Last Sunday my family and I headed out for an early morning “obstacle course” run after about 6 months without any running training. Baaaad idea.

I used to run 10k on a regular basis but stopped when I got too lazy to get up in the mornings. Hihi. Now I do TRX thrice a week but being in running condition is way different from being fit overall. My legs could feel the burn right after the first kilometer. I finished in approximately 15 minutes because I skipped the obstacle to the finish line which had you crawling through the mud. (Sorry but I couldn’t bear it, and neither could my favourite pair of running shoes!) In the end, with only one obstacle aside from the mud-crawl, the 3k was too short to even allow me to break into my second wind. I wanted to keep running to at least finish a 5k which until this race was my minimum distance, yet at the same time my legs felt tired already.

Instead we did the next best thing: We went to eat breakfast!

When I knew the race was going to be at Bonifacio Global City, I already honed in on the place I wanted to try come hell or high water: Wildflour Cafe + Bakery. I don’t get to come to this fine city as much as I’d like. It takes me 45 minutes via train and bus to get here from my house, but there are days when I just have to come here. This is where my favourite bookstore and some of the country’s best restaurants are now located!

Aside from reading about the specialties, I tried very hard to avoid publicity materials for Wildflour Cafe + Bakery. I wanted to literally experience it on my own with the full force of wonder one gets when one discovers something wonderful for the first time. So with iPhone in hand (too bad I didn’t bring my camera!), we set off to 26th Street.

From the outside the place looks modern with the polished tall glass walls.

But the inside was an absolute dream. The ambiance of the cafe bakery was so vintage and homey and just perfect; it’s the kind of place I could spend my whole day in writing, sketching, or reading. Plus it ignites all these positive vibes.

I really adore this little corner and the lovely patch of sunlight that comes with it. Favourite spot material! It’s right across the very swanky very retro bar.

We sat underneath this collection of comical doodles.

The tables are all wooden, and the utensils have a very vintage look. I love that they serve water from old wine bottles.

But what really strikes me about this place is that this is very similar to the kind of place I envision in my mind of the bakery-cafe I aspire to open in the future, except mine would have like a library area where patrons could read. (Library cafe, anyone?)

Near the entrance, they have a small glass case and a table beside it filled with the pastry specials for the day. The specials are written on the giant board beside the bar.

Everything is freshly made from scratch, and when we got there the bakers had just brought the pastries out. Set inside the glass cases, everything looks super delicious. The waitress says their baked goodies are always sold out by closing time.

Wildflour is famous for their Sticky Icky Buns, by the way.

Since we’re here right on time for their 8am opening, the menu was limited to breakfast fare. (A.K.A. I have to come back here during lunch hour!) I was happy to see though that one of their most raved-about dishes was available in the breakfast menu: Steak and Egg (Kitayama beef flat iron steak with kimchi fried rice). My dad and one of my brothers ordered it and according to them the more of the kimchi rice they ate, the more delicious it became. I had just a taste of it and being a kimchi-lover, of course it was easy for me to love it too. And now I’m inspired to make a dish like this!

My mother and my other brothers all for some reason ate the Wildflour Breakfast Plate (with eggs, crispy potatoes, homemade pork sausage, and ciabatta). The presentation was very appetizing. I could just poke those eggs with a fork as I write this.

My cousins ordered the Wildflour Breakfast too, alongside this Poached Eggs on Toast with ham, mushroom, and Bordelaise Sauce.

My dad’s friend ordered this other version of their toast, this time with Scrambled eggs, bacon gravy, and Parmesan sprinkled generously on top.

I ordered an Asparagus Omelette with Goat Cheese and a side of salad.

Almost too pretty to eat, but not when you were as hungry as I was. I loved the dressing on the salad. It was tangy and fresh, and very good with the egg. I finished my order in record time.

And when it was time to leave, we took home a goodie bag of their baked goods. Every time I get to eat yummy food, I am always inspired to create similar things from my kitchen. My favourite from this bunch was the Berry Streusel Bread, and my brothers absolutely adored their Kouign Aman, which is also one of their bestselling pastries.

Wildflour caters to the high-end diners so it’s a bit more expensive than usual, but once you see the quality and authenticity of the dishes and pastries they serve, you would definitely say it’s worth every penny. You’ll be sure to see me coming back here for more, and hopefully soon!