Rediscovering Baguio (a.k.a. the food trip)
*The following article was published in the Life & Travel section of today’s edition of Manila Standard Today. Don’t know which of the photos made it to print though.
We went on an unexpected trip to Baguio last month. Although I had been planning on going for at least one of the Panagbenga weekends, my husband�s schedule did not permit a few days off from work. Then, like manna dropping from heaven, he and a couple of other managers were sent on an ocular trip to Baguio to hunt for a venue for the company�s annual conference. It just so happened that it coincided with the best of the Panagbenga weekends. What joy!
The first problem was accommodation. Overnight lodging during the Flower Festival Month can be almost impossible on such short notice. I called up a friend from my UP College of Law days, Lisa Araneta, who co-owns and runs Atenara House along Navy Road just off Leonard Wood Road, and asked if there were available rooms. A quick trip to the bank (we weren�t riding on company expense, naturally) and, less than 24 hours after confirming our reservations, we were on our way to Baguio.
Visiting a place for the first time is always exciting. Because everything is new, every activity is quite an adventure. But when you�ve been to a place countless of times before, does it follow that every subsequent trip will be boring because the place has nothing new left to offer? Although it was going to be our first Panagbenga experience, I did think about what we were going to do aside from watching the parades.
Something that New York chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain said came to mind. He said the best way to experience a destination�any destination�is to stop thinking like a tourist and start exploring a place like an adventurer. Baguio City may be a tired old destination for many of us but if we do as Bourdain suggests, we can still enjoy Baguio City in more ways than we have known in the past.
People going to Baguio for the laid-back atmosphere and the cool weather is just one part of it. People go there to smell the pine trees, to eat fresh strawberries from the nearby La Trinidad fields, to go horseback riding and to enjoy a lot of other things that we don�t have in Metro Manila. In short, Baguio City is an experience and that experience does not live in a jar.
So, how does one �savor� a place that one has visited so many times in the past? One way is to give up eating in places one has eaten before. There is more to the Baguio culinary experience than Star Caf� and Rose Bowl. Lisa was a big help in the food department. She suggested the 50�s Diner along Leonard Wood when we arrived on Friday evening. Cheap, she said, but very good.
The name 50�s Diner aptly describes the setup of the place. If you�ve seen the film Grease, you�ll know what a 50�s diner looks like. 50�s Diner in Baguio even has a relic of a jukebox to add to the ambience. That the food was good�and cheap�was not an exaggeration.
Oversized burgers with fries went for P65. My older daughter, Sam, had a plate of steak and shrimps with rice for P105 (above). I had a dish called �She� for P155 and it had fried chicken, pork chop, steak, fish fillet and fries (below). We saw the clubhouse sandwich delivered to the next table and our jaws dropped. The menu said the clubhouse cost P95 but the size of the sandwich that we saw could have fed two adults�it was huge and it looked absolutely delectable. Too bad we were full by that time.
If you�re big on dessert, you have to try the crepes at Bliss Caf� inside the Munsayac Inn, also along Leonard Wood Road. The crepes are stuffed with your fruit of choice�mangos, strawberries or bananas�smothered with syrup, topped with cream and served with Bliss Caf��s ice cream on the side.
And if you�re having coffee with your dessert, say yes when asked if you would like Benguet coffee. I was a barako fan until I was introduced to Benguet coffee. Indescribably wonderful!
The visit to Bliss Caf� was made even more pleasant by the fact that the night we were there coincided with the opening of an exhibit by painter Amador Barquilla.
If you have to buy pasalubong at all, try longganisa (native sausages) instead of walis (brooms) and vegetables. There is a seminary behind the old Laurel house where you can buy the most delightful longganisa for P165 per kilo. According to Lisa, German priests who settled in Baguio brought with them their sausage recipes and the result is a blend of East and West that will give the Kapampangans and their sweet longganisa a run for their money. Sold under the label �Paulite�s,� the seminary�s longganisa is garlicky though not as pungent as Lucban or Vigan longganisa. They are also larger and the meat is not as finely ground as most longganisas are. They are not too fatty as either so that shrinkage during cooking is minimal. Well, food is best experienced rather than described, so, why not try a kilo or so on your next trip to Baguio?
Oh, the article has gotten this long and I haven�t said much about the Panagbenga float parade, have I? Well, it was crowded as we expected. Nothing daunting though. We survived the Pyro Olympics crowd in January and, in comparison, Panagbenga was a walk in the park.
There were bands and street dancing, children in colorful costumes and, of course, floats bedecked with fresh flowers. The floats were really beautiful although I was very disappointed with the blatant advertising gimmicks of some. At any rate, all�s well that ends well. I did manage to take all the photos that I wanted and experienced enough of the good with the bad to write about a weekend of rediscovering Baguio.
