SOLIBAO is a home-grown Filipino restaurant established in 1972, now with 6 branches around Baguio and still counting. Its name was inspired by the drums used by the Igorot in the Cordilleras. It is best known for its yummy Filipino recipes like Pancit Palabok, Kare-Kare and Puto Bumbong.
We tried the Solibao which is the in-house resto of the Heritage Mansion. It was my first time to tried Solibao, and here is our experience:
Flavors of Baguio: Discover Baguio, One Bite at a Time!
- C BOUTIQUE HOTEL ‘s Flavors of Baguio Food and Heritage Tour
- SOLIBAO: Baguio’s BEST Filipino Restaurant since 1972
- ROSE BOWL: Baguio’s Home-Grown BEST Chinese Food since 1945
- TAM-AWAN: Baguio’s Artist Village and Gardens in the Baguio Sky
- HILL STATION: One of the BEST Restaurants in Baguio! (Revisited)
The Heritage Mansion branch seems to be its flagship store because it is set in a post-war mansion ambiance.
MENU: Breakfast, Appetizers/Starters, Merienda | Soup, Salad, Chicken, Beef | Steaks, Pork, Inihaw na Liempo | Seafood, Vegetables, Noodles | Dessert, Beverages | Rice, Take-Out Bilaos | SOLIBAO Handaang Grande
If Manileños would ask why go up to Baguio just to eat Filipino food? The fast answer : some of the recipes had survived the test of time and the back-to-basics Filipino food deserves a second and more servings at half the cost of Manila prices.
Sinigang Bangus Belly with Miso (P250). Fish with vegetables simmered in Tamarind broth.
The Sinigang was good: light, not too sour, and with good portions of the fatty bangus belly tempting you to take a bite asap.
★ Beef Kare-Kare (P280). Tender buntot ng baka simmered in peanut sauce with our special SOLIBAO Bagoong.
Kare-Kare comes in two versions: the original with beef; and the bagnet version. Love the traditional “peanutty” taste of the sauce, with good portions of meat, and fresh Baguio vegetables.
★ Kare-Kare Bagnet (P250). Vigan style deep fried pork cooked in peanut sauce with mixed vegetables.
The Bagnet version is the most sinful but also the yummiest. I still prefer the beef though for a more traditional taste.
This was a bit OK, crunchy but a bit dry.
Pinakbet (P225). A medley of lowland vegetables sauteed in garlic and shrimp past with a choice of Vigan Bagnet or Inihaw na Bangus.
This is how we like our Pinakbet with fresh vegetables, bagoong and crunchy bagnet.
★ SOLIBAO’s Famous Palabok Bilao (P340 – 5-7 persons) . Rice noodles smothered with a thick, golden shrimp and meat flavoured sauce and topped with shrimp, ground pork rind, hard boiled egg, tinapa flakes (smoked fish) and freshly minced green onions, served with steamed rice cake.
One of Solibao’s claim to fame is its Palabok with its signature yellow sauce made from a secret mix of shrimp and meat. As they say, “Sauce pa lang, ulam na”. We also love the toppings of ground pork, with tinapa flakes, and tasty shrimps. The noodles though are ordinary and can be improved.
Our boys love their version of fried chicken which is not too oily; but some were cooked medium-rare.
Solibao Ihaw-Ihaw sa Bilao (P485 – Good for 4-5 persons ). A medley of Charcoal Grilled Liempo, Pusit, Fish Fillet, Red Salted Eggs, Green Mango, Eggplant, Tomtaoes, Onions with Lingayen Bagoong, Sili and Calamansi.
This is a good traditional presentation for inihaw; and a perfect welcome to a balikbayan longing for Filipino food. They can further improve how to charcoal- grill so the meat will not end up tough and dry.
Thank you to Steve Cating of Solibao for sharing the anecdotes on how Solibao became successful.
★ Puto Bumbong (P45). Steamed glutinous rice with freshly grated coconut, melted butter and muscovado sugar.
This is the best Puto Bumbong I’ve tasted so far. I’m not particularly fond of puto bumbong because it’s a bit heavy to the stomach, but this one is very soft, malinamnam, and paired well with the grated coconut, butter and brown sugar.
Overall, we love this back-to-basics proudly home-grown Filipino restaurant particularly the Kare-Kare, Palabok and Puto Bumbong. Despite its many branches, the food tastes like it came straight from your kitchen and not mass-produced at a commercial establishment.
It’s best for foodies looking for a true Filipino-food restaurant that highlights its Northern Luzon heritage with the use of locally available ingredients and specialties. Balikbayans visiting Baguio would love it here.
