Baguio Food Trip: Day 1

Summer’s heat is starting to get unbearable, yeah? This alone was a legit reason for me to head on to the summer capital of the Philippines with my friends. Plus it’s another excuse for us to go on an out-of-town food trip! Woohoo!

My friends and I left Manila somewhere between 2 – 3am on a Friday night, and got to Baguio at 8-ish in the morning. We did have an itinerary, but it ended up being more of a guide than a to-do list. Here’s what we were supposed to do on Day 1: 

5.30 -6:00 am             Arrival (obviously this didn’t happen at the desired time)

6:00- 8:00 am             Breakfast at Volantes / Patch Cafe 

9:00 -10:00 am           Bencab Museum (Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan, Tuba, Benguet)

12:00nn – 1:00 pm      Lunch at Oh my Gulay (9 Diego Silang St, Baguio, Benguet) 

2:00 – 3:00 pm           Check in at Hotel 

3:00 – 5:00 pm           Quick nap 

6:00 – 7:00 pm           Dinner at Cafe at the Sky  

7:00 – 8:00 pm           Mt. Cloud Bookshop 

9:00 – 10:00 pm         Massage at North Haven Spa       

10:00 pm – onwards  Baguio Craft Brewery (Ben Palispis Hwy, Baguio, Benguet)

But then, things don’t always go as planned, which is okay since spontaneity is also one of the things that make a trip fun anyways. When we got to Baguio, we had breakfast neither at Volantes nor Patch Café  – we ended up having almusal  at Café by the Ruins instead.

Café by the Ruins is a quaint but dainty restaurant which was yes – built around the ruins of a structure which I’m yet to find out what. The intimidating prices are justified by the generous servings of their dishes, so it may be best if you share an order. My personal favorite was the champorado. The rest of the dishes were pretty much just okay.

Just putting this out here. We badly needed sleep that nobody even protested when we eventually doze off as we got our spot in the BenCab Parking lot.

Finally, I got to visit National Artist Ben Cabrera’s famed museum. The place is not only a home for artworks – it also has an organic farm, a restaurant (Café Sabel), and a nice garden surrounded by a pond with a variety of Koi fishes. We spent a long time in the garden, enjoying the cool breeze and making fun of the other tourists in the place haha. This made me miss Bukidnon.

Right outside BenCab is a manong selling Baguio’s famed strawberry taho. Your Baguio experience won’t be complete without having one.

 50’s Diner

This place was indeed reminiscent of the diners that I see on TV, complete with the bright neon lights, old-school movie posters – the whole place screams retro. The rice meals were so-so, but the ice cream shakes, OMG you have to try the strawberry and ube flavors.

Ooohh god finally a chance to get a decent rest and another quick nap. The accommodation we booked through Airbnb was already good enough if you’re planning to stay for only a few days. The room was Korean-inspired and comfortably fits 4-5 people. The only downside was the bathroom, which was too cramped, and was probably only around 2-3 steps wide. Oh well, at least they had a heater. You can check out the listing here.

After what was supposed to be a quick nap (which turned out to be a deep sleep), our gang headed to Ketchup Food Community for a well-deserved dinner. The place was like a compound for several restaurants, and my eyes widened at variety of dishes offered by each one. Rancho was where we had our dinner – and oh what a good dinner it was! Must-trys would be the Bagnet Sinigang with Strawberry and Bagnet Pinakbet!

The night was still young and we had to make-up for the time we’ve lost for oversleeping, so we need to make time for at least one more foodie destination. Baguio Craft Brewery takes pride in the fact that they brew their own beers, and good ones too! To guide you through, which beer would best suit your palate, you can refer to their chalkboard, which lists their brews by alcohol content and bitterness. Naturally, I couldn’t handle the ones on top of the list.

We were supposed to have some good massage at North Haven Spa (it was actually what I was looking forward to the most) after Baguio Craft Brewery, but sadly North Haven were already closed when we got to the place. We desperately drove around Baguio, looking for 24-hour massage places where we can stay to relax, all to no avail. We drove back to our Airbnb home disappointed that night, as the massage was supposed to be the “dessert” of our food trip. Oh well, at least we know better if ever we go back.

Day 2 is when we go home BUT we still had several food establishments to visit in mind (at this point, we knew it’s no use to refer to the itinerary). In spite of the unplanned changes, it was a day well-spent! I guess what really matters in making a trip memorable and fun is the people you spend it with. 

It’s fine if things don’t go as planned – it’s all part of the fun!