The first thing you’ll notice as you step through the bright red doors of Harina Artisan Bakery Café is the impressive display of baked goods. It is, after all, what they’re known for. Monsee’s opened
along White Plains in the latter part of 2010 and has established
itself as a purveyor of top quality bread products. Their breadsticks
and Spanish bread are just two of the items that put them on the map.
Harina Artisan Bakery Café
Located in 118 Katipunan Avenue, White Plains
The people behind Monsee’s have decided to focus on the institutional
business side of things which is why they have renamed the establishment
as Harina. They offer an all-day breakfast fare as well as pasta and
various rice meals; but of course the star of the show is the bread.
There’s a good reason why they’re known for it. All their breads are
hand-made, which is why you might notice that a lot of their products
are not evenly cut. Everything is kept in the store for only a short
amount of time as they want to make sure that their customers get
nothing but freshly baked goods. Their famous Breadsticks (P100-P120) come
in different flavors: Onion & Sour Cream, Bacon & Cheese,
Almond, Garlic, Milk & Butter, Parmesan, and Plain Cheese. The
sticks of bread are satisfyingly crunchy and are not overpowered by the
different flavors. You can eat them plain or dip them in chocolate or
mornay sauce for added flavor.
Breadsticks
Harina has flaky pastry down pat. Several of their menu items feature
this perfectly light and crispy concoction and they have managed to put
it to good use. An excellent example is their Breakfast Tart (P290):
a rectangular puff pastry shell is generously slathered with cream
cheese, topped with two sunny side up eggs, spinach, baked tomatoes, and
bacon. It sounds good but it tastes even better. The baked tomatoes are
sweet and juicy; the egg yolks are creamy; the cream cheese is thick
and rich; the spinach makes you feel less guilty because you’re eating
veggies; and the bacon is bacon, you can never really go wrong with it.
Other dishes that highlight the flaky pastry is their Quiche Lorraine (P290) and a twist to both the chicken sandwich and Waldorf salad, the Waldorf Salad Sandwich (P220).
Breakfast Tart
Quiche Lorraine
Waldorf Salad Sandwich
Harina’s Bloomin’ Bread (P320) is a testament to how
good they are with bread. This Italian-inspired dish is basically a
round loaf of crusty, pull-apart bread that is nice and soft on the
inside. It’s filled with basil puree and melted cheese and it is topped
with either ground sausage or pimiento. It comes with a delicious
balsamic vinegar dip.
Harina’s Bloomin’ Bread
We were told that Harina was supposed to serve nothing but breakfast
fare. However, when the loyal Monsee’s patrons heard about this, they
clamored for their favorite pasta dishes, which is why they were kept on
the menu. I really liked their Spanish Chorizo & Peppers (P250).
Originally, it’s supposed to be served with linguini but when I was
there it was penne pasta. I like how the Spanish chorizo is a little
spicy and the peppers a little sweet which gives it a nice balance. It
is served, of course, with some good garlic bread.
Spanish Chorizo & Peppers
Harina is not just about the savory. Their PBB Chocolate Stuffed French Toast (P290) is
what sweet dreams are made of. Wheat honey walnut French toast is
stuffed with sliced bananas, choco-hazelnut spread, and creamy peanut
butter. Peanut butter and bananas is always a winning combination but
adding hazelnut spread to it is just pure, sweet indulgence. And since
we’re talking about indulgence, I should tell you that they also have a Strawberry Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast (P290).
PBB Chocolate Stuffed French Toast
Strawberry Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast
There are plenty of bakeries all over the metro. What sets Harina
apart is their belief that baking should still be done the traditional
way doing away with chemical additives and not taking any shortcuts.
Their breads are not mass-produced, all of them are hand-rolled and
baked in small batches. Their baking area is actually open and they let
customers see how some of their products are made. Every single item
that you find inside their store is a true labor of love which is why
they have a lot of dedicated customers. The name Harina is apt because
what they do with flour over there is absolutely wonderful.
-- Photos by Albert Peradilla. Additional images courtesy of Harina Artisan Bakery Café
Harina Artisan Bakery Café
Located in 118 Katipunan Avenue, White Plains
Breadsticks
Breakfast Tart
Quiche Lorraine
Waldorf Salad Sandwich
Harina’s Bloomin’ Bread
Spanish Chorizo & Peppers
PBB Chocolate Stuffed French Toast
Strawberry Cheesecake-Stuffed French Toast
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