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I went to Baguio again recently after so many years, and did quite a few things I didn’t do before – like going to the strawberry fields in La Trinidad and buying fresh produce from the Benguet State Univ. organic farm. It was also my first time at the Baguio Public Market and I was really surprised with how clean and organized it was. We didn’t eat out much (except one night at the Manor and merienda at Chocolate de Batirol inside Camp John Hay, but next time I’d like to try all these restaurants and diners you mentioned above. That crepe specifically and that longganisa !
thanks miss connie for posting this article…being away from baguio for more than 8 yrs now, your post just bring back the memories..and some finds that i don’t know about…i was wondering where i could purchase the “Paulite’s longganisa”…i’ll go find it when i come back to baguio this december..thanks!
I think I’m the only Pinay who’ve never been to Baguio…:(
I was in Baguio for two weeks las November and here are a few more Resto’s and Cafe in Baguio
1) Cafe by the Ruins – I would recomed their Pininpikang Manok, White Cheese Salad, Hot Shitake Mushroom Salas and their their Fish with Goat cheese Spring Roll.
2) Volante – Great Pizza! Their Pancake and Strawberry Shake is a must try, too!
3) Oh MAi Khan – What can I say! Theyhave an eat-all-you can mongolian style bar for a very cheap price.
3) Forest House – Great Ambiance and Great Food. Huge Serving.
So now I’m homesick. I grew up in Baguio but lived away for the last 18 years, visiting only once every 2 or 3 years. Munsayac’s has been there for ages but Bliss Cafe is new to me -I missed so much already I must come home! I am from a family of foodies and when in Baguio we spend most of the time food tripping. I will ask my Mom to buy me Paulite’s longganisa and sneak it into Canada when she comes to visit. Our favorite is this tiny, cozy place called “Everything Nice”, along Marcos Highway where Jade Restaurant is (or was?), or their branch in Camp John Hay. My 14 year old daughter considers their fresh bread, cakes, chocolate crinkles (no comparison) and seafood/pesto pasta the benchmark for what she eats over here. I like to order take out, something that will take longer to cook than usual, just so I can sit and have a moment amidst the smell of the brewing coffee and baking bread… The other place is the bakery at The Manor in CJHay: the cinnamon rolls & ciabatta bread – heaven!
I like Anthony Bourdain’s way of exploring
. 50’s Diner moved na pala(been there once on a date), do they still serve on roller skates? The food on the pictures look great! I should try to go there when we go back to Baguio again. Last year I was in Baguio, 1 week was not enough for a food trip 
. I’ll definitely try the sausages that don’t shrink.
Hehehe looks like Baguio is associated with good food.
What a nice and very helpful infos. Been to Baguio 2 times already since 1987 and 1997 coincidentally every ten years and going there again tomorrow for a holy week vacation.
Looks like every visit is a brand new experience coz here I am again looking for tips and news on what’s new in Baguio (places, foods, etc.). I already jot down some of you people’s places of good foods. I will try it this week. Hehe! Thanks again! 
hope you’r having fun in Baguio right now, scii.
hi sassy! it was a great coincidence that you posted this article about baguio since we were going during the holy week. we went to our old favorites like cafe by the ruins and pnky cafe. i have to agree with traveleratheart with her recommendation for cafe by the ruins. i really enjoy their bread selections. baked fresh and very yummy! id also suggest a trip to pnky cafe at leonard wood. nice place with good food. as i am very fond of insalata caprese, i found a new favorite in their ‘toast of the town’ (french baguette toasts with pesto, tomato and mozarella, served with salad greens and balsamic vinegar). all for P90!
we tried the 50’s diner and bliss cafe and we really enjoyed it! the only frustration i have with our recent baguio trip is that we never found the sausages. nobody seems to know where the old laurel house is. can you please enlighten me on this? i would really like to know so i can tell my mom when she goes to baguio again by next weekend.
hoping to hear from you !!
andie, naku, i am so bad with street directions. i’ll text my husband (he’s in bicol for the week on business) for clear directions.
How are you?
I will be going up to baguio on Tuesday, april 17, and am wondering if you can give me the complete address of the old laurel house so that we can get to taste the sausages you mentioned in your article, ‘rediscovering baguio”. Thank you for sharing your recipes, God Bless You!
Andie, late reply but here it is. Also for Vicky:
From Leonard Wood Road, turn left going towards Mines View Park. First corner, you will see a sign with the name of a seminary. Turn left there. Go straight until you see the seminary on your right.
Hi! Anyone able to go to the place to buy the longganisas? Will appreciate detailed directions going there.