République was in a historic building that dates to 1929 and built by Charlie Chaplin.  Later it became La Brea Bakery and Campanile Restaurant.  République is owned by Chefs Walter and Margarita Manzke who have tried to build on this history and offer a casual cafe, bar and a formal dining area in the rear.  In 2023 Chef Margarita won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef for her work at the restaurant.  The couple have worked with a number of well known restaurants and now have 16 Wildflour Bakeries in the Philippines.  They open mornings for breakfast entrees and counter service and offer French-style dinners Tues through Sat.  It was a large airy space spread over multiple rooms with an open kitchen and an open bakery area on each side of one of the rooms.  As you entered there were several counters of baked goods but no greeter so it was a tad confusing, but we found menus and then after asking learned that you placed your order at the counter, got a number and they’d bring the food to your table.   A server located us and brought our coffee pot and a container of water.  There were tables with utensils and napkins which I grabbed but I’m not sure if the server was supposed to bring those too.  The menu had a number of creative items and the baked goods looked inviting.  The food was good but I don’t think we got the best of what they do,  It was quite popular so they’re doing something right.  Give it a try and be sure to get the Morning’s Bread, the baguette was first-rate.

Set-Up

 

Food

Salted caramel brioche was at the counter so it was handed to us after we paid.  The buttery flakey pastry was filled with a vanilla custard.  The topping was sweet and sticky and it was good but not the best I’ve ever had.

 

Shakshouka was wood oven baked tomatoes and peppers with black kale, chickpeas, and soft poached eggs, yogurt, baguette.  The eggs were fudgy on the yolk and too runny on the whites.  I thought it would be more of a shirred egg and thus blend nicely.  It came with baguette pieces too.

 

Gioiella Ricotta Toast was topped with cara cara orange, blood orange, tangerine, dates, toasted pistachio, wildflower honey, and mint.  It was a thick slice of toast that seemed to have wheat in the bread as opposed to a thick sliced baguette.  The ricotta was too thick for me as it dominated.  The fruits were sweet and nice except for the kumquat which was too musky.

 

Bacon Steak was a maple-glazed thick slice of smokey bacon.  It was good but one would have been plenty for the two of us.

 

This Morning’s Bread came with French butter and jam.  It was the best of what we had.  The baguette was perfection in its crust and crumb.  Fine butter added to it nicely.  Not sure what kind of jam it was just sweet and dark.