Monday, January 6, 2014

Hatch 22 Café & Bakery - Fresh Bread and Pastries Baked Daily

Hatch 22 Café & Bakery

by Trina T. Epilepsia

The name is familiar. If you were a conscientious student, then you probably read Joseph Heller’s novel “Catch-22”. Cooler kids probably saw Mike Nichol’s movie adaptation. What does this all have to do with breakfast and cocktails? Absolutely nothing. As the Hatch 22 poster says, the “where’s” and “when’s” of beginnings don’t matter, as much as the “how”. Heck, don’t even ask why. Just dig in.

Located at the ground floor of Rockwell’s Power Plant mall, Hatch 22 is the cool place to have breakfast at 9 p.m. or cocktails at 7 a.m. The owners include the multi-hyphenated Heusaff siblings Erwan and Solenn, and Chef Pete Ayson. Together, they created a bakery and café that offers comforting breakfast food all day, everyday. Doors opens at 7am daily, so those who love the smell of freshly baked bread can drop in to buy their favorite panaderia items, such as the cheekily named Pan de Month (as in that time of the month) and Dulce de Leche Spanish Bread or opt for the more continental Butter Brioche (P75) and Sourdough (P55). If you’d rather sit down and have breakfast, you can also order one of the 2 kinds of Bread Baskets (P250 or P270), which are served with various jams and butters.

Bread Baskets

Because experts claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Hatch 22 decided to make it available to its customers anytime they want it. The extensive menu is divided into Hatch Brunch Specials, Pancakes, Manila Breakfast, Between 2 Breads (sandwiches), Kettle Pot (soups), Greens (salads—duh!), Café Menu, and Pastas (because we’ve all had spaghetti for breakfast at one time).

Growing up, many of us enjoyed the breakfast sandwiches and meals of a certain fast-food joint (hint: you can order from this clown via the ClickTheCity mobile app!). Hatch 22 took some of our favorite breakfast meals and turned them up a few notches, starting with the McHatch (P380), which is a muffin sandwich stuffed with a sausage patty, cheddar cheese, strawberry jam, potato hash, and a fried egg. Does this sweet and savory concoction sound familiar? Yeah, it’s the grown up version of that large McBreakfast. Another familiar treat is the Fillet of Fish (P370), where proper grammar gets you a butter brioche bun filled with a ginger beer-battered fish fillet topped with sweet malt vinegar jam and tartar. Consider it a step up from the fried mess you used to eat during Lent.

McHatch, served with potato hash and hot chocolate

Fillet of Fish

If you’re sandwich ideal comes from the deli, then check out The Walowitz (P420), which consists of Hatch 22’s homemade dark rye bread, corned beef brisket, red sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and pickles. Vegetarians won’t miss out as they have Tuscan Sandwich (P320), made out of delicious roasted vegetables including red peppers and Portobello mushrooms, and topped with caramelized onions, cheese, and pesto on focaccia.

The Walowitz (tasting portion)

Tuscan Sandwich (tasting portion)

During our meal, Marketing Manager Monique Monasterio recommended the Croque Maserati (P580), which we assumed was named for its ability to go from your mouth to your problem area in 3.8 seconds. Hedonists will love the seared salmon chunks on butter brioche, paired with the trendy sous-vide egg, caviar, and ridiculously rich mornay sauce. Afterwards, you can keep your blood sugar shooting up by ordering the Monkey Business (P430) pancakes for dessert. You get a stack of buttermilk pancakes with caramelized bananas, chunky peanut butter, and candied walnuts swimming in a thick glaze of cinnamon and caramel sauce.

Croque Maserati

Monkey Business

The more health-conscious should try the Falafel Salad (P330) or the Tomato and Chickpea Soup (P185). These dishes are not only filled with all the stuff your nutritionist recommends, but they also pack a major punch in the flavor department. The salad is made up of fresh tomatoes, red beets, golden falafels, orange slices, and mixed greens; it’s refreshing and filling at the same time! Meanwhile, the soup, which is a hearty combination of roasted tomatoes, chickpeas, Lucban sausage, and fried basil, is perfect for those grey Monday mornings when you’d rather tuck in with a good book than show up for your meeting.

Tomato and Chickpea Soup (tasting portion)

Of course, everyone knows that a true breakfast for champions includes some alcohol. While we don’t really recommend drinking before noon, if you’re thirsty for a cocktail to go with your meal, you’ll find many tasty and intriguing mixes in the menu. Easy favorites include the sweet Port Wine Sangaree (P270), which mixes port wine with lemon, cherry, and cassis juices, along with a bit of nutmeg. While autumn doesn’t exist in the Philippines, the Drunken Cider (P350)-- composed of cognac, apples, citrus juices, and honey-- transports you to a place where you can wear a non-ironic beanie. The Inner Child (P290) will tease your sweet tooth with horchata (a Mexican drink made up of almonds, sesame seeds, etc.), almond milk, egg whites, rum and spiced syrup. For those who like eye-catching cocktails, then the Hatch & Balls (P250) will certainly get you noticed. The calamansicello, noliprat (French vermouth), and rosemary syrup concoction is housed inside a hollow ball of ice. Lastly, champoy-lovers will go gaga for Black Flights (P290), which uses rum infused with the dried plum candy and mixes it with spiced syrup, calamansi, angostura bitters, and homemade falernum (a syrup used in many Caribbean drinks).

Drunken Cider

Inner Child

Hatch & Balls

Port Wine Sangaree and Black Flights

A catch-22 is defined by Wikipedia as a “paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules.” Thankfully, the only situation you’ll catch yourself in Hatch 22 is deciding which dish to get this time.