I’ve known Katrece, the owner of Kat’s Café, for close to a decade now. I’ve also seen how her little café that could evolved from two units at opposite ends of a building, to moving to Robinsons Las Piñas, to finally renovating her family home along Abel Nosce to move the café back to where it all started. I’ve also been privileged to see her twin girls grow up into young women – from little mushrooms who dressed up as Adventure Time characters to celebrating their debut earlier this year – they really do grow up so fast!
Earlier in the month, Kat reintroduced weekend brunch specials at the café, which is fantastic as I don’t have to go all the way to Molito or Westgate for my lazy morning nosh. Available on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 o’clock to 1pm, the place is literally a stone’s throw away from where I live, and it beats having to go to MoA or Makati to get hearty brunch grub and maybe a few glasses of bubbly.
While I usually come here for the coffee, on weekends I come for the Mimosa (₱195) made with sparkling wine, triple sec, pulpy orange juice and grenadine for added sweetness. That’s Nestor, holding up my glass of happy juice – he’s been an employee at Kat’s ever since they opened and he’s one of the ever dependable guys at the café who is optimistic and just good vibes.
If a carb-heavy breakfast isn’t your thing, there’s Kat’s Homemade Granola (₱225) that has generous portions of hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, and pepitas, served with almond milk that you can pour over. Personally, I like to pick at my granola and fruits, so I’d leave mine dry and enjoy the milk on the side. You can add P100 for 70% Auro dark chocolate nibs and fresh seasonal fruits – today it was slices of bananas, strawberries, and blackberries. While I initially thought the bowl was a little small, I couldn’t even finish, it was so heavy. It’s nutty, crunchy, and a little salty, with the dark chocolate and fruit balancing out the sweetness.
I usually like to enjoy pancakes and bacon or a complete fry up on weekends, so Kat’s Buttermilk Pancake Medley (₱245) is totally up my alley. For the price of a value meal at McDonald’s you get two fluffy pancakes, your choice of bacon strips or sausage links (in my case I got bacon – three strips of Purefoods goodness), and your choice of tea or coffee. They serve it with sugar-free maple syrup and a generous dollop of whipped butter that is just *chef’s kiss*.
The special that I’d probably keep coming back for is Kat’s Chicken & Waffles (₱325) – spiced buttermilk chicken and waffles which also comes with tea or coffee. I recently bought an old school waffle maker (the one that you heat on the stove), and I still can’t figure out how not to undercook it or burn it. So having a perfect waffle, with buttermilk chicken and a honey-sriracha dip is a real treat. While I’m not a fan of dark meat (I knooow – don’t judge me), as long as you let them know in advance that you’ll be coming for brunch and prefer white meat, they can accommodate it. Otherwise, they only have the thigh fillets.
Jericho’s favorite is Tapa de Kat’s (₱255), and if I were a ricevore, this would probably be my go to rice bowl, too! Tapa has always been a bit of a hit or miss for me, it’s either perfection or stringy and chewy. There is no in between. Kat’s version is the first, with a generous heaping of tender beef tapa served with garlic rice and an egg sunny side up. The pinakurat keeps you shoveling mouthful after mouthful of garlicky goodness, I surprised myself at how much I ate. 12/10 this is a banger.
Of course, I would never leave the café without a cup of coffee, and they have been partnered up with the good folks at Toby’s Estate for a while now, pre-pandemic, so all the beans that are used are from them. You can get Toby’s Cortado (₱130) or Gibraltar (₱130) made, which is a Godsend, as the Toby’s Estate branch at ATC has closed down. So even if you’re not a brunch person, come in for the coffee. It doesn’t disappoint.
I’m so proud of Kat and her team! Their coffee, bakery items, and food menu can rival most of what you’d get in Makati or BGC, and at half the price. Kat has always been super hands on with the recipe testing and her twins also have a say about what goes on the menu, so everything is curated to meet their exacting standards. It’s always been about quality rather than quantity with Kat and her team, and it’s lovely to see them thriving after the drought that was the COVID pandemic. Come for the brunch specials, stay for the coffee, and don’t forget to take a few of their baked goods home with you. If you have the time, order their Cranberry Walnut Bread (₱230) or Focaccia Loaf (₱100) ahead of time, so they can bake you a fresh batch to take home when you visit.
