When in Baguio (Part 2)

This is the second part of the Baguio series which I wrote last March. Here are more restaurants and activities to try in a city whose beauty and charm will never go out of style.

Mario's 
16 Upper Session Road, Extension, Baguio City

I won't normally eat at dining places that offer entrees that :
A. I can't even pronounce;
B. I know nothing about ; and
C. are a little pricey.

So when Dan suggested that we try Mario's, I asked him if it has any of the three choices listed above, he honestly said Mario's is on the pricey side. That was a red flag to me, being the Ilokana that I am. If you know what I mean. But since I was not going to foot the bill and it was Valentine's season, I gave in to his request.

As expected, I ordered a pasta dish, something I will never get enough of. This time, I tried their Seafood Linguine with squid, shrimps and clams in tomato sauce. It was very flavorful but the serving will keep you wanting for more.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience at Mario's. Food was great, service was even better. However, we'll only be dining here if the occasion calls for it. Like, perhaps, another Valentine's date. :)

Ketchup Food Community
Romulo Dr., Baguio City

Friends have been telling us to try Canto at Ketchup Food Community. But every time my husband and I decide to go, the place is always packed.

Good thing, when we finally tried it, we were there at 10 AM. We had to make a reservation prior to its opening at 11:30. The place was filled to the brim before our meal was served. 

We had their bestseller, Lomo Ribs, with vegetable salad as side dish. We opted for mashed potatoes instead of rice. Now I know why this resto always makes it to the list of must-try in the city. Their baby back ribs were tender and it almost felt like it melts in the mouth. Plus the best part is, it's unbelievably affordable.

This is something that every meat-lover should try!

Hill Station
Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road, Baguio City

Hill Station's homey ambience and great service are what makes this restaurant a favorite among tourists and locals.

We dropped by to have dessert after our filling lunch at Canto. I had their signature lemon meringue while Dan ordered Banoffee pie. My meringue had the right amount of sweetness, just perfect to complement the sour lemon flavor. The service was surprisingly fast, given that it's a fine dining resto. Waiters were polite and accommodating to our requests.

On our next visit, we will try their main entrees.


Vizco's Restaurant and Bakeshop
Session Road, Baguio City

If there's one bakeshop that I can't stop raving about, it's got to be Vizco's. It started when Dan (being the sweet and thoughtful guy that he is), arrived home on a Friday carrying this "box of heaven." He said the cake is a must-try in Baguio and anyone who has tried it swears that it has become a staple in their home.

I will let the pictures speak for itself.

It has two layers of strawberry sponge cake with thick cream filling and on top are freshly sliced local strawberries. The hint of sourness of the strawberries gel well with the tempered sweetness of the cake and cream.

I'm drooling while looking at the photos. Sorry if I gave you an unpleasant image of me. Bwahaha!

La Union Invasion

2015 is our high school batch's 20th year. We wouldn't let it pass without celebrating this milestone. 

I have said many times before that high school friends have a way of keeping us grounded because these are the people who know us from way back. They know our crazy little secrets, our teenage habits, our eccentricities, even the people we shed tears for... the list just goes on and on.

Only a few were able to come because most of us live in different parts of the world. Some who live here signified their desire to come but unfortunately, their schedule just didn't allow it. 

We decided to spend a night at San Juan Surf Resort in La Union as suggested by Dan. Every time he's in La Union for work, this is where he stays. This resort is also a surfing school which offers tutorial service for those who want to learn the water sport.

This newly-constructed building is where our villa is located. 

Batch 95

We were delighted to have booked this VIP room/ suite that can accommodate 8 persons. There's a main room, a separate private room with airconditioning and an attic!

This is what awaits every guest. The sea is always a sight to behold. I wish I could wake up to this view every day of my life. 

The view from our balcony. The pictures though do not give justice to the breathtaking view we have from the balcony. Blame it on my super low-tech mobile phone. Trust me, the sea view just makes you want to cry. Okay, that's a little too much but you get the point. :)

Coast Call, SJSR's in-house restaurant. It offers mainly Filipino fare. I love their pancit canton. For the price of Php199, it's more than enough for 3 persons. 

And since we were in a surfing school, might as well try surfing. My friends did, I didn't. I still have to muster enough courage to try this one. Next time, perhaps. :)

More group pictures!

Bluer than blue!

Reef shot.

And what better way to end this post than by sharing our photos with no less than San Juan Surf Resort's owner, professional surfer/ model/ endorser, Luke Landrigan. It was so surreal to see him up close. It's interesting to note that he never refused a request from guests who wanted to have a photo taken with him.

There you have it, our La Union weekend getaway. It surely won't be the last time!


San Juan Surf Resort is located at Urbiztondo San Juan, La Union.
Contact Number: (072) 2424544

Baguio Bookshops

It's no secret that I love reading. I am always in search of good books to add to my collection. The sad part is, new books can be very pricey so I made it a point to scour secondhand bookshops for titles that stir my interest. I must say, I have found really good ones for a price you would not even imagine. In Baguio, two bookshops top my list.

