Restaurant Review: Elephant Grounds in BGC
I don’t hate the Pandemic season altogether. Sure, it has its restrictions, but I think that for many people, it has grounded us and helped us reflect on the things that truly matter in our lives and how we want to live our lives moving forward – including showing our appreciation for some of the people God has sent to us.
A friend of mine, Thania, celebrated her birthday a couple of weeks ago. We haven’t seen each other in months, and I thought it would be nice to spend a day with her to celebrate her and our friendship, which is fairly new – about 2-3 years (?). I’ve known her for some time because I knew her brother back in the band circuit, then in church, but we never really got the chance to get to know each other until the past two years.
One of the things I like about Thania is her taste in food, so I told her to introduce me to something new this time. So off we went to Elephant Grounds in BGC for brunch.
Food and Interiors
Elephant Grounds, according to my research, is originally an all-day brunch themed HK-based cafe. They serve a handful of Instagram-worthy toasts and sandwiches, as well as some rice bowls and designer coffee.
I’m not too sold on the interior design, I felt that there weren’t too many comfortable couches to stay at on a regular day, but I’m totally into the kind of food they serve. Thania sent me the link to their Facebook page before we went there, so I had an idea already on what to expect in their menu.
Each single served meal is actually good for sharing for 2-3 people, so Thania and I got a couple of dishes to share between us first – Layu Paprika Shrimp with Sourdough and Bacon-Steak and Eggs Waffle, and chatted the hour away.
The food was superb! The bacon is not the thin, sliced bacon we are all familiar with. There’s more to chew on and it didn’t taste like they put honey on it, which is my thing. I totally love how the bacon, waffles, egg, and mushroom exploded in my palate — mmmmm…mmmm!
Now, the Layu Paprika Shrimp with Sourdough is pure delight! It’s both spicy and tasty and I loved it. In fact, I loved it so much that I ordered another, haha!
What’s interesting about it is how you can spread the softened garlic on top of the sourdough slice, and how it mixed well with the sauce. Thania has been to Elephant Grounds more than once before, so she was actually the one who told me to try it because I saw her doing it, and I found it strange at first. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t leave a strong, garlicky taste in my mouth. I’m going to teach it to Jay next, hehe!
We didn’t get desserts, but we had Salted Caramel latte, which Thania said was her favourite. It’s okay, I enjoyed it, but I think I should have ordered tea, instead, to loosen up the food that settled on my waist a little, haha!
Price and Sanitation
As for the price, it’s just as you would expect from a cafe like it, so I wasn’t exactly surprised. It’s definitely not fast food rate. The average rate per entree is more or less PHP 500, so it’s not bad, really, besides, each serving is a lot anyway, and the quality of the food is really good. It’s really worth your buck, if you ask me. Neither Thania nor I ate any more for the rest of the day, haha! Obviously, I plan to go back and try out more in their menu.
If you’re wondering if they have social distancing and sanitation protocols in place, the answer is yes. You can log in, check their menu and order using the QR codes, they have a paper bag for you to keep your mask, they have alcohol gels at the entrance, etcetera, etcetera.
But just to be safe, bring your own small bottles of alcohol with you, and you can wash your hands on the sink in the restroom.
I think that spending intimate time with a friend in a good place is a must. You want to be comfortable enough to sit back and talk, while enjoying good food. Thania and I chatted away, laughed and caught up with each other’s happenings, and she couldn’t have chosen a better place to do that.
Happy Birthday, Thania! May God prosper your plans, bless your family even more, and grant you your heart’s desires. May God also bless our friendship and may we both grow together in Christ. Love ya!
Elephant Grounds is at LG/F One Bonifacio High Street Mall, Bonifacio Global City. It’s open daily at 8AM to 9PM daily.
25 Comments
WanderWoMom
AY grabe yung food. akoy natakam. hindi ako familiar sa resto. first time to hearthis. palibhasa di makakain sa mga ibat ibang resto dahil sa bagets. hehe. will definitely check this out in the near future!
