Eats in Baguio

From classic restaurants to newest haunts, there's something for a foodie in Baguio City. 

A lot of local restos around the city just popped up and each of them has plenty of items on their menus that are worth trying. Here are just some of which we tried during our short stay:

Platter in Rumah Sate, good for 3-5 people.

 

As seen in the movie, "That Thing Called Tadhana" we gave it a try to eat at Café by the Ruins. The Kalinga coffee and everything we ordered were just perfect!

Highly recommended by my officemate, we made sure to dine at Pizza Volante.

This restaurant was another hit for us! 

To combat the dropping temperature, we made a quick stop at Vizco's Café. I ordered Benguet coffee paired with their specialty, a slice of Strawberry Shortcake. Aaah, perfect match on earth!

And because a slice was not enough for a cake-lover, I brought a whole medium-sized cake in our hotel.

Dinner first before desserts! I had these vegies and strawberries all to myself!

Goodness gracious, nothing beats having the freshest local food on the table!

Then to cap off the night, we had Strawberry Wines.

For our last day, we spent a few remaining hours in Burnham Park, where we had strawberry taho and ice cream.  No visit to Baguio is complete without having these two!

 

Finally, before we headed home, we had burgers from 50's Diner to manage our huge burger cravings. 

And for pasalubongs, before leaving the highlands, make sure to buy these:

Baguio City’s gastronomic offerings cater to all tastes and budgets. I promise to be back and try other equally-delicious restos/food, or may be dine again to these very same restaurants.

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Eat, Play, Love

It's the turn of the March-celebrants to treat us for anything but food. We were invited for a breakfast buffet at Dulcinea in Eastwood, which I found out, the only branch that serves breakfast buffet. 

Compared to the other all-you-can-eat restaurants, Dulcinea has a small buffet spread, with only 4-5 breakfast food plus a fried rice and a choice of coffee or juice. Not bad for its inexpensive, reasonable price! Not to mention, what made us 'crazy' even more was the crowd's favorite churros and hot chocolate. To be honest, I lost counting the numbers of churros I downed! 

By crazy, here's what I meant: 

Since this was my idea and I was the one capturing the photos, I forgot my funky pose. But I'm sharing this anyway! 

Before I put an end to this entry, let me get this straight and clear. Through this post, I am not encouraging kids to play with your food. I just thought of this short breakfast with my family is worth sharing. 

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Tasted & Tested

The -ber months have just begun and so we also started looking for a venue, conceptualizing the theme, and the best part is, the food-tasting for our annual year-end Christmas party.

We had a hard time finding a function area where all our employees can be accommodated and would also give in to our needs and demands. As per my boss, we were handling this too late as most companies book a reservation during the first quarter of the year. I was initially surprised by that thought but only then when I realized why we always find it hard to look for a party venue. It shall be set and done as soon as we welcome the brand new year!

Luckily, New Horizon Hotel in Boni, Mandaluyong was still open for reservation on December 16, 2013. All weekends were already marked off and so we have no choice but to grab the deal. Besides, it is the only hotel that approves most of our demands.

Fast-forward, skipping the series of discussions and meetings, we got invited for a food-tasting session. We were informed that the food they will serve is good for 3 people -- Ms Criz, Ms Des, and myself. For this I thank my bosses for letting me be part of the committee. 

For appetizer, these were served:

                               Ham Croquette Balls

                             Chicken Liver Mousse

                           Shrimp & Vegetable Aspic

The soup was a bit salty, but their house bread and unsalted butter taste good.

                                  Spinach Veloute

Two salads were on our table as well. Both were sooo yummy that we left nothing but an empty plates.

                               Belgian Potato Salad

                                      Waldorf Salad

The main dishes consist of the following:

                                Irish Beef Casserole

                 Stewed Pork Loin with Tarragon Sauce

                                      Coq Au Vin

                         Fish Fillet Meuniere au Beure

                               Batonnet Vegetables

Our sweet tooth was managed by these yummy desserts:

                          Belgian Chocolate Mousse; 

                      Vanilla and Chocolate Log Cakes

                        Strawberry & Ube Log Cakes

All these were served at Picasso's Place, located also at New Horizon Hotel. The food were perfectly good though there were some that we requested the chef to adjust its flavor and sugar content a little. I'm sure our executives & employees will definitely enjoy the buffet stretch on our party. 