Check out also the Boutique Heritage Mansion Hotel when you decide to eat in this particular branch.
SOLIBAO RESTAURANT @ HERITAGE MANSION HOTEL
Kisad Road, Abanao Extension, Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Operating Hours: 6.00am to 10.00pm
Telephone Number: +(63 74) 448-3815
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solibao
Website: http://solibao.com/
Other Branches in Baguio:
Solibao Restaurant – Session Road
Door #1, Puso ng Baguio Building
Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Telephone Number: +(63 74) 442-3867
Solibao Restaurant – Burnham Park
South Football Grounds
Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Telephone Number: +(63 74) 442-6797
Ganza Restaurant – Burnham Park
North Football Grounds
Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Telephone Number: +(63 74) 442-2478
Solibao Kiosk – BGHMC Waiting Shed Food Court
Baguio General Hospital Compound
Baguio City, Philippines 2600
Telephone Number: +(63 74) 423-0169
Flavors of Baguio: Discover Baguio, One Bite at a Time!
- C BOUTIQUE HOTEL ‘s Flavors of Baguio Food and Heritage Tour
- SOLIBAO: Baguio’s BEST Filipino Restaurant since 1972
- ROSE BOWL: Baguio’s Home-Grown BEST Chinese Food since 1945
- TAM-AWAN: Baguio’s Artist Village by Chanum Foundation
- HILL STATION: One of the BEST Restaurants in Baguio! (Revisited)
Related Blog Posts on Baguio:
BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)
Awesome Baguio Experience Series:
- BAGUIO’s Panagbenga Flower Festival
- MAMA’S TABLE: Chef Vicky Tinio Clemente’s Private Dining
- STRAWBERRY FIELDS Forever…
- BENCAB MUSEUM Experience
- CAFE SABEL @ BenCab Museum
- HILL STATION & Mt. Cloud Bookshop
- HAPPY TUMMY & Wright Park
- BLISS CAFE & Hotel Elizabeth
- CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
- EVE’S GARDEN Organic Lunch
Awesome Baguio Experience Series II:
- THE CHEF’S HOME in Baguio
- OH MY GULAY @ Vocas Artspace, Session Road, Baguio
- FOREST HOUSE Bistro Cafe (Our First Time)
- O’ MAI KHAN Mongolian Barbecue & Hot Pot
- LE CHEF AT THE MANOR, Camp John Hay, Baguio
- CHOCO-LATE de BATIROL, Camp John Hay, Baguio
- LE MONET Breakfast Buffet – The Best in Baguio?
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Full Disclosure: Our Flavors of Baguio Tour is courtesy of C Boutique Hotel. I wrote this blog post myself, and it expresses my own opinions. We only feature awesome experiences in the blog.
I have no business relationship with any company mentioned in this post or any organization promoting it. As a policy, I don’t receive compensation from food and travel places we feature in the blog.
P.S. FLAVORS OF BAGUIO TOUR is in partnership with Our Awesome Planet and exclusively offered for C Boutique Hotel’s guests staying for 2 nights.
Flavors of Baguio Tour Fee: P2,250/person, minimum of four (4) participants.
Tour Experience Includes:
- Lunch at Solibao or Rose Bowl,
- Baguio Tour of Laperal Mansion, Bahay na Puti, Diplomat Hotel @ Dominican Hill,
- Lourdes Grotto, Sabado’s Handicrafts;
- Merienda at Tam-Awan Village;
- Dinner at Hill Station, Casa Vallejo; and
- Transfers from C Boutique Hotel to the different dining destinations.
Excludes: C Boutique Room Accommodation which needs to be booked directly to the hotel.
To book the tour, contact Anton +63917 5683-627 or book directly at the C Boutique Hotel reception upon check-in.
Pards, they also have a booth outlet at Tiong San La Trinidad, in La Trinidad City, Benguet. I agree! Great food! And Steve Cating is one cool dude! 🙂
RECYCLED FOOD. Ordered the Ihaw-ihaw sa Bilao (assortment platter of grilled fish, squid, liempo with ensalada etc.)in their Burnham branch. HORRIBLE! Everything on that bilao tasted like recycled uneaten food from the day before. Liempo was so tough and rubbery, the fish was so dry and bland, the squid was malansa and had a bitter aftertaste, and everything was bland AF. We informed the management but they only gave us a P50 discount for the disappointment of a platter they served us. We still paid full price out of principle. We are never coming to eat here again.