Baguio Vignettes (or, How Not To Starve in Baguio)

Time was when Baguio to me meant Burnham Park (boat ride), Mansion House (inside-the-compound-but-behind-the-gate-only photos), Good Shepherd (ube jam, alfajor cookies, etc), Mines View Park (throw monies that kids deftly recover), Wright Park (horseback riding), Botanical Park (photo op with natives who charge professional fees), public market (panic buys of strawberries, vegetables, bling-blings, walis, etc), and, leisurely strolls up and down Session Road hoping to encounter serendipity.

Despite these, I never did have any Baguio overload. I still keep coming back to it to explore even more. I guess that happens when something or someplace becomes so much a part of oneself, not wanting to let it go.

As life moves in phases, my Baguio visits of late are basically targeted towards opting for what I think are nice-to-go places that allow for a good hang out, pig out and chillax rolled into one.

Here’s some: 

Baguio Country Club (BCC) - Raisin Bread Cafe. For early morning trips to have one's fresh juice, coffee, tea or choco paired with its iconic - but what else? - raisin bread. Members and their guests only :-) 

Left: waiting for our orders; Right: their early morning loot of raisin breads and more

BCC - Veranda. Ideal for lunch or dinner buffets. Best to reserve, as  members and guests subtly compete with each other for space and food. We normally have our Christmas lunch here. 

L: Cheers during Christmas lunch; R: BCC building and golf course in the background

BCC - Hamada. If one is going Japanese in Baguio, this is the place to be, at least for me. Being my favorite in BCC, this is where I go to for teppanyaki dinners. It is here in Hamada that one truly feels exclusivity as a badge of privilege. My dinners here have so far been memorable - first, when our President & CEO treated me and our other managers about 10 years ago; second, when we had our family dinner during Christmas of 2012. 

L: getting ready, aprons on; R: the chef doing some tricks prior to preparing our food

L: hmn, scrumptious; R: food is ready

Camp John Hay Manor. The surroundings are reminiscent of the Baguio of old - lush pine trees, wide expanse of greenery in rolling terrain. CJHM grounds virtually become a little wonderland during Christmas time with colorful displays and trees bedecked with lights. By my experience though, Christmas buffet here is not on par (sorry, I am not using "at par" anymore after hearing a lot of major international anchors of repute use "on par") with BCC's. We normally pick up from our loss here by going to BCC for the next big meal.

BenCab Museum and Cafe Sabel. Casual dining after a large dose of Cordillera art. Marvel upon the National Artist's creations and those of his artsy friends. Get to know "Sabel" the iconic muse of BenCab and "Sabel" the cafe, for refreshments after an overload of arts and culture. Along Asin Road, off Baguio City proper.  

Cordillera Art 101; getting to know Sabel, BenCab's iconic muse; appreciating heritage

viewing more of BenCab's collections

Cafe Sabel; the view outside is just a bonus

Ketchup Food Community.  A recent addition to the Baguio food scene, adjacent to Wright Park. Has several restaurants to choose from, which are pretty good alternatives to the oft-beaten dining places. I'm ok for a return visit to this place to try the other restos.

Happy Tummy, one of the many restaurants in Ketchup Food Community

Little John's. My nephew told me that this is owned by the family of the then Senator Juan Flavier. Apparently, my nephew's friend who is in turn a nephew or I think apo of Senator Flavier told him so. I don't have an independent confirmation of this ownership though. At any rate, I credit the place for value-for-money food. Have been here for more than a couple of times. Located right below Camp John Hay Manor.

Little John's, inside Camp John Hay; value-for-money

Choco-Late de Batirol. With its bohemian vibe, a nice place to hang out in, after meals. Used to like this place very much but I don't know, I got to realize that our tablea tsokolate in Leyte is so much better than the tsokolate that this place offers. My last visit also had me eating some soggy suman. This is inside Camp John Hay and easier accessed through the gate on the Baguio Country Club side.

Casa Vallejo. The place is a throwback to 1909 when Casa Vallejo was established. Located on a cliff side road below SM City Baguio and above Court of Appeals. Has a nice deli that sells honey, sardines, sauces, among others. Parking is challenging and exciting and feels similar to the steepest drop of Enchanted Kingdom's log jam. Go park there.

Looked like a derelict before but has recently been renovated and transformed

into a quaint bed-and-breakfast with an old-world-feel 

Cafe By The Ruins. An old favorite and infinitely reliable. It does not have the ruins feel and vibe anymore from the time a hotel stood right beside it. The humongous hotel wall replaced the sight of ruins we used to see from the cafe.

at Cafe by the Ruins; i simply love its camote bread which i 

down with salabat and honey

PNKY Cafe. Unanimously, our favorite for its delish food, nice ambiance and a good location. Has free wi-fi as well which is definitely a big plus. Just like Casa Vallejo, it's got a nice deli selling honey, jams, etc. One thing not to miss here is its crunchy ube jam. During our December 2012 Baguio visit, we were in PNKY Cafe 3 or 4 times. It's such a lovely place. We will be back.

taking advantage of PNKY Cafe's free wi-fi connection

ingenious use of scrabble tiles as labels is quite impressive