Restaurants Found Only in Baguio (Part Two)
Here is my next set of restaurants to sample in Baguio. The first list was originally published in Go Baguio’s Restaurants page that contains locations and descriptions. Those first 12 are my favorites, and these next ones merit special mention, too. Please note that I have limited the selection to those restaurants that can be found only in Baguio City, Philippines and nowhere else in the world.
13. 50’s Diner - Leonard Wood Road -American food, Korean dishes, Filipino foods. Re-opened after 3 or 4 years, smaller than it’s old site at Abanao Road, but this is a much better location. When the service improves, i’ll let you know…
14. Bonuan Bangus - Happy Glenn Loop - Seafood from Pangasinan, Filipino foods.
15. Brod Pitt - Leonard Wood Road - Great garlic crispy pata, nice ambience, good location.
16. Bruno’s Cafe - Sesson Road - formerly known as Swiss Made, it’s the place where a lot of the foreigner retirees hang out. Sausages, Pasta, Ice Cream Desserts.
17. Giddy’s Grill - Leonard Wood Road - Bacolod-style barbecues, Filipino favorites, Spanish dishes. closed down recently
18. Kubo Grill - Legarda Road -you may choose to dine in the main pavilion or a private hut for your group. Grilled Filipino dishes.
19. Wood Nymph - Military Cut-off Road - Korean restaurant with a wide array of appetizers/side dishes, set menus.
20. Jack’s Restaurant - Abanao Road and Center Mall - these branches qualify it to be in my list but really, I prefer the original location at La Trinidad Valley, about 4km from the center of Baguio City and 1km from the Baguio-Trinidad boundary. Has been around since the 1960’s and claims to be have introduced the original “rice meal” format that others have copied since: a blue plate offering of 2 viands, vegetables, rice and fried egg. You must try their Php15.00 pineapple cake, with a texture similar to banana bread but more moist and sweet. You can tell, I suppose, that I kinda like Jack’s, can’t you? Because its operations are simple and the meals very straightforward.
Now, for those of you who want to sample “Fear Factor Baguio,” you may also want to try the different little eateries at the Slaughterhouse on Magsaysay Road. Nah, no slugs or leeches there, just fresh meat prepared many ways. Cheap, too.
And I have really sad news for you guys, Rito’s at the LTO Compound, Engineer’s Hill closed down recently. It’s in my first list. So goodbye to those 200-peso Crispy Patas, 120-peso Bulalos & 35-peso Monggo Guisados. If they reopen, I’ll let you know immediately.
Added: April 1, 2007
Here’s some good news! And this is no April Fool’s — Rito’s has reopened at the former Strawberry Fields location on Marcos Highway. Ask the menfolk. I’m sure they all know where Strawberry Fields used to be. Hahaha.
Come dine with us! Visit Baguio soon!
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What happened to Rito’s?! I went there once when I was about to leave.
Next time I visit I should try the restaurants you mentioned. I went to Brunos the last time, I tried their salad and burgers. It was great.
I hope the wait service improved.
hi lisa,
hhmmm those restaurants you mentioned are indeed so inviting to try. but for the benefit of your readers may i suggest a couple of photos (frontage or facade of a couple of your first 12 choices then couple more for the next 12) in your blog. hope it does not clutter your idea of a blog. don’t tell me you have other surprises for GOBAGUIO. kudos, the blog is alive lately. KarinA & Rosanne are a great addition to your blogroll. world is getting smaller ..you knew the late teddy g. and i knew his brother Freddie well.
yup, got clobbered with nearly a foot of snow for the first NOREASTER 2007 storm here. dealing with the digging out and the wind chill factor that goes with it. okay, will try to keep warm here for now. joe
hi, tina!
someone said rito’s lease ran out at the engineer’s hill location. Hope they reopen soon. It was popular among the locals. In fact, it was one of my favorite “special secrets” that I would recommend to all.
as for bruno’s, I agree with you as far as the service is concerned. the top 12 are really MY top 12. i would recommend them highly as far as service, food quality, innovation, ambience and value for money are concerned. The next 8 are “honorable mentions,” which basically means they miss out on 1 of the 5 as far as i’m concerned. The menus of the next 8 are pretty much “comfort” foods (filipino, inihaw, burgers) with the exception of Wood Nymph (which is comfort foods for Koreans, I suppose).
