Hello, Baguio!

I always look forward to our yearly trip to Baguio.  Erman's dad is a PMA alum so we always tag along for the homecoming weekend.

Our favorite way to start the day!

I just realized that this is my 6th PMA weekend!  And every year Erman and I spend our Saturday morning at our favorite place, Cafe by the Ruins.  I also love their organic market!  I was able to buy a few punnets of cherry tomatoes and strawberries.   Yay!  No cape gooseberry this time though.

brewed coffee and a cute shaped sweetener

Happy and festive!

Really excited to check out Ketchup: The food community later.   The food community is just across Wright Park. Maybe I'll rent a horse and go riding? Happy weekend folks! :)

Happy Saturday

Started the day with a perfect cup of coffee

followed by a  yummy breakfast

Erman's order came with a heart shaped egg!

Stared at the pastries for a while.  Just look at that frosting!  Next time I might just buy one :D 

Went shopping at my favorite organic market.

Dropped by a very nice and cozy bookstore

and bought this wonderful cat book :D  I really love Saturday mornings in Baguio!

Places to love in Baguio: House of Waffles

[UPDATE 2/2/14: Place in now closed] Waffles for breakfast? Yes please!

I was so happy when we decided to have breakfast at The House of Waffles in Camp John Hay.  I'm not sure, but I think this restaurant used to be Country Waffles.

Golden waffle served with butter and maple syrup.

We also ordered a yummy Mexican style omelet!  It had jalapeno peppers, cheese, sour cream and tomatoes.  Served with toast and hash brown.  Our meals didn't come with coffee so we decided to drop by Starbucks which is just a few meters away from House of Waffles.

 

Iced coffee and juice.  We also bought a Baguio mug for our collection.  I was also looking for a sterling silver bracelet in the shop but sadly did not find a design that I liked.

Love the view :)

Cape Gooseberries

Have you ever seen a cape gooseberry?  The first time I saw one was about 2 years ago at the organic market in Baguio.  I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cocoon like covering.

It says gooseberry on the label, but I later found out that gooseberry is different from cape gooseberry (thank you wiki).

Inside the shell is a small round fruit that has a waxy texture.  It's hard to describe how it tastes because it has such a unique flavor... It's sweet, tart and sometimes also sour at the same time :D

Empty shells.  They remind me of the cocoon collection I had before.

All picked :)

Choco-Late' de Batirol, Baguio

Baguio weather is perfect for hot chocolate!  To get our hot choco fix, we headed to a quaint little restaurant called "Choco-Late' de Batirol" in Camp John Hay.  Chocolate de batirol is hot chocolate made from local cocoa tablets mixed by hand using a wooden whisk/mixer.

Aside from hot chocolate, they also serve breakfast and rice meals.

Cozy nook

Traditional way of making hot chocolate.  We have the same kind of pot at home which my mom uses when she is in the mood to make native hot chocolate.

hmm, frothy!  I got the Baguio blend - chocolate with strawberry syrup (p90) and Bibingka (p95).  Nothing special about the Bibingka but the hot choco was really good.

Bottled Cacao to take home :)

Choco-Late' de Batirol

Scout Hill, Camp John Hay

Baguio

(074) 466-7006

Baguio cats

I missed Nugget so much during our weekend in Baguio that I spent a lot of time looking for cats.  Well actually I am ALWAYS on the look out for cats!  Yes, I know... I'm totally cat crazy.  Anyway, here are a few photos of the cuties I spotted up north.

White kitty busy sneaking around Tam-Awan Village

Found 2 of his furry friends nearby.  They all look like strays but I think some folks take time to feed them since I saw food bowls under the hut :)

This friendly tortoiseshell kitty was enjoying the cool air at Minesview park

So many cute cats but I'm glad to be home to this dusty old cat!

Happy Saturday

For us, Saturday mornings in Baguio mean only one thing

yummy breakfast at out fave spot, The Cafe at the Ruins.  We noticed that they changed the layout of the restaurant but I'm glad that the homey and cozy feel is still there.

