A Comforting Taste of Nostagia and Innovation Served Daily at Cafe Mabini

The mere mention of "comfort food" conjures images and memories from a long wish list of flavorful cues that never fails to trigger your appetite. Not surprisingly, you'll find breakfast staples high up on your list. It's familiar dishes like these, breakfast fare included, that continues to warm both our palates and hearts. And you'll find all these and more at Cafe Mabini...

San Juan's very own all-day breakfast and brunch spot, Cafe Mabini brings sumptuous European and Filipino style cuisines to the neighborhood for that leisurely and perfect start to your day. Established in 2021 at the height of the pandemic, Cafe Mabini remains one of the neighborhood's unique dining destinations with its novel take on breakfast and brunch fare. Come inside for breakfast executed with creative flair and just a touch of nostalgia to warm your palate and set the tone for the rest of your day. At Cafe Mabini...

More than just the usual breakfast joint, Cafe Mabini is the brainchild of Itchyworms bassist and restauranteur Kelvin Yu and chefs Kalel Chan and Francis Lacson offering a fresh and inspired spin on the day's most important meal anchored on comfortingly familiar flavors alongside innovative culinary techniques. Located right beside Francesco's along A. Mabini Street in San Juan (more on Francesco's on my post, A Spot of Italy in San Juan, At Francesco's...), Cafe Mabini is a colorful addition to the neighborhood's vibrant culinary scene. 

Cafe Mabini's repertoire of tasty breakfast inspired dishes reflects both the personal style and vision of chefs Kalel Chan and Francis Lacson, but the concept is also Kelvin Yu's homage to his late father who always dreamed of having a breakfast space within the property of their restaurant Francesco's. In a serendipitous twist, the visions of Kelvin, Kalel and Francis come together in an elegantly seamless weave at just the right time at Cafe Mabini. Since it opened back in 2021, Cafe Mabini has evolved beyond its play list of breakfast fare injecting Filipino merienda classics into its growing menu. Creative and modern renditions keep in step with traditional and nostalgic flavors for a unique take on breakfast and beyond at Cafe Mabini. Let's start with their signature toasts, shall we?

The Ruben's Sandwich (P 575)  with house-cured corned beef, Emmental, papaya bacon sauerkraut slathered in creamy Russian dressing on crisp sourdough bread perfectly illustrates both the classic style and playfully inventive touches of Cafe Mabini with its papaya bacon sauerkraut adding yet another layer of flavor with each bite. The fork-tender corned beef with its delicate and subtle briny notes are perfectly complemented by the subtle sharpness of the Emmental smoothened by the Russian dressing for a savory finish. A side of fries completes the dish. 

Taking a cue from distinctive Asian flavors, the Dragon Toast (P 325) is Cafe Mabini's own creative spin on the traditional avocado toast layered with dragon fruit hummus, cherry tomatoes, poached egg and garden fresh arugula salad dressed with a refreshingly tart passionfruit vinaigrette. The play on contrasting flavors and textures linger long on the palate draping it with a flavorful richness. 

One of the more unique offerings at Cafe Mabini has to be the Singaporean-Style Ube Toast (P 325) with an ube-filled brioche served with soft-cooked eggs drizzled with sweet soy and white pepper. An inspired take on the traditional kaya toast, Chefs Kalel Chan and Francis Lacson unleash their creativity with innovative dishes like this. The play on sweetness and savory salty notes come together perfectly with each tasty bite. 

You'll find timeless breakfast fare like the Eggs Benedict (P 575/P 525) with a choice of house-cured salmon gravlax or Guanciale bacon alongside other sandwiches like the Tapa Cheesetake (P 545) with its local twist and the all-time classic Grilled Cheese (P 325) at Cafe Mabini. 

And if you still can't satisfy your craving for ube, the Ube Pancakes (P 395) should do the trick. The nutty sweetness of the soft and fluffy ube pancakes are leveled up by the white chocolate ganache, macapuno, ube halaya and indulgent vanilla chantilly for a decadent breakfast feast built around familiar local notes. If you prefer a much healthier start, you can't go wrong with the Healthy Bowls of Cafe Mabini like the fresh Fruit Bowl (P 345) with kesong puti, yogurt, cashew nuts and Palawan honey or the Coco Pandan Bowl (P 325) with pandan-infused coconut chia pudding, fresh fruits, granola and cashew nuts. 

