Breakfast: Most places serve up some eggs and I have tried most. I look for consistency in cooking, service, cost, and coffee quality/quantity. I generally order a tomato and cheese omelette when going for breakfast and one deal killer is anyone that uses squirt cheese/spread. It's either real cheese or bust.

Top Choice: Terrace Grill (formerly Azzuru) on Fields, honorable mention Phoenix Hotel Restaurant (by the fork near Petrol Sta).

Terrace Grill has perhaps the best service of any breakfast spot I've been to. Omelets are cooked per my request every time, generous, coffee is unlimited refills and brewed vs instant. Fresh milk for those that desire it. They offer a 10% discount as well to all PIAT or AE members. A tomato and cheese omelette, unli coffee, and toast runs about 180p.

For those looking for a non-Fields location that is very relaxed/quiet, Phoenix Hotel comes in a close second. Coffee is an add-on here, but unli before noon. Same meal comes to around 225p, service can be spotty (if outside ring the bell to get their attention), but food is generally pretty good for breakfast. Coffee isn't quite as good as Terrace, but decent.

German Angel's Bakery and Coffee Shop is just past checkpoint (yellow sign). Perhaps the best fresh bread in town, reasonable prices, and convenient location. A traditional Filipino breakfast is fresh bread (pandesol) and dip it in their coffee. When my gf is in the mood for this, this is my default choice. Haven't tried the omelette's here, as I order bread and coffee. The coffee doesn't include free refills, but is pretty good quality and freshly ground and brewed.

Another option near Phoenix is Puzzles Cafe. This is a favorite of many, but here's my thoughts...

They use a combination of real cheese inside and squirt cheese on top, I am very explicit - don't put any cheese on top and 50% of the time they get it right. When they do get it right, it's a pretty good Breakfast, with cost on par with Phoenix. When they don't I send it back to the kitchen. My gf really likes their tilapsilog (fried tilapa and steamed rice).


What people often choose:

Tequilla reef: can't beat the location and they generally try to increase portion sizes to compensate for the lack of quality. Service here is poor unless your accustomed to poor service as the norm, cooking is very inconsistent, and the food is often a gut buster (poor quality cheese 1/2 cooked in the case of a tomato and cheese omelette). Coffee is unlimited and with a 10% discount for various boards, the same breakfast here runs about 205 (on par). Coffee is often served warm instead of hot as well. The only time I go here is when a visiting friends drags me here.

Phillies: try to entice people with breakfast specials but there's little substance to them (or much of the food here for the $). Coffee is instant, powdered cream here is better than their "cream", specials are very limited and if you order a comparable breakfast to other places, it's costing a bit more. Cooking is inconsistent, omelettes typically undercooked.

VFW: squirt cheese on top, more $ vs better, service ok, but typically VFW - dark and dated. Can't recommend for breakfast.

Margarita Sta: can't say the breakfasts are terrible here, they are on par with some other places mentioned. In fact, it's the only time (breakfast) I would consider the food here edible. I ding them for price (~100p high than other places mentioned), consistency (omelettes at times over or under cooked, and coffee quality lags all the places in the rec list. Why pay more for not as good? I don't unless dragged here by a visiting friend.

(Message edited by donmarco on January 30, 2015)

DM, thanks for weighing in. Your boots are on the ground, and that gives you immense gravitas.

But then, again, you're a vegetarian...

I don't think most would give restaurant reviews based around how eggs are cooked or how well filipino waitresses relay instructions about how to cook eggs!

Expounding on Epi's earliest AC lessons, don't ask the hired help to be creative -- special orders confuse them.

Re: Teq Reef, the food is OK, but consistent, and decent value with the PI@night discount, and ground zero for many of us, and you're right, they serve a ton of it for the money. Re: teq reef service, as Epi again said, the bell is on the table for a reason. I have seen you enjoy ringing the service bell in other venues!

Cottage Kitchen still serves a huge, consistent breakfast too if one is staying near friendship.

DM, again, thanks for the review, and keep them coming!

Of course no one should listen to ME about food -- I prefer McDonalds and Jollibee (burger steak) to Phillies cheapo breakfasts!

