Bruno's

Bruno is Swiss. And like all good Swiss people, who aren't wealthy bankers, dairy farmers, or chocolatiers, Bruno owns a deli. Alright, so its a bad stereotype, but somehow stereotyping neutral western European countries just doesn't make one feel that guilty, especially considering everyone loves the Swiss (as far as I know). Anyhow, Bruno's is an western oasis in the middle of a culture where meat stewed in vinegar with rice is the norm. The food here in Puerto is generally pretty good, and the freshness of the seafood is beyond compare, but being a westerner in the Philippines, sometimes I simply crave something that isn't served with rice. The typical "American Breakfast" that you can find some places, comes with hotdog wieners if you want sausage, and beyond this, I avoid anything labeled "American Food" for the same reason I stay away from the local Dunkin' Donuts, to avoid perpetuating stereotypes.

So Bruno's is half store, where you can buy all sorts of confectionaries, chocolates, canned and packaged goods, deli cold cuts, and good cheeses, for the most part imported from Europe. You can even buy an A&W root beer. The other half is a restaurant, where they serve excellent German style bratwursts, weisswursts, schnitzels, and the like, and even steaks imported from Australia (where they have great steaks). The breakfast here includes real ham or sausage, eggs, and beautiful hashbrowns. It's a once a week luxury that I have found myself somewhat addicted to. When paying, on the first occasion I ate there, the girl at the counter asked me if I was married to a Filipino (not because she was interested), because it seems that most white guys who live in the Philippines generally are (once again perpetuating the stereotype).