I had the mushroom omelet set breakfast (p220).  The meal comes with brewed coffee and a fruit cup

Erman had pandesal (p80) and a cup of Ruins coffee (p80)

Our friend weng had ginger tea which was served in this heavy cast iron kettle!  I want a kettle like this one too!

After our breakfast we bought a few items at the organic market.  I really love Saturdays in Baguio!

Honey In the Rock Café

I think I have found my new favorite restaurant in Baguio - thanks to my online friend, Gomi! Honey in the Rock Café is a quaint, cozy place that serves yummy organic food. I checked their facebook page and I love how they described their mission.

"We envision a healthy, adventurous diner, making a conscious effort to choose food that utilizes natural, organic and biodynamic ingredients. We envision an empowered diner, preserving his culinary heritage, but willing to embrace other culinary cultures, ---making a valuable socio-economic, natural and cultural contribution to food and beverage service. “Life is too short to eat anywhere else.”

Yes, so true. Now I suddenly feel guilty for eating at Mc Donald's twice this week!

Charmingly odd and colorful :)

I had a really good bowl of French onion soup which came with a side salad.

I loved it! It had strawberries, blueberries and alfalfa :)

Erman ordered Arroz Caldo which he said was perfect for the cold climate.

We both felt full after so we skipped the main meals and the desserts! Too bad because I heard that the chocolate cake here is the best. Oh well, I guess that just means that we have to go to Baguio again soon!

Honey In the Rock Café
Ground Floor KDC Bldg. (very near the fly over and BGH)
94 Marcos Highway
Baguio City

Oh My Gulay!

Oh My Gulay is a lovely vegetarian restaurant owned by artist/director Kidlat Tahimik. I have been to Baguio several times but OMG has never been a part of the itenerary. Thankfully it was included this time because the place is amazing!

Everything inside is so fascinating!

Do you see the Galleon?

This is where the comfort rooms are.

The place is really cozy. It would be great if we could have something like this in Manila (plus the cool temperature!)I ordered the Anak ng Putanesca (p120) which was spicy and yummy! Erman had the Kamatis Pasta, which I'm glad I did not order since it was a bit too sweet for my taste. We stayed for a while and admired the view of the city from the balcony.

and also the view of SM Baguio!

I can't wait to go back :)

Oh My Gulay!
5th Floor La Azotea Building
Session Road, Baguio City

Café by the Ruins

Ever since we started going up to Baguio in February for the PMA homecoming, it has become a yearly tradition for us to have breakfast at Café by the Ruins.  It's also good that the hotel we stay in every year is just a few minutes away.

The place is beautiful.  At first I was wondering why it was named Café by the Ruins...  I asked the waiter and he said that the place used to be the site of the Governor's house in the early 1900's.  Sadly it was destroyed during world war 2.  Here is a more detailed description from their website: 

"The ruins we lay claim to are the remains of a garden theater which was later converted into the gracious home of Phelps Whitmarsh, the first civil governor of Benguet. The house was built early in the last century and destroyed in World War II.The governor maintained a famous garden where Mrs. Whitmarsh, an Ibaloi, propagated flowering plants and introduced strawberries and vegetable seeds. The bougainvilleas that still bloom at the Café's entrance adorned the front doors of the family home. Those vines have witnessed the comings and goings of Baguio's last 100 years." 
Cafe by the Ruins.com


Pretty fascinating, huh? :)

 The café has a very nice homey feel.  I love the lights and the bamboo walls.

 Yummy local jams, cookies and strawberry wine for sale.

 We ordered the set breakfast which comes with freshly brewed coffee (Yum!!!) and a fruit cup.

 I had the Fisherman's breakfast: Daing na Dalag (fried dried Mudfish) P230

 and Erman had the Filipino Longsilog P245.  Pandesal not included in the set.

After breakfast we checked the organic market organized by La Top Fresh Organic Produce.  They have this every Saturday and Wednesday morning from 8am to 12nn.

So many yummy veggies and fruits!

 I ended up with a 2 boxes of strawberries, cherry tomatoes, a pack of blueberries and gooseberries!  I've never had gooseberry before so I knew I had to try it :)

Café by the Ruins
25 Shuntug Road
Baguio City 2600
074 442 4010

La Top
Organic Produce
09085599580/09206598489