Actually porker, I've tried or my gf has tried a wide variety of options veggie and meat based. I try to be a bit more rigorous in terms of restaurant reviews and do an apples-to-apples comparison. In this case (breakfast), I order identical breakfast at all places in order to accurately judge quality.

I special order much of the time for all meals as I'm pretty exact in terms of how I want my food prepared and with a little patience, many places get it. Any place that can't, isn't a place I want to entrust my gut or waste my pesos. Thus why there's choices in the market.

No, in a perfect world a we shouldn't have to provide instructions to a waitress how to cook their eggs. Now in reality, when eating at a places that I KNOW can't cook an egg properly because a friend likes to eat there, I will be explicit. If you/someone doesn't care about eating under cooked eggs and the bacteria/potential gut issues, then by all means roll the dice. I haven't had a GI issue eating mostly street food and restaurants between here and thailand in 15 years, so my diligence in terms of food preparation seems to pay dividends.

IMHO TR is far from consistent in terms of cooking quality and prep. As for service, it's not about me using a bell vs not, it's about the attention to detail and responsiveness. It ranks very low relative to venues I listed above in many cases. In fact, they are one of the worst choices in terms of service as well as cooking aptitude.

Cottage kitchen is an ok choice in terms of end product and service, but not a good value relative to choices above. I wouldn't go there for breakfast unless I had a reason to (personally speaking). Puzzles and Phoenix are better options.

Note, recommendations are a function of food quality, service, and value equally weighted).

(Message edited by donmarco on January 31, 2015)

I routinely pull a ST lady from Raymond street for breakfast. But since I don't eat them (and would advise anyone not to), I can't comment on how they taste. Service is usually pretty good and they are mostly fairly good about accommodating any special orders I may have. Lately the presentation has not been quite as ascetic as in the past but I still enjoy a good hearty Raymond street breakfast ST every morning when I'm in AC.

IAS, fine, but you're never ever awake before 11am, so technically you have to consider that brunch.

Avoiding breakfast meats in AC is always a wise decision. While not a vegetarian, I've yet to find what I would consider edible bacon or sausage in AC. Grease and fat is all the stuff amounts to.

On Tequila Reef. Quantity is not an issue. I find their food incomprehensibly bad, and their service worse. Having lived most of my life in places where awesome and inexpensive Mexican food is everywhere, the stuff served at Tequila Reef is an insult to Mexican culture and cuisine. The people responsible should be lined up and shot.

I agree 100% Bwana.

Re: TQ consistency, thought I was quoting from a DM PI@ review a few weeks back...

I guess the recent experiences were worse?

Or depends on which board one posts on, DM?

IAS, they actually taste pretty good. Like with other service providers described above, clear instructions on preparing the food is necessary, primarily involving washing it, and I often wash it myself just to be sure.

DM: What is "unli" coffee? I ate breakfast a number of times at Terrace Grill, and definitely liked their coffee, even though it took several minutes to prepare each new cup.

Tequila reef? Yuk...

Ate there once...I do not think I got thru 25% of the meal...what a waste of molecules....

There is a chinese resturant on McArthur...2-3 blocks from McDonalds...same side...going towards center town....I like it there...good meals...

Hman, re: "brewed coffee", it's a special order, and OMG, wow, why would they make more than 1 pot or boil water in anticipation of such a weird request?

Unli = unlimited with the purchase of breakfast.

Yes, it takes a little time (usually wait about 3-4 minutes) as theirs in brewed and they also heat their fresh milk.

Don Marco;
appreciate the food comments. not an expert on where to eat in AC but i could say you have to see where you can get the most for your money. ciertainly i wouldn't pay any money in a place that is not worth even been there!!!
not a vegetarian and not sure DM is, so, if he is it shouldn't make a difference his comments, his choice and his alone. I do love meat and while not get bacon or saugage every b'fast, don't mind have them once in a while to break the monotony!!! TR is a hit and miss based on my eating experiences there and Margarita station i do like it for the generous portions they give (unless change by now!!!!). also, i beleive DM is right saying you should get what you order, after all he's a paying customer.
thanks for the info and planning to be there for a week and then come back to Bangkok.

MarcoPolo