Truffles N Bacon Café
Coffee
Since Pigs Don’t Fly – Deep-fried Chicken Wings, Gochujung Honey Paste, Sesame Seeds, Pickled Cucumber
Piggy Gone Wild Toast – Wild Mushrooms, Havarti Cheese, Tomato Compote, Green Salad
Piggy Went Nuts Toast – White Chocolate Batard, Nutella, Strawberries, White Chocolate Shavings
Apricot Scones – Mango Butter, Bacon Butter
Luv Me Longtime Longanisa Melt – Pork Longanisa Patty, Asadero Cheese, Garlic Vinegar Aioli, Ube Bread, Green Salad with Vinaigette
TNB Cafe Signature Burger – Angus Beef Patty, Crispy Baked Mac N’ Cheese, Bacon Jam, Sriracha Mayo, Green Salad with Vinaigrette
Godson Mac N’ Cheese – Cheddar Cheese, American Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, Seasoned Breadcrumbs, Green Salad with Vinaigrette
Spam Fries – Katsu-style Spam Strips, Sriracha Ranch
Southern Comfort – Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Collard Greens, Godson Mac N’ Cheese, Bacon Waffle, Bacon Butter
Chocolate Chip Cookies
French Toasted Bread Pudding – Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Caramel Sauce
Salted Caramel Manifesto Cookies
Banana-Walnut French Toast – Baked Plantains, Brown Sugar Streusel, Walnuts, Caramelized Buttercream Sauce
Lemon Curd Pancakes – Mixed Berry Compote, Lemon Cream
Dark Secret – Dark Fudge Brownies, Dried Cherries, Cream Cheese Icing, Bacon Jam
Ube Pancakes – Ube Jam, Ube Cream Cheese, Macapuno, Young Coconut Sauce
Not following a traditional path to success, the first iteration housed within Antiques at the Market, it had been nearly four years since last visit that Truffles N Bacon Café was found hopping on Saturday, the Restaurant inside Suite one-hundred of 8872 South Eastern Avenue full to capacity just prior to 11am and remaining as such over the course of nearly two hours.
Owned and operated by Magnolia Magat and Chef Jackie Lim, a social media campaign bolstered by the 10.5lb “Belly of the Beast” Burger just as successful as it was silly, it was by way of online ordering that guests arrived to find their six-top ready, a server named Cherrie stretched across several other tables but performing her duties admirably.
Based on the idea of accessible decadence, a once-tiny menu now encompassing Breakfast and Lunch plus several “secrets,” it was immediately after seating that drinks including fresh-squeezed Orange Juice, Citrus Tea and Lavazza Coffee were poured, the latter kept brimming without need for reminder and always hot with several choices of Sugar or Sweetener.
Dressed in clever signage and locally-made modern art, the soundtrack mostly top-40 but never too loud, it was beginning with two Toasts that Truffles N Bacon Café immediately made good on promises of “something that will make you smile after taking that first bite,” Piggy Gone Wild trending earthy but brightened by Tomato Jam while its nutty sibling is delivered lengthy and ready to impress beneath a smear of Nutella and Strawberries.
Always serving some of Sin City’s best Scones, and now pairing the Apricots and Sugar with two types of housemade Butter, diners seeking bold international influences will find them at every turn, Chicken Wings veering Korean without being too hot thanks to Honey and a bed of Pickles while the “Luv Me Longtime Longanisa Melt” spins an American classic Filipino with umami enhanced by Oaxacan Cheese and Garlic Vinegar Aioli.
Having fun with fried Spam and spicy Ranch served in an appropriate vessel, Chef Lim’s “simplest” Pasta also performing well thanks to a bold blend of Cheeses and piping hot plate, it was across two more items that “Godson Mac” was presented, the first a side to boneless Chicken cooked crisp next to Bacon-imbued Waffles plus porky Collards while the “TNB Cafe Signature Burger” places a carefully fried block between Angus Beef and Bacon Jam on a Bun.
Offering several healthy items including Omelets and Vegetarian fare, but certainly better suited for those inclined to indulge, it was beginning with housemade Cookies that course three got started, both Chocolate Chip and Manifesto rounds arriving warm and melty while “French Toasted Bread Pudding” eats surprisingly light despite plenty of Custard, Caramel and Berries.
Sated but not stuffed, though soon quickly to cross that line, it was with mixed feelings that diners either loved or hated the sweet-meets-savory Dark Secret while none thought twice about praising thick slices of Bread soaked in caramelized Buttercream, Plantains and Streusel, nor Lemon Curd Pancakes served with mixed Berries that surprisingly outperformed the more photogenic Ube version from Truffles N Bacon Café’s secret menu.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: First discovered when working nearby, a location inside Antiques at the Market quirky yet fun in 2014, Truffles N Bacon Café has aged well while simultaneously learning how to navigate social media. Never taking themselves too seriously, and always focused on making guests happy, Ms. Magat and Chef Lim have a lot to be proud of for achieving success in a tough market and considering the menu’s diversity plus great customer service it seems likely that success will continue.
RECOMMENDED: Apricot Scones, Mango Butter, Piggy Gone Wild Toast, Luv Me Longtime Longanisa Melt, Spam Fries, Southern Comfort, French Toasted Bread Pudding, Manifesto Cookies, Lemon Curd Pancakes.
AVOID: Dark Secret and Ube Pancakes were both “love or hate” dishes amongst the group, the former potentially superior as “Dirty Brownies” offered without Cream Cheese or Bacon Jam and the latter definitely better up-top thanks to Macapuno which should be more evenly distributed across layers in the kitchen.
TIP: Online Check-in available via Yelp! and delivery offered via Grubhub or EZCater. Open Monday 8:00AM – 3:00PM, Wednesday – Saturday 8:00AM – 4:00PM, Sunday 8:00AM – 2:00PM. Closed on Tuesdays.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.trufflesnbacon.com
