried the Mushroom Truffle Risotto (Php. 420) which was my Mommy's favorite. She loves risotto and this one got her seal of approval. You may opt to add a slice of salmon (Php. 250) too for extra protein but I was pretty happy just digging into the Mushroom Truffle Risotto on its own.

PASTA
Aside from their plates, they also have a number of yummy pasta dishes. My favorite is the Spicy Shrimp (Php. 320) which is a light aglio olio creation with a fiery kick in every bite. I've had this several times and noted how fresh the shrimps always were. Also, unlike most shrimp dishes out there where they normally would give you 2-3 or maximum of 4 shrimps per serving, this pasta dish got a good amount allowing you to have at least a piece of juicy, crunchy shrimp in every bite.

There's also the Crab Alfredo (Php. 350) which is a creamy repertoire of spiced lump crab, cream sauce, garlic and linguine pasta. This is one that kids will love as well as it has very comforting and satisfying taste. I love how it wasn't cloying despite the use of cream as its sauce base.

For the tomato sauce lovers though, I highly recommend the Honey Chorizo Pasta (Php. 320). In fact, Flossom Kitchen + Cafe makes really good chorizo dishes so be sure to order anything with chorizo in it. From its pasta to the pizza and even to their breakfast plate, the chorizo has a nice spicy sweet flavor which will make you want more. As for this pasta, it's a good break from the typical Bolognese meat sauce where the tangy tomato sauce complements the generous chorizo bits perfectly.

You may have noticed that I've mentioned quite a lot of dishes already. This is due to the numerous times that I've visited Flossom Kitchen + Cafe and I'd somehow manage to try a new dish or two in every visit. So far, I haven't been disappointed yet.

ALL DAY BREAKFAST

Moving on, their breakfast plates will definitely put a smile on your sleepy faces. My favorites are the Butter Pancakes (Php. 250) which is super fluffy as well as the Pork Belly Tocino Plate (Php. 300). You may notice that the prices are pretty much the same all throughout the menu and one thing that I love is how the serving size easily justifies the 300+ price tag. Take this breakfast plate for example, you get a huge cup of garlic rice, a nice amount of side salad, a generous portion of sweet pork tocino and your choice of sunny side up or scrambled egg.

If you dine before 10am, you also get a cup of coffee for free. Well, I'm no early breakfast diner as I got Mommy duties prior to slipping out of the house for a quick meal but I'd happily order my favorite Hot/Iced Chocolate any time.

I also tried the Spanish Chorizo Breakfast Plate (Php. 300) which wasn't so bad as well. However, my heart still belongs to the Tocino which was just WOW.

Hearty breakfast goers can also try the Ultimate English Breakfast (Php. 650) which comes complete with a stack of fluffy pancakes, baked beans, bacon, mushrooms, ham, 2 sunny side up eggs, potato spuds, tomato and bread. It's totally an ultimate feast which can be shared by two.

I was also able to try a bit of the Ube Champorado (Php. 280). I've been eyeing this since my second visit as I wonder how it tastes like. Well, it surely didn't disappoint but I guess it's good to be shared as having it all to yourself can be a bit too much. It's purple yam (ube) rice stew topped with candied tuyo, macapuno strings and drizzled with yema sauce. I will definitely order this again soon!

BEGINNINGS

From breakfast, they also got snacks or starters. Pan and I tried the Trash Can Nachos (Php. 350) one afternoon which was an overflowing platter of crunchy chips, chili beef, corned beef, blended cheese, pico de gallo, caramelized onions, cheese sauce, marinara sauce and guacamole. Not bad albeit being a bit too oily for our taste.

I prefer the Green Goddess Dip (Php. 250) or the Lava Cheese Fries (Php. 320) more. The latter gives you thick cut fries topped with chili beef, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper and melted cheese. Yummy!

PIZZA

If you're dining out with the family or a group of friends, opt to try their pizza. I love the Chori Shrimp (Php. 550) which once again has Flossom Kitchen + Cafe's award-winning chorizo and yummy fresh shrimp. Their pizza is done thin-crust style so I can assure you that one slice is never enough.

Other options include the Margherita (Php. 420) or the Jamon Serrano and Arugula (Php. 550).

I haven't tried much of their sandwiches except for the Truffle and Egg (Php. 300) which is your classic egg sandwich done with style and class. Served on two flaky croissants, you get an ample spread of egg salad, truffle bits and fish roe together with a handful of potato chips. I had this again for lunch recently and noticed that the size of the bread became smaller than the one in the photo. I hope it's just a supplier issue as the one that I had just recently barely had enough egg salad for the flavor to come out.

One new discovery are Flossom Kitchen + Cafe's Salads. I recently tried the Norwegian (Php. 350) and the Caesar (Php. 300) and both were delicious! I will definitely order this again and again. They also have soups where my family has tried the Pumpkin (Php. 120), Classic Tomato (Php. 100) and the Mushroom (Php. 120).  Our favorite is the Pumpkin followed by the comforting Mushroom Soup.

SWEET ENDINGS

Lastly, never ever ever ever end your meal at Flossom without having dessert. Aside from the delicious Ube Cake that I had during my first (and my 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc) visit, I also love their Chocolate Ganache Cake which will definitely satisfy all choco lovers out there.

However, if there's one dessert that I'll definitely rush over to Flossom for and hoard..it would definitely be their Brownies. This is not available daily so if you see this in the cake display, be sure to buy not only one but at least half a dozen pieces (and send some my way too haha kidding!). I love how ooey gooey the inside is and the outside has this nice crisp bite. This is definitely what brownie dreams are made of and I can't believe it took me 30+ years to discover the best brownies that I've ever had in my life.

I've had more dishes at Flossom Kitchen + Cafe but these are my ultimate favorite ones. They truly have a making for a great restaurant -- good food, consistent quality, amazing and personalized service. Followers of my Instagram account surely knows how often I've been to Flossom and this is simply because I feel so at home here. This is definitely one of the best neighborhood hang outs here in San Juan City.

This will definitely not be the last blog post that I'll probably write about Flossom Kitchen + Cafe. Watch out for more as I try more items from their menu in the coming weeks and months.

Check out Flossom Kitchen + Cafe at 187 N. Averilla Street, San Juan City. Call them at +63-2-3566900. Reservation is a must as the place gets filled up easily especially at night and during the weekends.