I would like to end this entry with me feasting on the sinfully delicious dessert. 

Advanced Merry Christmas and a Happy Tummy! 

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What's for Breakfast?

Having the type of family that we have, expect a monthly get-togethers, a non-stop kwentuhan at tawanan, and to top everything off, a bounty food. 

It is a rule of thumb that the celebrant, or if you're lucky you have a co-celebrant for the month, will be responsible for the food. In other words, ikaw ang taya! The best side of it, it's your call as to what to serve and how much you are willing to spend/share.

As for me and Jazel, my sister-in-law who is also a July celebrant, we made sure to celebrate our birthday with a twist. We chose a theme which we never yet have done, a home-version of breakfast buffet. 

To answer the interrogative title, just please take a look at the photo, plus a choice of orange juice, brewed coffee, a hot choco drink, a cold water, or all of the above.

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Our Cup of Tea

One Saturday afternoon, my friend, Melody and I decided to try the afternoon tea at ShangriLa Makati. We did it to stay away from the stereotypes of chitchatting (since we seldom see lately) over a coffee. Besides, that is one thing a Royalty does. Might as well we experience it!

As we enter the venue, we can already hear the beautiful harmony of the orchestra. They were serenading the guests with songs pleasing to the ears. 

We ordered two different sets -- each set includes a 3 tier of finger food & desserts and a choice of tea. Honestly, everything was great and delicious. They were just too many for us to down all the plates. Forgive us, our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. I brought the leftovers at home though!

Overall, the experience was great. The price we paid for was almost the same if we hang out at a coffee shop. Mas sosyal pa! High tea is our cup of tea. We will surely come back or try another afternoon tea offered by other hotels!

Morning Fuel

I am a big fan of having breakfast after waking up in the morning. I used to skip it when I was younger, but by doing so, it just made me weak and frail and thereafter I was not able to do the tasks expected to be accomplished at the end of the day.

Breakfast is our morning fuel. It gives us the necessary energy that would sustain us throughout the day. Without it, our concentration and mood also get compromised.

That's why I supported the campaign initiated by McDonald's Philippines for having the country's very first National Breakfast Day. They gave away Egg McMuffins for the first 1,000 customers per branch. That would be close to 300,000 free McMuffins nationwide.

I am looking forward to having the same program in the future. This way, we could educate people the importance of having breakfast before a stressful day ahead. Hooray to all the people behind this drive!

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Birthday Blues

Last Sunday, July 15 to be exact, I turned 25. Please say I don't look my age! Lol. We started celebrating my birthday as early as Saturday. In our world, we call it "birthday salubong" which was always a drinking session with lots of barchows. The following day, my real birthday, mom prepared all the sinfully delicious dishes for our invited relatives. The theme was supposed to be "Dangerous at 25" but since we are 5 July-celebrants in the family, we decided to celebrate it at one time, making it "A Dangerous Party." There were isaw and chicharon bulaklak (pork intestines), chicken skins, morcon, sisig, and many more. The dessert was an ice cream and the rule: you have to eat it immediately after having lunch. That way, the cholesterol intake will get saturated inside the body. I wonder who among our family felt secretly dizzy. Thank God no one was rushed to the hospital! Lol. While waiting for merienda, we ate bags of chips with dips. It was just frustrating that others can't stay any longer as they have other commitments so they left early. But it can't ruin my day! We then craved for something sweet. CAKE! The celebration continued to a coffee-and-cake night. That was also fun! Two days after, I brought my favorite mom's version of palabok and sumpia in the office. It was a simple birthday treat yet I'm glad my workmates liked it.

I would like to thank all the people who made my special day "special." I appreciate all the gifts, greetings and wishes left and right -- from text messages to sending me tweets and the messages posted on my Facebook. My silver year became memorable because I was (and still am) remembered, loved, and appreciated. Sharing with you now the pact I made each year. I will be a better version of myself because:

I am already 25... and still looking FAB! Kidding aside, because I am a year older, definitely I will be wiser. 

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