All day breakfast at IHOP, Dubai Mall

Breakfast is generally considered the most important meal of the day. But with first world issues like rush hours, travel times, work stress and the need for sleep on weekends, people are increasingly missing out on the chance to try certain dishes that are exclusive to the “king’s” meal of the day.

In a very typical problem solving business model, some restaurants have taken up the newer concept of serving “all day breakfast”, allowing food lovers to experience all the goodness of the early morning meal, any time of the day. This brings us to IHOP!

Located in Dubai Mall, this eatery offers a huge indoor and outdoor dining space. The plus point: you get to watch the Dubai water fountains if you are lucky enough to get a space on their terrace! But since we visited on a Friday, the outdoors were obviously occupied and so we decided to have our breakfast dinner indoors.

Although that’s what they are famous for, IHOP’s menu is not just limited to breakfast items. They offer a wide variety of American diner classics like burgers, sandwiches and steak too. But well, I would have gone to a Chilis or TGI Fridays if I wanted my dose of those.

For two light to moderate eaters, I must say we ordered a lot of items, but their menu was so tempting, I just decided to order them all and get them packed later on if required (which I did).

We started off with drinks and chose to order the signature IHOP splashers – Splashberry and Tropical Island Twist.

I opted for the Splashberry which was a tangy mixture of strawberries with orange juice and lemony soda. I loved the way it was presented – a light orange to red gradient – with a strawberry heart!

The Tropical Island Twist was a sparkling lemonade with a splash of mango syrup. This too had a lovely presentation – light lemon to yellow gradient – served with a wedge of lemon on the rim.

For mains, we ordered the Garden Omelette from the Hearty Omelettes section which came with a side of three buttermilk pancakes. Now since we were dining in the International House of Pancakes, having pancakes on the list was a must!

The omelette as the name suggested was HEARTY! Made with four eggs and cheese, it was prepared using their signature buttermilk pancake batter which gave it that extra fluffiness and since we opted for the garden style, it came with an abundance of peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions.

We also ordered a side of brown bread for a carb accompaniment to the eggs. The brown bread pieces were soft and warm. They came with a pre-packaged packets of jam and butter.

The pancakes, topped with a dollop of whipped cream were just heavenly. Each table in IHOP is equipped with a syrup stand that contains old fashioned maple, strawberry, blueberry and butter pecan flavored syrups in individual jars. The fun in ordering plain pancakes is that you can try it with all the flavors!

The next dish on our order was Chicken and Waffles. This was a new addition to the menu and even though it was not a part of our dining plan, it looked so delicious, we just had to go for it. After all, who could resist waffles?

The dish totally lived up to my expectations! Four crispy chicken tenders served with warm waffle quarters along with honey mustard and whipped butter dips. If there was one way to define comfort food, this was it.

Overall my experience was delightful!

My Visit: 21st November 2014 – Dinner

I would recommend this place for: Obviously for breakfast. But brunch or lunch with family or friends should be fine too. Yes, their concept aims at making breakfast available at anytime of the day, but eating such a heavy meal at night – not a good choice. Also, if you plan on watching the fountains, try going at early evenings on weekdays.

The occasion: If you want to try out a variety of dishes, I suggest go for an occasion that calls for a big group dine. This way you can order everything on their breakfast menu – pancakes, omelettes, french toast, waffles & coffee pot – without the guilt.

The food: 5/5 The waffles were to die for. The drinks were creative too. Next time I will try their famous coffee pot and maybe go in for a more customized serving of pancakes.

The value: The portion sizes were in one word – hearty. Great taste and great value – just perfect!

1 Splashberry – AED 16

1 Tropical Island Twist – AED 16

1 Hearty Omelette with side of 3 pancakes – AED 44

1 Chicken and Waffles – AED 49

1 Brown bread side – AED 5

Total: AED 130

The ambience: 5/5 The indoor seating area is bright and spacious. I did check the outdoor terrace and although a little low on light, it makes for an enjoyable experience. Or best, go there when the sun is out.

The Experience: 5/5 The service was friendly and quick. I liked the personal attention and casual attitude of the servers.