Baguio City has always been a must-visit place for foodies, thanks to the many culinary offerings from the Cordillera region (think pinikpikan, etag and binaod, among others). But – whether you agree with us or not, particularly since you may know some venues we don’t – one of the biggest challenges we encountered was looking for good kape.

The search for a good cup of coffee is what led us to Foam Coffee, which – it must be pointed out – is more of a resto than a café.

So, how was our visit to Foam Coffee?

@outragemag Looking for #kape in #FoamCoffee in #Baguio, only to end up eating not-cheap #ricemeals ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this is easy to locate, as it’s right across the city hall of Baguio.

Ikalawa, the place itself is sterile-looking. Yep, maaliwalas siya (it’s airy), newly-furnished, is clean, and so on. But when we were there, it also felt quite impersonal, and didn’t feel like a community café or something.

Ikatlo, this is a self-service and CLAYGO (clean as you go) venue. Meaning, you won’t really engage with the staff as they’re there just to take and then give you your order, and then clean up after you if you failed to follow the CLAYGO policy. This adds to the making of this place as impersonal.

And ika-apat, how were the offerings?

So… the original intent was to grab coffee since this was repeatedly highly ranked by reviewers. Alas, the ₱120 Americano was, to start, not even that warm anymore when served. And taste-wise, it was almost like it was watered down.

The rice meals that we ended up also trying were actually not bad. The ₱230 Orange Chicken (orange-glazed chicken with rice) tasted… orangey, sweetish and yet citrusy. The ₱270 Bulgogi Tapa (thinly sliced Korean beef that’s marinated in sweet and salty soy in garlic butter, with rice and eggs), meanwhile, was sweet and savory. The rice in both dishes was good, too; flavorful so that even sans the toppings, already a meal.

For us, if there’s one issue with the rice meals, it’s the size of the servings. Particularly the ulam (viand). You will not get a lot. Which, for us, makes this place a somewhat pricey silog-like venue.

Foam Coffee has a market – e.g. check those who study while there. This is understandable even with the place’s limits. But we’re off elsewhere… perhaps in search of good coffee, as businesses should have if they use the word in their business name.

So off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Foam Coffee is located at Upper G/F Travelite Hotel, Shuntug St., Baguio City. For more information, contact 0977 602 3750.

Baguio City has become a must-visit location for those looking for good – or at least well-promoted – restaurants. But we noted that when you check lists of places for foodies, many of the same venues are mentioned… and one of those is Rebel Bakehouse.

We checked the branch right beside the Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, and… how was it for us?

@outragemag #LGBT checking #RebelBakehouse in #Baguio to ascertain if it's a good alternative to #starbucks, #CBTL ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is tricky to find… at least for non-churchgoers. We actually thought it’s in some street parallel to the church; instead, it’s actually right inside the church’s compound.

Ikalawa, if there’s a word to describe the venue, it’s maaliwalas (airy). The venue is divided into spots – e.g. there’s the upper floor, the inside, and the seats outside. Since Baguio City can still get cool, or even cold, open-air din siya, though this also means that flies from outside can (and do) enter the premises.

Ikatlo, the workers are chill. If asked, they can elaborate on what’s being offered; otherwise, if you don’t engage with them, they’re typical café staff… there but not there.

Ika-apat, how was the food? TBH, since we just came from a heavy meal, we just tried some of their breads and drinks.

1. The Classic Pain Au Chocolat (₱150) and the Cinnamon Bun (₱180) looked pretty, easily reminding me, personally, of breads in some bakery in Paris. But… taste-wise, they’re not remarkable. We’d go as far as saying that they both tasted the same… just like croissant. The dark chocolate inside the former was, at least, good; but the cinnamon was not even apparent in the latter.
2. The kape (₱110), served black, was so-so. I – sadly – really can’t even remember drinking it.

We’re not sure the way to beat Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is to mimic them. Which is how being in Rebel Bakehouse felt like; as if we were in one of the international coffee chains’ branches in Tagaytay. This isn’t to say this is bad… even considering our misgivings with the breads and kape. After all, this is still an okay, and local, option.

Perhaps if we visit again, if at all, we’d try their meals na. But until then, join us as we look for more lafangan venues…

Rebel Bakehouse is located right beside the Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, at CH6X+WM4, Upper Bonifacio St., Baguio City.

Here’s an interesting thing with Baguio City: the city approved the cutting of actual trees to allow the building of a car park (we remember, SM), but too many of its local restaurants now build forests within its venues. Oh My Gulay! comes to mind, though also Café by the Ruins, this famed restaurant that occupies the lot containing the ruins of the Garden Theater outdoor cinema that was built in 1912 by Hubert Phelps Whitmarsh.

We dropped by for a quick meal… and here are some observations from us.

@outragemag Why is #CafebytheRuins in #Baguio still popular (even if it can be pricey)? We #LGBT ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this place is easy to find. Yeah, you can take a taxi and tell the driver the place’s name; everyone knows where it is, so your driver could not possibly get lost. But you can also just choose to walk there. It is not too far from Burnham Park, and right beside the city hall of Baguio.

Ikalawa, not much has changed design-wise for the restaurant; meaning, if you’ve been there before, it looks – basically – the same now. You enter a wooden gate, traverse those hanging plants, and then enter a largely wooden two-floor venue. Welcoming you would be the famed breadshop, and then there are tables and seats for those who’d want to dine.

Ikatlo, slight slow ang service. Though that may just be because this place is always busy. But at least our servers did know their products. And they’re honest, too (e.g. “The Thai Beef Salad you want can be offered without some of the key ingredients, so I won’t recommend it.”).

Ika-apat, how was their food?

1. We wanted to “wash away” the taste of the steaks we had at Sizzling Plate, so we ordered the Filet Mignon (thick slice of beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon, and then served with salad and marble potatoes, ₱520). Properly cooked so it remained juicy, this one didn’t disappoint.
2. The Creole Pasta (pasta with shrimp and mushroom cream sauce with paprika, ₱380) was okay naman, though they didn’t have chili flakes (only Tabasco sauce), thus limiting our desire to make this spicier. It was filling… even if the portion was on the smaller side.

This restaurant is one of those with too many items in the menu, so – yeah – you’re bound to find something you’d like. Note that some of the goods here are costly – e.g. Breads sell from ₱60-₱180, Banana Turon for ₱120, Suman at Tsokolate for ₱210, and Dinuguan with Puto for ₱240. But these are among those that helped make this restaurant known.

Googling eating venues in Baguio City will give you a lot of must-check places. And among those that, consistently, enter lists of recommended restaurants is Café by the Ruins. This is not surprising, really, because this place can be described as largely consistent. So, yeah, while the breads there remain too expensive, everything else is… generally… okay, considering they taste better-than-okay anyway.

Go check… or just join us, as we look for more lafangan venues…

Café by the Ruins is located at 25 Shuntug Rd., Baguio City. For more information, contact 0966 528 9072 or email cafebytheruins@gmail.com.