Is there anything more comforting than a silog breakfast? Cafe Mabini's sumptuous Rice & Shine menu offers the perfect start with garlic fried rice, eggs, fresh papaya salad, grilled tomato and moringa pesto. The Grilled US Beef Tapa (P 425) with fork-tender US beef belly grilled with toasted garlic and served with two eggs freestyle offers an elevated upgrade to the popular local staple...

...while the Homemade Spam-Bini (P 395) is Cafe Mabini's tasty homage to the ubiquitous meat loaf with its own version served with eggs. The meatier finish with its familiar salty hints is an enduring throwback taking you on a nostalgic and flavorful ride. Already, the first few dishes at Cafe Mabini offer glimpses of Chefs Kalel Chan and Francis Lacson's creativity in the kitchen. 

The bold briny notes of the House-Cured US Corned Beef (P 495) comes through with each hearty bite topped with fried onions and two eggs freestyle. The fresh papaya salad and grilled tomato topped with moringa pesto completes the flavors. 

The full cast of Rice & Shine at Cafe Mabini presents tempting options like the Chicken Tocino (P 375), Crispy Beef Tapa Floss (P 475), Chorizo Hubad (P 375), Daing na Bangus (P 395), Lechon Kawali (P 395), Spanish-Style Garlic Dulong (P 395), Taiwanese Adobo (P 375) and DTE (P 345) or danggit, tuyo and espada for a tasty trifecta of homegrown seafood flavors. 

Then, there's the much-talked about Squash-Caldo (P 345) inspired by the local porridge dish reimagined by Chefs Kalel Chan and Francis Lacson at Cafe Mabini. The Hainan-style squash-based arroz caldo with tender chicken slices draws on a colorful weave of flavorful cues from Asian influences for a richer and elevated rendition. Paired with a trio of sauces, each spoonful lays a subtle sweetness from the squash for a lingering burst of richness. Pure and unrestrained comforting goodness in a bowl, the Squash-Caldo is perfect any time of day. 

The Beef & Tendon Mami (P 395) is also a must-try at Cafe Mabini with slow-cooked melt-in-your-mouth buttery beef and tendon in a flavorful broth with fresh egg noodles, fried onions and adobo eggs sprinkled with crisp wanton chips and served with chili garlic on the side. 

But it's the Black Garlic La Paz Batchoy inspired by the classic Ilonggo soup that's high up on list of personal picks at Cafe Mabini. Why? Tender pork, roasted bone marrow, sous vide egg, garlic chips, chicharon and black garlic oil on noods, that's why. Then imagine everything coming together in one spoonful and you get the picture. Comforting flavors lavishly executed in a bowl, this is next level batchoy. 

Cafe Mabini also offers a wide selection of Hand-Stretched Pizza options to complete its cast of comforting meals. The Kwatro Keso (P 495) with its cheese blend of Mozzarella, Cheddar, Kesong Puti and Grana Padana is an indulgent mash-up of premium imported and local cheeses with its lavish richness tempered by the tartness of cherry tomatoes. 

The All-Karne (P 495) with shredded tapa flakes, house corned beef, homemade SPAM and chorizo features all their popular bestsellers on a hand-stretched crisp pizza crust for bold savory flavors with each slice and bite. Other Hand-Stretched Pizza variants include the Tuyo Pesto (P 495), the Garlic Chorizo Hubad (P 475), Ohana (P 475) with grilled chicken tocino, bell peppers and pineapple and Toasted Garlic and Cheese (P 425). 

For dessert, don't forget to indulge with a slice of their Avocado Sans Rival or the Ube Brazo Cheesecake paired with their line of signature coffee or refreshments like the Sago't Gulaman, Ube Buko Pandan Milkshake, Mango Pomelo Sago and Calamansi Cooler. 

Kelvin, Kalel and Francis clearly have something special going on at Cafe Mabini. Born out of the pandemic to honor a fervent dream of Kelvin's father, Cafe Mabini now stands as one of the neighborhood's bright spots for hearty flavors and masterful creative twists driven by Chefs Kalel and Francis. Rediscover comfort food with their refreshed take on breakfast and merienda classics at Cafe Mabini, now serving a taste of nostalgia and innovation in San Juan.  

Cafe Mabini is located at 863 A. Mabini Street, Addition Hills, San Juan, Metro Manila. You can also visit their FB Page and IG Feed at https://www.facebook.com/cafemabiniph/ and https://www.instagram.com/cafemabiniph/ for more information and updates or call 8777 9777 and 0917 144 4395 for inquiries.  

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