Braving the holiday traffic in Baguio, foodie friends, Kara, Tin and I were bent to […]
Lamisaan at Holiday Inn Baguio
The crux of international hotel chains lies in the homogeneity of its offerings – it’s good when it comes to expectations regarding service and facilities. However, it’s less than welcome if we’re talking about food. At a time when locavore eating is encouraged, it’s a pity that oftentimes when you eat in different branches of a certain hotel or restaurant chain, you get more of the same flavors, same dishes, same offerings. It’s even more lamentable when we’re talking of Baguio as a branch location, as the city offers a bounty of produce as well as traditional food from the highlands.
The Coffee Library in Baguio, Vietnamese coffee and cuisine come to the highlands
Your Happyfoodies trudged to the northern highlands for the days leading up to the new year with an overnight stop in Baguio. By chance, we got billeted in a hotel on the quieter street parallel to the always-busy (also noisy) Session Road and chanced upon the barely month-old The Coffee Library on the ground floor of the Rex Hall Student Residences along General Luna Street. Needless to say, it was a serendipitous find. Yes, it is eye-catching, with tasteful touches of ethnic crafts, mix of red brick and warm wood, even vintage “padyak” (foot pedal-powered) sewing machines converted into tables, but how was the food, you may ask.
Ili-Likha | Cafe Cueva Serves Savory Crepes and more in Baguio
It’s always a welcome treat to find young entrepreneurs like Laydeh of Cafe Cueva to add to the growing favorite eats in Baguio. Also housed in the surreal Ili-Lika Artist Village in Baguio and also a member of the Kiwing na Kahoy Food Community is Cafe Cueva. Adding to the variety of food offered in the village, Cafe Cueva has some delicious crepes, filling Chao Fan and refreshing smoothies.
Ili-Likha | A Baguio Balbacua at Urban Kamote
It must be the cool weather, the bountiful freshness of greens in the region and the creative vibe the city of Baguio exudes that makes food tripping in Baguio so fun. A recently opened creative space called Ili-likha Artist Village, which is getting quite an attention from foodies and artists alike. A hub for healthy eating, they have a Kiwing na Kahoy Food Community and each member establishment offers something different. One we tried is Balbacua at Urban Kamote, bringing a famous Southern Philippines dish to the highlands of Baguio.
OMG, it’s Oh My Gulay
Go up five flights of stairs, past the sporting goods store on the ground floor, the drinking joint with the blaring karaoke on the second, a gym on the third, more offices on the fourth, and enter the world of artist, Kidlat Tahimik. There are artistic curiosities on this high-ceilinged, top-most floor — large installations here, framed paintings over there. The plants spread all over the place are real, lending it a lush, texture-filled vibe. Up on the second level, the dining area offers a panoramic view of the city center. Welcome to Oh My Gulay along Session Road in Baguio.