and hello, Joe!
the photos will come when I start doing individual features of the restaurants, don’t worry. The lists plus other travel tips were published in time for folks coming up for the Panagbenga.
as far as the blogroll is concerned, rosanne, karin & connie belong to my family & friends list, then baguio blogs (of past & present residents) are grouped together, then my last list will be the blogs I read. but right now i read mostly tech blogs (how to build wordpress blogs) and this is not a tech site, so i’ll list those in my tech blog instead.
That’s sad news on Rito’s. I grew up in Baguio and back in the days, it was one of our fave lunch stops.
On my last visit to baguio, we had authentic Korean dinner at Wood Nymph. I loved it there. The servings and prices are reasonable. The outdoor dining area is nice and cool/cold! Inside though, it’s like being in a Korean family house (weren’t we?). And the waiter who served us was really warm.
Hi, Chateau
Have a feeling Rito’s will reopen elsewhere — they were doing so well. It’s just a matter of finding their next hole in the wall location. By the way, they still have that other branch on a side street off Session Road but I would not recommend the location.
The Wood Nymph “Korean House” was owned by the late Inday Mapa Goco and I believe her son Ferdie inherited it. It boasts of one of the best fireplaces in Baguio. Its most famous occupant was Daisy Locsin Mulbecker who was the Hyatt general manager’s wife and who perished during the earthquake. Then it became the Ibay silver factory and shop for a while.
How do I know all this? I lived there for 6 years 1992-1998 while we were running Halfway House because it ws so close to the old CJH Main Gate. My horse, Jupiter, is buried under what is now the Korean restaurant, which used to be the garden where he was stabled.
When Camp John Hay was turned over to Fil-Estate in 1997 I asked her if I could build a structure on that garden for Alfredo’s Baguio, and offering a 350% increase in rent. It was to be an outdoorsy Ranch-style structure but she didn’t like the idea at the time.
Then it was occupied by Maranan-Yaranon Builders, yup, the same Yaranon family as our suspended mayor’s. He was in the opposition then and wanted to be the CJH development watchdog. Then Wood Nymph took over.
How funny that a reply like this could turn into an “insider” article! I have so many wonderful memories of that house, which by the way is completely haunted. Hahaha
hi lisa. oh my, ive never spent so much time in a website/blog site like i did with gobaguio.com! it’s so impressive and full-packed! ive got all i need to know and learn. i’ve been to baguio because i hold one event there at the convention center and i only had 2 days after the convention to explore baguio. and honestly, i want more of baguio so we’re going back there to explore more, but now, with your help..thank you so much!
one more great thing..bout the restos..we will surely try some..esp the all-you-can-eat steak, pasta and salad..yumyum! would like to add though, from your fear factor baguio “the ‘one-day-old’ chick” - must try for extremers! Ãœ would hope that you could post pictures and more details (cost, where to find, etc) of the good food finds in baguio-like the raisin bread of Country Club, taho with strawberry caramel, one-day-old chick, crispy pata, inihaws, etc. thanks lisa!
i share your sentiments too bout the botanical garden! and i really will salute having a herbal garden there..come to think of it..baguio is a great place to have gardens of herbs.
more power to your website and i have shared your website too with my colleagues and friends who are so in love with baguio too.
hope you could wmail me updates. tnx
Hi Beth, and thanks for liking Go Baguio! The reason it is what it is, is because I wanted site visitors to fall in love with the place the way I did many many years ago. I have been planning to write articles to feature each restaurant separately but haven’t really had the time to do so because this is high season. And that’s why I created this blog. To give more details and photos. You can subscribe to the feeds so that you are alerted every time there’s a new post about Baguio. Just click the “RSS link” under “Syndication” and you’re on your way.
Added on 3/31/07
Ok, I found this really cool new plug-in called Subscribe Remind 1.0. It adds a reminder after each post to subscribe to feed. You may CLICK THE LINK FOUND AFTER EACH ARTICLE/POST to subscribe immediately so you can stay up-to-date!
