Where to go when food tripping in Baguio

Baguio comes top of mind whenever there’s an upcoming long weekend or holiday in the metro. Its lush landscape and cool climate make it an attractive destination for city dwellers. It’s also my preferred destination because of the fresh food finds there and because it’s home to one of my favorite fruits: the strawberry.

 

I always make it a point to buy fresh strawberries from roaming street vendors, roadside stalls, or the public market. I like the sweet and tart combination of this crimson berry that has found its way into other foodstuffs. Whenever I see a taho vendor, for instance, I always order a cup of strawberry taho or two. The strawberry syrup replaces the usual sugary brown syrup and gives it a fruity punch.
 

I found another strawberry-inspired drink in Choco-late de Batirol (Igorot Park, Camp John Hay, Baguio City). I couldn’t resist the beverage that combines my two favorites flavors, strawberry and chocolate. The hot drink confused my palate a bit because of the sweet and sour flavor of the strawberry mixing with the bittersweet taste of the chocolate. Nonetheless, I finished the whole mug as I devoured my bibingka. It was indeed a filling snack.

 

The Baguio Craft Brewery (RKC Building, 120 Marcos Highway, Km 4, Baguio City) is another destination that I seriously included in my itinerary. I heard it serves strawberry-flavored beer! I was impressed by the microbrewery's offers of quite a nice selection of craft beers. While looking at the drink list, the lady by the bar offered us samples of the beer on tap and even explained each brew. While savoring the beer, we were educated about the different characteristics and flavor profiles, and discovered our favorites in the process. Since I was in Baguio, I just had to try the strawberry beer or Lagud, which is part of the flagship line inspired by Ifugao Mythology’s five realms. We happily settled on the roof deck and leisurely drank our beers while enjoying the cool breeze.
 

There’s more to Baguio than strawberries though. Another thing that the province is known for is its fresh produce. One of the restaurants that advocates healthy vegetarian fare is Oh My Gulay (5th Floor, La Azotea Building, Session Road, Baguio City), a popular art-café establishment. My hubby was satisfied with the pasta dish he ordered, while I relished the Oh My Gulay Rice, a complete meal with native brown rice and ten kinds of vegetables topped with Mongolian sauce, steamed tofu and omelet. I didn’t feel guilty at all about finishing the carbo-loaded meal. After we ate everything on our plates, we walked around the establishment and looked around the art spaces with exhibits on display. 

 

Another institution in Baguio is Café by the Ruins (25 Chuntug Street, Baguio City), a restaurant that has welcomed all kinds of customers for around 20 years or so. It took us a couple of attempts before we were able to get a table and taste its version of fresh, home-cooked cuisine. We had to wait in line for about an hour to get inside and several more minutes for our orders to arrive. While waiting, diners may purchase and munch on its signature breads like the Kamote Clover Leaf Buns, but we saved our appetite for the main course. My husband the carnivore gravitated towards the smoked Baguio-style longaniza meal. I, on the other hand, went for the healthier route and got the Sagada Rice meal, which is upland rice with stir-fried vegetables and poached eggs. We made sure to finish the last morsel on our plates since we waited a really long time for the food.
 

Café Sabel (BenCab Museum, Asin Road, Tuba, Benguet) is another place where you should eat in leisure. The al fresco restaurant is located within the BenCab Museum, which has a good view of the forest and the pond. I found out that some of the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced from the establishment’s organic farm, including the coffee that’s why we requested for a cup of the BenCab’s Brew. The menu included some rice meals and pasta, but we went for something light, a grilled chicken panini sandwich, which was overloaded with fresh lettuce and tomato. The ambiance may be better than the food, but we enjoyed our experience there anyway.

 

These are just some of my food finds in Baguio, and I am certain there are a lot more to be discovered. On my next trip, I’ll make sure to try new places and taste new flavors, after all, that is my mantra whenever I travel. — VC, GMA News