Mt. Cloud Bookshop
Casa Vallejo Building, DPS Compound Access Road, Baguio

Bookends
GF, UCPB Building, T. Claudio St., Baguio

That's me doing what I love most -- book-hunting!


Check out this lovely Christmas tree! Of course, it's made of books!

When in Baguio...

When Dan broke the news that he was being transferred to Baguio from Dagupan (his territory for more than 5 years), I initially shrugged off the idea. We have been struggling with our "distance issue" for two years and this transfer is not helping. However, instead of sulking, I tried to see the brighter side of it --- I will have the chance to rediscover Baguio when it's my turn to come and visit him if his schedule will not allow him to come home.

Baguio, despite its transformation from a quiet mountain town to a highly urbanized city, still remains endearing and mystical. It is modern in every sense but at its very core, Baguio has not forgotten its rich culture and history.

Years ago, every time I had the chance to go up to Baguio, I did the mandatory activities that every tourist is expected to do. Think: Burnham, The Mansion, Wright Park, Mines View, etc. Baguio definitely has more to offer. When Dan accepted his new work assignment, we vowed to rediscover Baguio one place at a time.

I will start with dining places that you will not find anywhere else but in Baguio. These restaurants started out in this city and through word of mouth have been patronized by tourists coming to Baguio. Trying them out gives us a break from the usual fare that fastfood and franchise restaurants offer. Here is my partial list. Partial, because I know, there will be more...


Forest House
16 Loakan Rd Camp John Hay, Baguio

Choco-late de Batirol
Igorot Park, Camp John Hay, Baguio

Backyard Baguio
92 Upper General Luna Road, Baguio

I ♥ Macau

Last year (2013) Dan and I were fortunate to have traveled to three Philippine destinations: Boracay, Bohol and Cebu. We wanted to go around the country on our first year of marriage and we both confirmed how beautiful the Philippines is. This year, we opted to visit nearby Asian destinations to immerse ourselves in different cultures with the hope that we will learn to appreciate our own culture more.

We have made an agreement that every time we go out for a holiday, we will go DIY (do-it-yourself). Although there were times that I have been tempted to get tour packages offered by trusted agencies, the idea of exploring a foreign land with just a map and my ever-reliable instinct on hand proved to be more appealing.

Our first trip was in Macau, dubbed as Asia's Gambling Capital. But more than the numerous casinos that are found practically everywhere, this Chinese territory, once colonized by Portugal, has so much more to offer.

The hotel where we stayed was only a 10-minute walk to the city's famous landmarks such as Senado Square, Ruins of St. Paul and the casino strip. I don't remember taking any public transport on our first day. We did a lot of walking but we never felt tired a bit.

Senado Square at night. We found Senado Square serendipitously as we were trying to look for a nearby money exchange. Hailing a cab to get to the Senado Square, Ruins of St. Paul and the casino strip was no longer an option. Good thing, it's a walking-friendly city.

Senado Square.

I always make it a point to check out the street food of the place I visit. This one is not for the fainthearted. Their fare is a little too spicy for my palate.

Getting cozy at St. Paul's Ruins.

We also did casino-hopping, NOT to play but to check out its grand interiors. And boy, we weren't disappointed!

Our first stop was The Venetian.

I ♥ Cebu

Our trip to Cebu on October 2013 was made possible (again!) by a promo fare that I couldn't resist. I booked it right away without asking Dan if he was up for it. I was thinking, there was no way he would refuse it, especially since we won a free hotel accommodation at Crown Regency Towers, which by the way has a great view of the Queen City of the South. And anyone who has traveled would agree that a huge chunk of the travel expenses goes to accommodation. Good thing, we have one item crossed out from our list of expenses. Anyway, matipid naman kaming maglakwatsa. We always stick to the budget, no matter what. Kung di na kayang kumain, i-tubig na lang ang gutom, haha!

Unlike our Bohol trip, we didn't have to hire a tour guide in Cebu. Dan's two teenage nephews, Emerson and Remson, were gracious enough to drive us around the city. Plus, our high school friend Mariegen with her friend Haide also happened to be in the city, which means, we would have decent pictures together! That has always been a struggle. When it's just the two of us, we have no other choice but to take selfie shots which turn out horrendous because of angle issues.

Here are some photos we have taken from our trip.

Cebu lechon was a priority for this trip. As soon as we landed, we asked Emerson, Dan's nephew, to take us to a local restaurant that serves the famous Cebu lechon. Our first gastronomic fill was at CnT Lechon. The following day, we tried Zubuchon.

Dan and I make it a point to try something new in the places we visit. We did that in Bohol when we had the firefly tour. It was something that I wouldn't normally do but I'm glad I did. This time in Cebu, we couldn't miss the Sky Adventure in the Crown Regency. Definitely, this is not recommended for the fainthearted. It took a lot of convincing for me to finally give it a try. I can do the Skywalk and Zipline all over again, but I would never have the Edge Coaster for a second time. It was like facing death head-on, I swear.

And of course, the mandatory city tour.

Daghang salamat, Cebu!