Hi Lisa, thanks for your list. We went to some of them during our stay in baguio, and we enjoyed it very much. I would highly recommend glenn’s 50s diner. This ranks high in my list because of the bang-for-the-buck factor. Food served is ok. Not to mention the cute girl working the bar.
Hi Liza! Im an avid reader of this blog but i never post any comment here until i read about Ritos..ohh that is really a sad story..my baguio trip will never be complete without a trip to Ritos for the Bulalo..Hope they will re open soonest possible!
Welcome Lyann!
Maybe you missed the last part that I added last April — Rito’s reopened along Marcos Highway! I haven’t been inside yet (recently, I’ve been sending my staff to take out their yummy crispy pata and bulalo) but I know it’s where Strawberry Fields (that girlie joint) used to be.
Comment all you want! Don’t be shy: the blog doesn’t bite
hi! I’ve been looking for a small restaurant with a nice ambiance where we can celebrate the christening of my son this coming November. It will be for a small group of 30pax only. Im from Cavite but my husband’s hometown is Baguio. I don’t want to held it on the usual hotel or common restaurants that usually found in Manila or Cavite. I want sana my guests to have the “real” Baguio experience of attending the occasion. I hope you can give me suggestions and ideas. Thanks
Hi Lani,
Check out these Baguio restaurants — they can be found only in Baguio and nowhere else!
hi there! just wanna know where can i find the taho with strawberry caramel?? i wanna try it..hahaha il be visiting baguio by the end of november! and i don’t know where to check in can u pls give me a tip ..my budget is 1k for a room gud for 2 person. thank u!
Hiya Hya! The taho is sold everywhere by the hawker ‘mangtataho’ — those walking around with the stainless steel containers and they prepare it before you. There are two versions: the ordinary caramel and the strawberry.
For lodging, check the Baguio Business Directory and go to hotels & lodging
hi, lisa! Thanks to all your resto recommendations (c/o philip n.) that for the first time in our “10 trips to baguio in 4 years”, we didn’t eat in SM!!! But nothing beats the eat-all-you-can roast beef! And that’s exactly what i did!!! Next time i eat there, i’ll make sure i’ll bring an extra stomach! (well, if cows can have it…) Can’t wait to go back to baguio to try the other restos on your list — those i used to ignore as i pass by coz i had a one track mind focused on SM!
hi
need yr help on how to leave baguio and reach clark airport for an 11.30am flight back…
just wondering if thats possible…
Thanks Ronna! And I will keep you posted in case I discover any new restaurants worthy of mention.
Hello Jerry, I would recommend you check victory liner for trips that stop at DAU, Pampanga (right outside Clark Air Base). The trip should take about 5-6 hours though (2 stop overs, you see). Hope this helps
Hey there Lisa,
In behalf of my family, let me thank you for the wonderful and memorable accomodation at the Atenara House. It was a great experience to be back in Baguio again. Thanks for the buffet dinner at O’Mai Khan, tried Little John too and it’s a good place to hang out after a long day of shopping. Next time around, let me try that famous “RITO”, and the strawberry taho, you proudly endorsed, ONLY IN BAGUIO!!!
more POWER to you, you are doing a great job.
Hi Lisa,
How are you?..I’ve been surfin’ like crazy desperately searching for “Mother’s Restaurant”(last time I’ve been there was 1986 or ‘87) but found none,going home soon and will visit Baguio before holy week. Please help me. Thank you very much.
Note: reading Go Baguio! has informed me so many things I really wanna know in just one reading,…highly recommended!
You’re welcome, Chelit!
Hi Etch,
Let me find out where Mother’s has relocated to or if it has closed down altogether — does anybody here know?
Hi… before I went up to Baguio to attend a convention, I visited your website to give me an idea where to dine when in Baguio. We tried the Cafe by the Ruins and I found the food good and satisfying especially the freshly baked bread. The Rose Bowl Restaurant is still worth visiting. But sadly, our group was treated for a dinner in Cantinetta inside John Hay. My goodness…I wonder why this restaurant was given a certificate to operate. The serving portion for a 500-peso set meal is terrible. The blue marlin fish at a size of 3×2 inches (leaves a stinging after taste in the palate), a single piece of potato wedge; a very bitter slice of cucumber; a match box size bland chocolate cake and a very diluted iced tea. The management should improve their quality of food and service , otherwise they don’t deserve to operate because they are not being honest to their customers.