Cinny
I agree, it’s important to be able to spend time safely with family and friends. I think certain situations are safer than others and in turn, make us more comfortable too.
Thania
Wow! Just read this. Special mention pala ako hahaha. Really enjoyed our time together and the food we shared. Try the duck and ice cream. I usually just take a “dessert” coffee thingy if I don’t order dessert, and it was hot so I got the iced salted caramel latte. An americano or long black would have been fine. Or tea.
Thank you for a wonderful day of celebrating our friendship and my birthday. And thank you for this feature. I feel special hehehe ❤️❤️❤️
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Loved our time together. See you on the 23rd!
PINAYNURSEMEETSWORLD
OMG!! this is a must visit place in Manila! Sourdough with Shrimp looks yummy! I am actually craving for it right now. I hope everything goes back to normal so we can celebrate friendships without restrictions:)
Joanathx
Excellent Experience! Me and My Husband also a food lover, definitely we will try this coffee Asian restaurant. We want to try some popular foods and decaf coffee. Thanks for reminding us to bring our bottles of alcohol and some sanitations. I love also a Salted Caramel Latte mixed with yogurt. Cheers!
Karla Nina Mallannao
That bacon-steak egg waffle is the bomb!!! Mukhang yan naman ang oorderin ko nang dalawang beses kung sakali. HAHA have you tried their coffee? Nice move yung nagbibigay sila ng paper bag para sa mask. Karamihan kasi ng mga restaurant, walang binibigay na ganyan. SB pa lang ang na-experience ko so far.
Hazel
I tried Elephant Grounds before and loved their food! I also like the chic ambiance. I think the reason why the couches aren’t that comfortable is that they don’t want people to spend all day there since the space is limited (lalo na BGC area).
May De Jesus-Palacpac
that makes sense.
Nicole San Miguel
Happy birthday to your friend! It seems like you had so much fun there! Sana makapunta din ako after pandemic para ma try ko food nila.
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Yes, we had fun. 🙂
Nicole P.
I love cafes but also not like the breakfast items usually because the steak or bacon is too oily that my high blood self can’t take it LOL. I’m still erring on the side of caution so I either eat in the car or inside our condo/office if I’m out. But hey- if you’re in a pinch, it is nice that cafes like this one in BGC is finally open for dine in and seems to be a reliable and sanitized area.
Christianforemost.com
Dining out with friends is really a different experience that I’ve missed so much!!! Good food like that and great people make such a wonderful combination!
Blair Villanueva
Their food looks great! Is the Elephant Grounds new in BGC coz I haven’t seen this even last year? Marami ng nagbago sa fave city ko!
May De Jesus-Palacpac
Hi Blair! Yes, this is a new cafe in One Bonifacio in High Street. 🙂
Beth
Wow! Just looking at that food is making me hungry! I’d love to try everything there.
Tweenselmom
The breakfast meal looks soo good. I can’t wait to check out the resto when I go to BGC 🙂
Gervin Khan
The place is so nice and mesmerizing. Plus where it’s located is absolutely marvelous. The food looks absolutely delicious and yummy. Got to check this out when we get back to the Philippines!
Ntensibe Edgar
Nnniiiicccceeeee….I love the fact that you managed to reconnect with Thania and toast to life! That’s some nice-looking shrimp!
Melanie E
That food does sound lovely. It’s good to hear that the food there is value for money. That’s always a good thing alongside good food of course.
Neely Moldovan
Seems like a great place to have time wtih friends!
Rosey
Happy Birthday to Thania! I am glad you got to visit with her.
Mila R
OMG, that Layu Paprika Shrimp with Sourdough looks like I need it right now!!!
Blair Villanueva
Our dining experience is even better when you are dining with someone special in your life. Wow, I am missing BGC so much na!
Melanie
It’s always nice to go and have dinner or lunch out with family and friends. We are lucky to have a lot of restaurants near us to indulge lol x