Cafe meets bistro at this new Rockwell brunch spot

BEEF TAPA BOWL Brunch Bureau’s fancy tapsilog using USDA beef tenderloin

There’s a new brunch restaurant in town! Brunch Bureau by Chef RJ Ungco is opening this week. I was able to check it out during its soft opening for breakfast with relatives and we loved the resto’s classic menu with a twist.

For instance, the eggs benedict does not use Canadian bacon but fried tocino. The hollandaise sauce has a “torched dalandan” twist while the English muffin is replaced with butter-toasted banana bread. This is accented by truffled spiced honey.

The concept of the restaurant is “coffee to cocktails” and cafe meets bistro.

“I love brunch food, so with that, we combined components of great brunches of our travels, dressed it up for the gram, and showered it with a lot of heart and soul as always,” Chef RJ shared.

SWEET DEAL Bowl of fresh fruits and homemade granola caramel crumble with yogurt and kesong puti —Photos by Margaux Salcedo

The travels are also reflected in their coffee selection. They don’t have just the usual americano, cappuccino and latte. They also have kanuk, described on their menu as “our premium maple syrup mixed with kosher salt”; then they fly to Middle East for what they call the Latina, a Mexican-inspired latte mixed with healthy agave syrup and black pepper; then to Japan with what they have named Nippon, “Okinawan-inspired latte mixed with healthy agave syrup and black pepper”; and finally to Vietnam for Saigon, their Vietnamese-inspired latte sweetened with condensed milk.

The menu offers all your brunch favorites: from healthy granola and acai bowl to the more hefty “breakfast tray” of buttermilk pancakes to the classic tapsilog but using beef salpicao. Chef RJ then ventures to international flavors with: ebi katsu balls, which are minced shrimp and mixed Asian aromatics formed into crunchy mini balls; nori rice crisps, served with a very creative play on hummus using edamame; and croquettes stuffed with – wait for it – spam and kimchi!

This is a welcome addition to all the choices in the Rockwell area. The resto will also open more branches, targeting Molito and Legazpi Village. Congratulations on this new restaurant, Chef RJ! Now we can savor the different flavors you have tried around the world!