Baguio Bliss

This is an uber late post in the sense that my friends and I hopped that bus to Baguio March of last year, 2013. With a lot on my plate, hence, the lack of time to go on an actual food trip, I decided to sift through my collection of food porn photos instead for ones I could make reviews on and luckily came across this set of memorable pictures.

The last time I visited the City of Pines was during the '90s so to set foot again on that once familiar place proved quite the experience since nothing seemed familiar anymore. I was surprised at how developed Baguio had become and how far a cry it was from the city I remembered it to be. Be that as it is, though, it still was a fulfilling adventure, making new connections and finding the new within the folds of the old.

We decided to travel at night, something I heavily imposed since I've never done it before, so we arrived at our destination 8 am the next day. After checking in and dropping our bags in the hotel we decided to call home for a day, we immediately took off for one of the places  in our list of resto rounds, deciding our first dining experience to be at Cafe By The Ruins. 

Stepping into this cozy cafe is like entering your own home because it exudes comfort all the way. Going with wood and bamboo to set its relaxing ambiance, we ambled our way to the second floor and immediately placed our orders to fill our hungry bellies and to soothe our tired souls. I stayed awake during the whole trip, by the way, so unlike the two already catatonic sleepy heads who immediately slipped into a coma the minute we settled in the bus. Such adventure seekers. Anyways, after what seemed like forever, we finally got what we went there for, and, lord, was it worth the wait.

 

I couldn't have meat so I went for a small fruit bowl and a plate of fried tinapa with a siding of sliced onions and tomatoes and slightly sweet vinegar with bits of garlic. Served with fried brown rice, I was so famished, I dug in like mad. The tinapa was tasty to the bite and perfectly smoked. The fish was tender and really moist, making every forkful a pleasurable tasty encounter. The tomatoes and onions were garden fresh and sweet and the tangy, slightly nectarous vinegar that had a hint of heat was a superb complement to the hefty yummy treat. To have all of that roll around in my mouth together with the garlicky fried brown rice was deliriously delish. Now the helping of fresh fruit was a welcome indulgence after a bout with strong, overwhelming flavors. Sweet and incredibly juicy, slices  of cold mouthwatering berries, mangoes and papayas was all I needed to cleanse my palate. A merry mix of bright colors, it was summer in a bowl. 

 

My friends sought comfort in two orders of freshly baked huge pandesal bread served with a ramekin of liver pate that was exquisitely luscious and velvety smooth. You do have a choice on whether to have it with the pate  or with kesong puti, but with my friends , it was pate all the way.

Add to this, they also dove into a plate of scrumptiously crunchy pork belly served with sliced tomato and onion and fish bagoong and a cup of fried brown rice. Downed with coffee and refreshing iced tea for me, it was all we expected an excellent breakfast in the clouds would be. 

We were actually full to the brim but we just couldn't let the opportunity of tasting their ever so famous camote bread pass us by so order their specialty we also did. Presented to us, again, with a little bowl of liver pate, we went for it without a second thought. Soft, warm and daintily cloying, their camote bread was certainly to die for. It had tiny specks of shredded sweet potato, making it dense and lipsmackingly good. Every bite proved to be extreme delight, the very reason why it holds the best seller tag from among their other just as superbly baked goods. We literally felt like bursting after a serving of this delightful confection, but it goes without saying, we were blissfully satisfied. 

We walked out of the restaurant feeling content yet totally sleepy and ready for bed so we called it a morning and decided to go back to the hotel for that much needed rest. Having had gastronomical heaven for breakfast then made me wonder, with amusement, to myself, what lunch was gonna be like.