And so we finally tasted FlapJacks at its branch in UP-AyalaLand Techno Hub (Diliman, Quezon City). FlapJacks is one of the very few restaurants that have opened their doors since the recent inauguration of the TechnoHUB. The other retaurants/shops (open or under construction) include Gerry’s Grill, Razon’s, KFC, Starbucks and Yellow Cab.

Anyway, I never understood why my friends say breakfast at FlapJacks is great. I’m really not picky with food and I eat even what my wife cooks, but I could say the food at FlapJacks tastes great.

I started with the Classic Pinoy, with the corned beef combo (tocino, longganisa and others are also available). The corned beef tastes good, although it closely resembles the corned beef of Purefoods. My wife ordered the Ultimate Breakfast, choosing sausage over ham, bacon and the rest of the variations. If the corned beef tastes good, the sausage tastes much greater.

Of course, you could tell me I’m wrong. In fact, I dare you to tell me I’m wrong (perfect excuse to go back and eat, then revisit my opinion). The most surprising and low-key food (at least for me and until I go back to taste the rest of the menu) in Flapjacks is the pancake.

No-frill presentation, just a number of bland-looking pancakes stacked on top of each other, with the syrup (strawberry for us given separately). No fillings or other stuff stuffed inside the pancake. But my wife says the pancake actually tastes better than that in Pancake House. It tastes better, I think, which is the reason why we go back here often (and also the reason why I don’t hesitate to tell them if the taste is different from the last one I enjoyed — mess with my ribs, not with my pancakes). Let’s hear what you think.

Anyway, there’s also free Wi-Fi, same with Starbucks and probably the rest of the establishments at the TechnnoHUB. It is, after all, a TechnoHUB. Woe to the establishment without Wi-Fi. So, you could surf all you want while gorging yourself with endless coffee. Perfect for geeks.

And so the geeks shall inherit the earth (and have breakfast at FlapJacks).

Anyway, the TechnoHub, which was inaugurated by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 21 November 2008, is intended to be like Stanford University’s Silicon Valley and MIT’s Route 128. In her speech, PGMA stated:

“This Park will serve as our country’s foremost IT laboratory, training ground and incubator of new and high-value adding products and services. Together with the Science and Technology Complex and the Science and Technology Park, it will provide the nurturing environment for new IT-based businesses that transform new technologies into useful and commercially viable services. We must make sure that it has the physical infrastructure to support the academic, scientific and technological pursuits of noted U.P.-based specialists. And as Jim said earlier, this community-like environment, campus-like environment will strengthen the synergy between the academics in R&D and the technology-based entrepreneurs. The closeness to U.P. will offer the academics a better appreciation of the needs and risks of businesses, and the entrepreneurs located so close to U.P. here in the hub and in the entire Science and Technology Park will give the entrepreneurs valuable information about R&D.”

Of course, even nerds get hungry (but I suppose people at the TechnoHub are cool, regardless of whether you consider then as nerds). Nothing to worry because there are a number of restaurants (and other commercial establishments, like the National Bookstore and banks) in the premises.

Razon’s, Reyes Barbeque, KFC, PizzaHut, Seafood Island, Le Cheng, The Old Spaghetti House.  I heard FlapJack is there and I heard FlapJack has great breakfast food. We’ll try it out one of these days (just an update: we did try it already). This is a TechnoHub and it’s a shame if you can’t be online while sipping coffee at Figaro / Starbucks or attacking the pizza at Yellow Cab (don’t worry, this is a free wifi zone).

How to get there: If you know where UP Diliman is, then you don’t really need directions because the TechnoHub is just across Commonwealth Avenue. From the Quezon Circle or the Quezon City Hall, just turn right along Congressional Avenue. Go straight past the CitiMall and the UP entrance. You’ll see the TechnoHub after around 200 meters, to your left. Take the second U-turn from there, then turn right straight into the TechnoHub.

Update: The TechnoHub is now different since the first time we went there. I’m not sure if the offices are filled up, but it’s pretty obvious that parking is beginning to get loaded. They now collect a parking fee (P20). Or maybe it’s just Sunday. I really don’t know. Perhaps our readers who are better aware of the internal policies could tell us.

Still, the TechnoHub has lots of open spaces, like the water fountains where kids (and geeks who’d want to feel like kids) are allowed to play. I’m a hermit, not a geek, but I guess there’s not much difference between the two in terms of the place they love to hang out — a place which is far from being congested.

“Congested,” as far as I’m concerned, refers more to the space between people, rather than the number of persons. Give geeks plenty of space to converge. The TechnoHub fulfills this requirement at this point. Let’s see if this could be maintained in the months to come (of course, there are lots of other factors that would determine if the TechnoHub would become a success).