Hi Sunshine,
My websites recommend restaurants that are ‘katutubong’ Baguio. This is in support of those who have, through the years, through natural and man-made disasters, have served visitors and residents well.
Cantinetta, though nicely located, started in Manila, thus is not included in my list. I am sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your meal.
Hello there! This is regarding Mother’s restaurant. They reopened two years ago along Assumption road, with huge success, judging by the sizeable crowd at lunch. Unfortunately, it closed down for some reason I cannot say, although I know the owners.
The good news? They are now located at lower Brookside, near the bridge leading to Modern, Aurora Hill. Haven’t tried the new location though.
I agree with the list. If I may add an out-of-the norm turo-turo though. Try Kislap eatery along upper Mabini, just in front of the Mabini Market. They have good papaitan, I like the adobo, but the thing that gets me is the free bulalo broth that goes well with the rice.
try sumthing new here in baguio, theres a new cafe resto and bar beside the nbi building and in front of dswd, d name of d establishment is northdrive grill cafe restaurant, gud ambiance, cheap fudz n drinkz wit deyr promos wit a gud service…..try it guyz
Hi Boyet and Mike,
Thanks for the info!
May I recommend Koffia? It’s Baguio-based.
Hi Marie,
I like Koffia, but can folks eat a MEAL there? I see it as a Starbucks-like hangout.
hi lisa, before anything else, i just want to say that i find your sure very helpful and informative. baguio is a lovely place and we’ve been coming back t least once a month for the past several years.
just a comment on your list, brod pitt has a small stall in food choices section of market market mall in taguig. I was actually surprised and in some degree, disappointed that to find a good restaurant as brod pitt in a food court. they serve good food not to mention at very reasonable prices and better i think if they keep the restaurants appeal by being uniquely baguio.
thanks!
Thanks Rafael, for the info.
Many restaurants from Baguio do venture into the more lucrative Manila territory. Like Mario’s and Don Henrico’s. Even Chocolate de Batirol has a kiosk in Serendra. But there’s nothing like the Baguio appeal.
I read your first article with much interest. I look forward to trying those restaurants that I haven’t yet, including a few I hadn’t even heard of in my first year here.
I do have to disagree with you on the “place not to eat” though. The little barbecue stand occasionally found behind Ina Mansions has some great food. So does Ding’s carendaria up on General Lim with his superior Bihon and Lomi.
Eating at the food stands and stalls is an adventure, a culinary adventure. Not every adventure is rewarded with treasure and occasionally one pays a price for the risk (a day or so of upset tummy usually). But the flavor of a land is found in the small eateries and homes of its peoples more than in its restaurants.
Don’t get me wrong. I love full on restaurants, where someone knows that “mise en place” is the first key to a successful dish. But don’t walk away from the small vendors and eateries is to turn your back on the comfort food that thousands stand in line for everyday.
Hi Tatoosh,
Some of us cannot risk bad tummies even for a day. I love a good “hole in the wall,” small operations, or food stands — dining does not always have to mean full service for me.
However, the culinary adventure must be a hygienic one always. I love local food, the home-cooked dinengdeng by the lovely manang (whom I know only as Joel’s mom) at Wright Park, for example.
Cheap, local or comfort, should never mean dishes that are dipped in a pail of water, nor food that stands at room temperature and reheated, having bacteria double every second. Hawker food must be steaming hot at all times, not stuff that sits in an aluminum pot all day, exposed to carbon particles from jeepney emissions.
hello…my friends and I will go to baguio this august…I’m in charge of all tye plannings…i can’t decided on which places to go first, next, and so on…we have 3 days and 2 nights trip…where can i get a map that would give me detailed information to all tourist spots and restaurants….thanks….
Hi Jamela,
Please check out http://www.gobaguio.com for all your travel needs. Email me if you need further info
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