It's no secret the Baguio is my favorite City. I've grown a fondness in calling it my City of Blinding Lights, with U2 references, of course. I'm always in Baguio that's why I find it hard to make an introduction when I blog about it. It's not like introducing a new destination as I wouldn't call it that. It's also not in any way similar to introducing one's home as it's more than my home. So maybe we can skip that part and get to noticing how I've learned a new skill with font manipulation? Hahaha! I hope that's a nice segue.
A couple of weeks ago, the boyfriend and I went to Baguio. The last time we were there was around February to visit my sister, who's studying to be a doctor at SLU. When I was in college, my allowance was P1000 for a week and I'd survive with money left for alcohol, Saturday parties and Sunday Ukay runs. And no, I'm not THAT old; cost of living is just comparatively low. But during our last visit, I noticed that the place was riddled with restaurants I haven't seen in the past. And you guys know how I love food challenges, right? With that, I challenged myself to try and create a round up of restaurants, watering holes and secret eats in Baguio to help tourists, like myself, in finding the perfect place to eat. Btw, I hate referring to myself as a tourist because Baguio is home to me. But with all the high-rise buildings and new restaurants all over the place, that might just be the perfect description. *sigh* I'll post every now and then since I always go there every month or two anyway. Hope this helps your upcoming trips. Let's begin! The places we'll cover today are the ones we actually visited through the course of that weekend.
TSOKOLATERIA
To be fair, this isn't the first time I'm visiting this place. But I haven't made a decent review in the past that's why I'm including it in this list. Tsokolateria is owned by the same group of people behind Pamana. Recently, they've put up a branch in Tagaytay as well. The ambiance of the place is cozy, as most Baguio restaurants are. The only struggle with this place is the Igorot stairs. There's a steep, lengthy step of stairs that you have to go through before you get to place. Other than that, everything's perfect. All of their Chocolate drinks are worth trying! Each order is good for 2 people, but it doesn't just serve a cup. It can serve up to 3 cup refills, as far as I can remember. Other favorites would be Strawberry Waffle, French Toast with Bacon and Mushroom soup!
Budget : P250 - P300 / person
Location : Igorot Stairs, Upper Session Rd, Baguio, Benguet
BAGUIO CRAFT BREWERY
I've been dying to try this watering hole the first time I've heard about it from friends! There are actually tons of new watering holes that I've read online but I made sure to prioritize this because of all the buzz around it. Baguio Craft Brewery boasts of beautifully created hand-crafted beer. You can check out the amazing story how it came to be a business venture.
One good thing to note here is that they allow you to taste the beer before you order it. No need to worry about paying for beer you don't really like, because here, you can definitely taste it before you pay for it. They also have a comprehensive table on the bitterness and alcohol level of each beer, as well as the specific category in which it belongs. I thoroughly enjoyed Lagud (Strawberry Beer), Keywheat (Kiwi Beer) and English Man in New York. I would highly recommend the three, plus a side snack of Onion rings..ahh! Awesome night! The roof deck was my favorite spot. They also have a live band to boot!
Budget : P250 - P400 / person
Location : KM 4, Marcos Highway, Baguio City
MINES VIEW PARK
Ha! You might be wondering why Mines View is on this list. Well it is, as a matter of fact, a foodie paradise. Shown in the photo are some of my favorites : Roasted Dried Squid, Corn on a cob, Green Mangoes with shrimp paste, chili powder and vinegar, Fresh Strawberries, Organic Chico and so much more! Of course there's the always coveted Strawberry Taho with real strawberry bits. You might want to visit some of the restaurants in front of the souvenir stands. Aside from having an amazing view of the mountains while having your meal, they also serve really good coffee.
Budget : P50- P120 / person
Location : Outlook Drive, Baguio City
I forgot to mention that the boyfriend forgot to charge our camera which explains why these are the only restaurants I've managed to take photos of. It also didn't help that there was a city-wide power outage that time so we didn't really have any other options. We also went to : Pizza Volante for beer and my all-time favorite Choco Vanilla Affair, Happy Tummy for their delectable Thai cuisine and friendly waiters and Canto for their humongous Lomo Ribs. I hope I can document properly next time. I have no clue how food bloggers and vloggers do it! I just get too excited I forget about all the documentation I'm supposed to do, lol! I've also managed to create a short clip our of our weekend trip, hope you enjoy watching it! PS I have to go since I sneaked out a bit just to finish this post. The boyfriend and I aren't done celebrating my birthday yet. My birthday celebration on the next post. Enjoy the rest of the week, lovelies!
Ochi is a twenty-something Corporate Trainer who loves to cook, take photos and videos of her food, eat and travel. On weekends, she's either drunk or snuggling in bed watching her favorite crime drama. 
