This is one of my two favorites (the other one’s their kare-kareng bagnet) from Solibao, a local restaurant in Baguio that serves Pinoy dishes at very affordable prices.
We haven’t seen a proper sunny day in quite a while, and though puto bumbong—a native Filipino delicacy—seems better consumed in the cold, today it reminded me of sunny days, of normalcy, and of the simple, little things that make life sweet.
Related post: Eats More Fun in Baguio 
Olive Magazine Philippines
Issue 8
Eat Like A Local: Baguio City
Words by Nikka Corsino
Photos by Owen Ballesteros
This piece was inspired by my blog post, Eats More Fun In Baguio.
2:00 PM, one day in May, skies were gloomy from the thunderstorm the night before, which also explained why I was there that afternoon sitting on one of Cafe Will’s chairs on its balcony–power was cut off twice since 8 AM, and I didn’t want to rely on it to get some writing going.
I couldn’t yet take advantage of the restaurant’s free wifi though, having burned my phone’s battery off earlier in the day (to pass the time while power was out, what else). But the cool afternoon air, and the faintest stream of sunlight I could see from my spot, were all keeping my unwired self quite at home. It wasn’t only about this post-rain atmosphere though; I found Korean-owned Cafe Will–which didn’t look Korean in any way–cozy and quiet, with not a view of the street right outside. Apart from the two middle-aged women speaking in rather loud Ilocano several tables away, we were the only guests at that time.
(L) It’s a good place to while the time away, quite literally; (R) or in rare productive moments, write down a blog entry (THIS blog entry). Photo by Owen Ballesteros
My stomach grumbled in protest as we heard the speaker from the main hall blurt out ‘So Slow,’ definitely not the best one you’d want to hear when all you’ve had for breakfast was coffee. Besides, I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to take that pace with the bulalo and Cafe Will Flaming Burger–a house specialty–we had been waiting for.
I looked around for some diversion instead–the place sure lets in generous amounts of Baguio breeze, and the couches on the main dining area look very promising for a good five-hour stay (besides, they serve everything from burgers and fries to sinigang to fried ice cream to cognac to mojitos, so I figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to keep busy once here).
Or you can always swing away here. Photo by Owen Ballesteros
That early–still waiting for that bulalo–I was already thinking about getting my fix of their chicken and cheese quesadilla on my next jaunt to Legarda (the dish is a preferred grease-and-fat treat, but which I get from another joint along Session Road).
I didn’t have much time to mull over getting a quesadilla that same day, though, as a big stainless pot of bulalo was soon laid down on a portable stove before us, the green bok choy (Chinese cabbage) and the yellow sweet corn looking very photogenic in the middle of all that beef and broth–which by the way smelled really good (and on that thought, I also loved the stove–when you’re dining al fresco in Baguio, you’d know what happens to your soup five minutes after it’s served).
The bulalo was delicious enough–the tender beef made sure of that–although it is by no means magical, if you know what I mean. I still love the home-made version better–a dish my dad can expertly whip up on a Saturday–where the beef is slow-cooked in wood fire for hours. Cafe Will’s serving can fill in two hungry average persons (the menu states it’s good for 2 to 3 persons, but I don’t think so).
The so-called Cafe Will Flaming Burger also came, except that it didn’t look too glorious save for the fat layer of beef inside which was three quarters of an inch thick. For one, the bun looked terribly ordinary and was too small to even hold the whole thing together, let alone eat it with your bare hands like any good burger should be eaten. It came with several slices of cheese–weird-looking slices, but thick enough nonetheless); and–hold your calories–fried egg. It reminded me of Villa Cordillera’s iteration, though I find the latter tastier and better overall. The Flaming Burger also pales in comparison to The Flying Gecko’s very own specialty, the Good Ole’ Burger, which uses fresher greens, bigger tomatoes, tastier beef patties, nicely sliced cheese, and yes, a way better pair of buns for roughly the same price (P270).
Photo by Owen Ballesteros
But the best moment didn’t come until dessert, courtesy of the Bak Lava (other sources spell it Baklava), a staple sweet treat in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Cafe Will’s version was a tower-like assemblage of crispy-thin dough, with warm, sugar-glazed bananas sandwiched in between, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, and chocolate syrup. It was sweet, hot, and crispy all at the same time–something I figured would be the perfect cap to several mouthfuls of quesadilla next time.
Photo by Owen Ballesteros
The best one deserves two photos, of course. Photo by Owen Ballesteros
Worth a visit when the wind blows you to Baguio, Cafe Will is located at Legarda Road corner MH Del Pilar St., Baguio City. Average dish price is P300.
