Do brunch right at Nono's in Salcedo Village, Makati

There comes an age in everybody's lives when daytime drinking get-togethers trump evening tete-a-tetes. It's called tita-hood and it's great!

Among the many delights it brings? Brunch. 

Nono's serve breakfast fare all day long. All photos: Nikka Sarthou-Lainez

Our minds are wandering over our favorite weekend delight after enjoying ourselves at Nono's in Salcedo Village, Makati.

It's the restaurant's newest location and much like its first two branches, Nono's Makati gives off a light and airy feel — perfect for those slow sessions of brunch.

Its interiors highlight walls painted in subdued hues of teal and gray, ceiling lights in glass bubbles, and nature-inspired accents that are pleasing to the eyes. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a display of cakes and pastries by the counter—the more eye candy, the better!

Feed your mind and soul

Comfort food is hard to mess up, and at Nono’s, breakfast fare is the star of the show.

According to Chef Baba Ibazeta-Benedicto, “We’ve always had an all-day breakfast menu because I really enjoy eating breakfast—whether it’s for dinner.”

One of the all-time bestsellers is the Eggs Benedict (P325) featuring toasted homemade focaccia bread (they make all their breads in-house) topped with smoked maple ham and poached egg that is drizzled with oh-so creamy hollandaise sauce.

Recently, the establishment added more sunrise specials to appeal to each and every diner. Those not afraid of carbs, will love the Raoul’s Breakfast Plate (P365), where you’ll get a hefty serving of homemade brioche toast, two sunny side up eggs, and smoked American bacon—the breakfast of champions!

There is also Nono’s Spicy Tuyo (P365), a hearty rice bowl that highlights homemade spicy salted fish and mango salsa with bits of salted egg.

Delicious Spicy Tuyo.

Needing a dose of healthy? The Granola with Mixed Fruit Parfait (P295), a tall glass of nutritious granola layered with Greek yogurt and topped with fresh fruits in season plus honey, is your best bet. It has the perfect contrast of textures and just the right amount of sweetness. It’s a pretty big serving but you’ll be surprised at how easy it would be to finish it to the last morsel.

“For us, it’s really about comfort food,” shared the chef who graduated from California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. This is the third branch of Nono’s (named after her father), and she plans to open another one in Alabang within the year. “It was things that I grew up with, things that I remembered as a kid, or brought a happy memory. It became all about comfort food. So it’s not really just Filipino, it’s anything that’s familiar to people but we try to do it right.”

Coffee, tea, or wine?

For some reason, conversations become more in-depth when you are having it over drinks. It's a shame Nono’s doesn’t serve cocktails — mimosas are always a good brunch idea — but it makes up for that with (1) fabulous third-wave coffee beverages like Flat White (P145) or Americano (P135) made with beans from Australia and (2) plans of serving wine (and beer) in the very near future.

Coffee beverages more than make up for the absence of cocktails in the drinks menu

Just desserts

Better not miss a taste of one of the chef’s sweet treats since baking is her forte after all. She has around 12 to 13 different kinds of cakes that she switches around quarterly. It is absolutely essential that you sample Nono’s Chocolate Oblivion (P155/slice) and share a slice with your friends to lessen the sugary guilt.

No trip to Nono's is complete without sampling its cakes.

The cake’s outer layer is moist, the mousse in the middle is velvety, and the toffee crumbs on the side have the right amount of sweetness. Chocolate, or simply anything sweet, would just about complete your brunch experience.

Good company, good food, what more could you ask for? — LA, GMA News

Nono’s G/F, Three Central, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City. Open from 7:30am to 10pm.