I know a lot of you had been already to the summer capital of the Philippines so many times (thanks to the expressways that made the ride shorter from Manila). And maybe had been with a lot of restaurants or food shops more than I did. But I just wanted to share some of the food that made my taste buds smile and I'm aiming to update this post from time to time if I will have a chance to visit Baguio again.
Baguio if you noticed had been so crowded especially on a holiday seasons. The reason that most of the food hubs and restaurants that you will find in Manila conquered Baguio as well because of the large consumer. But when you are on the different place, make sure to taste the local food. "A must" for those travelling in new places as it is like knowing the place and the culture thru its taste.
I have only few but I promise to have a longer list next time.
1 | Vizco's Restaurant and Cake Shop
Location: Session Road, Baguio City, Philippines
Visco's has a variety of menu to choose from a rice meals of pork, beef and chicken, from the burgers to pastas and pizzas. But what made them popular, guess what? Yes, their cakes. And the price was affordable. You can have a large slice of cake ranging to P60.00 up to P100.00. A box of cake ranges to P400 up to P3000 depends on the sizes and flavors. They have also tarts and pies. Good for pasalubong.
We orderd pasta and pizza (yes, I love Italian food) and I think it was okay but not remarkable. Good thing there was a cake.
And tadaan, everytime I'm in Baguio, I always looked forward for STRAWBERRIES. I am such a strawberry person. There was a variety of cake flavors to choose but without hesitation, I picked the Strawberry Cake. And I made the right decision. It was heaven! The best starwberry cake I have tasted. No wonder Vizco's is a gem in Baguio. The strawberries were large and fresh and the cake itself was really a mouth watering. Two thumbs up!
And this was the hubby before we ravished the cake. He was not a fan of strawberry so I thought I will have the cake all by myself but when he tasted it, he just didn't stop. :)
I was hoping they can bring Visco's in Manila but on a second thought, what makes it more special is that you can only locate it on Baguio. So I think it is better that way.
2 | Cafe by the Ruins
Location: 25 Shuntug Roag, Baguio City (near Burnham Park)
Cafe by the Ruins is popular for its ambiance and tasty local in-house made ingredients and Filipino menu. Prices of main courses were ranging to P200.00 - P400.00 per person. The restaurant was like a breath of fresh air since beyond the developments in the City and modernization of the structures, they preserved the place to still look old but homey. A combination of woods and old concreted wall with wooden furniture and bamboo fences and plants of greens inside. I'm not sure of the history of the place but it seems like it was really a ruined house that was developed into a food haven.
We went on a dinner at around 6:30 PM and there was already a line. We got seated after 15 mins.
We ordered their Ruins Herb Tea. A combination of lemon grass and mint leaves served on a pot with a honey and a lemon wedge on a side. Classic right?! :)
We had a soup which I forgot to remember what kind and a lemon chicken nuggets for appetizer (forgot to take a photos). For the main course, we ordered one of the house specialty, the Baguio Bagnet. The meal came with a brown rice, a tender pork belly, a Podas Bagoong and tomato relish. Overall, except of the lemony chicken, the food was new and good. But I think it was a little over priced. The place really helped to make the waiting worthy.
And we were full! Look at our empty plates. :D
3 | Strawberry Taho
Location: Everywhere in Baguio
I like taho. And I like strawberry. Yes, there's a difference. ;-) It was a little weird at first but was not a bad idea at all.
4 | Strawberry Ice Cream
Location: Strawberry Farm, La Trinidad, Benguet
As I told you, I am a strawberry person and definitely an ice cream person. So imagine combining the two. That was pure heaven. And where was the better place to taste it, of course to the home of the strawberries. But no, we didn't ride to Benguet from Baguio just to taste the ice cream (but I know I won't mind if that was the only purpose we had). We came to Benguet for the strawberry picking and it won't be complete without the ice cream. There are strawberry ice cream around Baguio but this one from the farm is a dirty ice cream that they claimed to be all natural.
I was so excited that I tasted it first before taking the photo. Hahaha! It was hard to wait. And oh my, the best strawberry ice cream I have ever tasted! No exaggeration! It was like raw, fresh picked strawberry. Just wow!
So there, I hope I did convinced you to try and have a taste of Baguio.
x o x o
Faith