This is not a sponsored post.
All photos found on this post are by Owen Ballesteros.
Nothing is better for that big vat of coffee than a natural cold to drink it with. But coffee (or hot chocolate, for that matter) isn’t the only edible thing best consumed in the Baguio cold. Here are some of the best places you can retire at at the end of a long walk around the city (which I’m sure you’re going to have to do, especially come Panagbenga weekend).
1. Hill Station
Average price per dish: P300
Location: Below SM City Baguio
Clockwise from top: Death by Chocolate Cake (their best-selling dessert), Crispy Duck Flakes, and Steak and Prawns Peri-Peri. Photos by Owen Ballesteros
Though on the steep side, Hill Station remains one of Baguio’s best restaurants. It’s warm and cozy and the food gives you that fuzzy feeling you will remember Baguio by. It’s also a great place to impress a date (large French windows, wooden panels, and a grand staircase–the works).
But Hill Station is just a fourth of what this spot is all about, the remaining three being Casa Vallejo’s hotel, North Haven Spa, and Mt. Cloud Bookshop. They’re housed inside Casa Vallejo, the more-than-a-century-old former hotel that was literally leaning on one side until 2010 when it was restored.
Literally steps away from one another, these four spots are guaranteed sources of pure Baguio bliss. You can literally wake up from slumber, eat steak, have a full body strawberry scrub, and then read a book right after with your cup of coffee on hand. To say it’s convenient almost sounds blasphemous more than an underestimation. The idea almost seems too damn good to be true, but hey, it is.
[See also: Back to the old American Hill Station]
2. Cafe by the Ruins
Average price per dish: P200
Location: Below the Baguio City Hall, beside Eurotel Baguio
This is perhaps the only restaurant in Baguio that serves Coffee Alamid–yeah, civet cat dung. I haven’t gotten around to forking out P300 for a cup though. For those who can’t deal with that prospect yet, Cafe by the Ruins serves up hearty meals that have beguiled countless people all these years. Usually doubling as an art gallery for local artists, Cafe by the Ruins’ decor is almost never permanent, and that’s one good reason to keep coming back.
3. PNKY Cafe
Average price per dish: P200
Location: On the way to Teacher’s Camp; just across the so-called Baguio Haunted House (the white one).
One word for PNKY: fascinating. Every person who has made it his or her life’s work to travel will feel right at home at PNKY with its lomo-littered counter, souvenirs of the owners’ travels around the world. If you find the wooden Diana mock-up table napkin on your table interesting enough, you can buy it (just please don’t nick it). Everything there–furniture included–is for sale (though I think not the suitcase, as shown in photo above).
Food options have globe-trotting leanings: Lake Como Catch, Beef a la Seine, Roman Holiday, Vaticani, Le Louvre, Chicken Spinach Riviera, Under the Tuscan Sun, Ciao Bela Carbonara, Anne Frank Omelette, and Leaning Tower of Pancakes, among others.
PNKY also has a Bed and Breakfast.
4. Villa Cordillera
Average price per dish: P150
Location: Outlook Drive
Clockwise from top: quarter-pound cheeseburger, Lechon Kawali, and Pinakbet with Bagnet. Photos by Owen Ballesteros
You can’t dine at the Baguio Country Club if you’re not a member, but you can taste their superb coffee (yes, the exact same thing, at P35 with refill) and their even more famed raisin bread (the.exact.same.raisin-pockmarked.bread) at Villa Cordillera, a bed and breakfast and restaurant operated by the BCC Corporation. The catch: food here is affordable, and typical servings are more than enough for two persons (as usually happens to us). Since barely anyone dines here (it’s a bit far off, but nowhere a cab cannot reach), you’ll have the peace and quiet all to yourself (plus the rather great view of the golf course and pines at the balcony, so you better go al fresco).
5. Solibao
Average price per dish: P150
Location: Along Session Road (along the lane of Starbucks); Burnham Park (near Melvin Jones Grandstand)
Baguio spoils me with Christmas weather all year long, and Solibao spoils me even more with piping hot, delectable, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth puto bumbong any time of the day, any day of the week. For P45, you get a generous serving of this purple goodness, with enough coconut, butter, and muscovado sugar to fuse together for that heartwarming taste you can only associate with Christmas morning.
Solibao’s Kare-Kareng Bagnet is another guilty pleasure. Their Session Road branch cooks it perfectly every time, though its lack of open-air windows tends to keep the place too warm to be comfortable. Their Burnham Park branch, on the other hand, has a superb al fresco option which never fails to polish off even the simplest of meals (though I have yet to try the Kare-Kareng Bagnet on this particular branch).
6. Volante
Average price per dish: P150
Location: Along Session Road (along the lane of KFC and Pizza Hut)
Photos by Owen Ballesteros
Order anything in Volante and you’re sure to love it. You’ll love it even more because it’s so affordable you can practically order the whole menu if you’re hungry enough. On a personal note, Volante conjures up memories of countless satisfactory breakfasts, lunches, and dinners–even those taken at the ungodly hour of 2 AM, right after hopping off a bus from Manila (yeah, it’s open 24 hours).
We’ve dined with friends and family here more than any other restaurant, and bumped into friends we haven’t seen in a while right in this place, simply because everyone considers it the same way: like a home we come back to over and over again.
I particularly love their four-cheese pizza. Actually, I can eat any pizza on their menu–and it’s all because of the crust. It’s soft and gummy and served fresh from the oven, and you can have your very own six-inch serving for under P100 (I’m not kidding).
For breakfast, I highly recommend their Waffles + Omelet, a super heavy combination (2 big waffles + an omelet with your choice of filling) for P112. Their coffee is the cheapest yet of the good coffees I’ve had at P28 (with refill!), while their P28 lemongrass tea is just as satisfactory. Pair that up with their salad with shrimp and blue cheese–not only are you doing your body a great favor by avoiding the fat and oil; you’re also going to feel so full you’d forget you ate just leaves.
UPDATE: January 27, 2013: Pizza Volante has another branch at Wright Park, beside the Ketchup Food Community, and another one at Camp John Hay’s Technohub.
7. Gecko
Average price per dish: P200
Location: Session Road, along the lane of KFC and Pizza Hut
UPDATE (Sept. 21, 2012): As of this writing, the Flying Gecko has unfortunately closed down.
Clockwise from top: Strawberry & Peach Melba, Good Ole Burger, and Wheatgrass tea
The Flying Gecko looks like a cross between a pub and a coffee shop, but all’s good in a place that knows its burgers well. The Good Ole Burger, their signature dish at P300, is a quarter of a pound of juicy meat sandwiched between an unnumbered layer of cheese and greens. Their assorted tapas are great with beer as well. Neutralize all the burger fat with their Wheatgrass tea and you’re ready to cap off your meal with sweet Strawberry and Peach Melba. And it’s open 24 hours too.
8. Tea House
Average price per dish: P100
Location: Session Road, along the lane of Starbucks (look for the big black and white photo of a baby plastered on a window and you’re there. You’re not going to miss it.)
The thing that delights Chona most probably will delight you too.
Two words: Chona’s Delight. Make that with an exclamation point: Chona’s Delight!
Tea House’s Chona’s Delight looks like milk, cream, chocolate, and pudding mixed in gleeful abandon with sugar and poured on microwavable containers, with the smallest effort at presentation from the five loosely circular white shapes on top, which I can only assume were meant to be flowers. But Chona’s Delight is sweet, frozen, creamy heaven–something you’d think only your mother will be kind enough to whip up for you. For P110, you take home a piece of that cold goodness with you. I get giddy everytime I buy one. Until now.
9. Vizco’s
Average price per dish: P150
Location: Session Road, along the lane of Starbucks
Not far off from Tea House is the home of the strawberry shortcake–a round assembly of white and scarlet, the latter courtesy of strawberries sitting on top of the heap, filling every space possible. Nobody does this shortcake better than Vizco’s, and since you’re in Baguio, never leave without the most delectable strawberries in town.
10. Rumours
Average price per dish: P150
Location: Session Road, along the lane of Starbucks
Photo by Owen Ballesteros
Rumours is a pub with a gelato. You can’t have better beer elsewhere, because only Rumours gives you that rather cramped space that lets you sit practically shoulder to shoulder with the person on the next table.The pub is of course abuzz at night, though you can still have your gelato fix at noon in the deserted dining area.
Others you may want to try out:
O My Gulay
Serves vegetarian fare, but the really mind-blowing thing about this place is its interiors. Just see for yourself. If Georgina Wilson was impressed, maybe you will too. It’s on top of La Azotea building along Session Road, on the same lane as Pizza Hut and KFC.
Forest House
Dining at Forest House means eating their specialty, the distinctly Pinoy dish Crispy Bagnet, inside a profusely decorated log cabin. They might have had a fireplace somewhere to complete the look, though I can’t be too sure about it. Forest House also has a Bed and Breakfast just below (read this if you wanna know more). It is located along Loakan Road, walking distance from the Panagbenga Park and Nevada Square, one of two Baguio nightlife spots (aside from Legarda St.).
Photos by Owen Ballesteros
Choco-late de Batirol
The best start to a cold morning is, aside from coffee, a steaming vat of rich, nutty hot chocolate straight from the jar (you can choose from their original blend or those infused with cinnamon, strawberry, etc). And while you’re at it, you may try their Vigan longganiza as well. It’s located inside Camp John Hay, just after the entrance gate nearest the Baguio Country Club.
Photos by Owen Ballesteros
[See also: Baguio brew and Panagbenga 2012 Guide]
‘Simple’ hardly describes Baguio today. And yet everyone who visits this city in the mountains wants a simpler version of it—sans the heavy traffic and the commercial establishments that draw in more people than they can comfortably accommodate.
Now, what’s simpler than a steaming vat of chocolate, rich and nutty and sweet and warm, while curled up in a wooden chair (feet up, why not?) in the company of the cool mountain air which thankfully we don’t have to compete for—just yet?
Choco-late de Batirol, located in Igorot Park inside Camp John Hay, is not exactly new. It is, in fact, popular among the tourist crowd. Who else could appreciate the coziness of the whole Choco-late de Batirol concept than those who’ve been living off city stench, horrendous traffic, and the constant threat of being stripped off of your belongings?
This Choco-late de Batirol concept, after all, is not difficult to love.
For one, it has leaves—literally—from walls to ceiling. It has far too many of them I was wondering how the structure is being held up together so it won’t collapse. From outside, it rather looks like a tree house, only that it’s not on top of a tree. But you do know what I mean.
The interior is very simple—wooden tables and chairs, the kind you see for sale along Marcos Highway—clumped neatly in corners, allowing you and your companions to be at peace with the environment (and hopefully, with yourselves and one another). The only overpowering thing around is the rich aroma of chocolate greeting you as you enter (what a grand entrance, eh?)
Their menu is nothing flashy too—just well-loved home-cooked dishes—beef steak (their bestseller, according to the friendly waitress who served us that day); Longganiza Vigan; boneless daing na bangus, tokwa’t baboy, dinuguan, etc. Pinoy merienda staples are also available—goto, pansit palabok, suman sa lihia, turron de langka, and bibingka.
Pair any—or all—of these with their signature choco-late de batirol (hot chocolate made fresh from cocoa beans, stirred in a clay pot,
served steaming hot). One can actually choose from six variants: Traditional Blend, Baguio Blend (strawberry-flavored), Cinnamon, Cointreau, Almond, and Kahlua. Cold versions are also served (Baguio Classic, Strawberry Fields, Cinnamon Swirl, Orange Tang, Almond Essence, and Choco Banana), but we opted for the hot blends when we visited—the Traditional blend and the Baguio blend.
Their Traditional Blend could do with a bit more sweetness, though, and don’t get me wrong—I’m a lover of bittersweet chocolate. But it had the characteristic nutty richness we all love about authentic hot chocolate, not those we get off supermarket shelves.
We ordered Longganizang Vigan and Bistek Baka to go with our hot chocolate, and finished the meal off with Suman sa Lihia, reminding me to sprinkle—or rather pour—muscovado sugar bits to my suman next time. Beats white sugar any time of the day. And though the servings looked measly, they were actually filling—a reminder once again to never take your food at face value—at least not after you’ve had your fill.
Healthy, wholesome, home-cooked food; a simple, natural environment to clear and rejuvenate your senses (yeah, no Wi-Fi, and it’s a little far from the city proper so you can’t just run from one spot to another); and just a warm cup of no-nonsense hot chocolate to warm yourself with. And yeah, don’t forget that cool scent of pines around you.
And that, friend, is Baguio giving you a warm welcome.
–
~Choco-late de Batirol is located near Camp John Hay’s Gate 2 (near Baguio Country Club). It’s easy to miss because the place looks like grass overgrowth. It’s a breath away from Gate 2, so really, you can just walk. 
~Photos from this post, except the fifth one in the series above, is by Owen Ballesteros.
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| The reborn Casa Vallejo on Upper Session Road is a living reminder of Baguio City from a century back. Photo by Sherwin Ballesteros |
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| Located six feet under, Hill Station brings you to a world entirely its own. |
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| Hill Station’s Steak and Prawn Peri-Peri: The perfect comfort food for both the weary and not. |
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| Death by Chocolate Cake: Hill Station’s offering for the sweet-toothed. |