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FOREST HOUSE Bistro Cafe (A First Timer's Guide)

If you ask anyone from Baguio, Forest House is always included in the list of must eat places.  I must admit, it is our first time in Forest House in Baguio. 

Now I understand why people rave about this place and why their attempt to expand to Manila did not prosper. I'm sure there are still Manileños who have not tried this Baguio favorite. 

Check out Forest House in Baguio:

Awesome Baguio Series Part 2:

• 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?

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

THE CHEF'S HOME in Baguio - A Must Eat!

I first heard about Chef's Home as a hole-in-the-wall carinderia along Outlook Drive but we missed it on our first trip to Baguio. 

Foodies' in Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines, can't stop raving about this Malaysian chef who decided to be based in Baguio with his Filipina wife (from La Union) after leaving an executive chef post in a hotel resort in Phuket, Thailand.

Check out Chef's Home when you are in Baguio:

Awesome Baguio Series Part 2:

• 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?

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

BAGUIO: Awesome Baguio Experience Series

Here's the summary of the Awesome Baguio Experience 10-part Blog Series...

1. Baguio's Panagbenga

PANAGBENGA is a local Kankana-ey term in Cordillera, which means “a season for blossoming; a time for blooming", coined by Ike Picpican, curator of the Saint Louis University Museum in 1997.

It is a month-long celebration in February/March during the business-lean months to attract tourists to the City of Baguio after the holidays and before the peak Summer Season.

It culminates with a Grand Flower Float Parade, held usually on the last Sunday of February.

The Flower festival symbolizes the rise of Baguio from the city's devastating earthquake disaster on July 16, 1990.

To kick off the BEST of Baguio series, here's my first-timer's take on the Panagbenga experience...

Read More: BAGUIO's Panagbenga Flower Festival

Awesome Baguio Series Part 2:

• 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?

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

HOTEL ELIZABETH and BLISS CAFE in Baguio

It's nice to know there still are places in Baguio that have not succumbed to the temptation of over-commercialization and the greed of cutting down all the trees to give way to "development and progress".

There are three places that you should absolutely avoid in Baguio:
1). the overcommercialized Session Road;
2). the allegedly corrupt Camp John Hay operation; and
3). SM Baguio (to stop them from cutting trees to build parking lots).

We decided to stay in Hotel Elizabeth, which is located in a quiet side of Baguio where there are still plenty of trees and cool fresh air. That became our jump-off point in exploring the authentic old Baguio experience. :)

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
• Hotel Elizabeth and Bliss Cafe in Baguio
• CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
• EVE'S GARDEN Organic Lunch

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

Eve's Garden Organic Lunch

Story has it that Eve (or Tita Eve, as most people would call her) migrated to Baguio and built an organic garden to nourish her cancer-stricken husband with organic food everyday. She opened her home for lunch (by reservation only) to share the delicious and healthy food with others.

It was our final day in Baguio and we decided to have our lunch there. It was a last-minute late lunch reservation but I'm glad she accepted it. We were able to try Eve's Garden (which is like Sonya's Garden but in Baguio, and more focused on healthy, organic food), but we did not have the pleasure of meeting Tita Eve herself.

Here is our Eve's Garden experience...

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
• Hotel Elizabeth and Bliss Cafe in Baguio
• CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
• EVE'S GARDEN Organic Lunch

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

Cafe by the Ruins Breakfast!

I can still remember the story when Cafe by the Ruins was about to close down: They announced the last day of operations, and then a lot of Manileños decided to go up to Baguio and pay tribute to the restaurant.

Ever since that time, they were touched by how much foodies love Cafe by the Ruins, and the next generation decided to continue it. As a thank you gift, they released their first cookbook entitled, "Café by the Ruins: Memories and Recipes".

This is one of the few remaining restaurant institutions in Baguio and the only reason we would brave the traffic of the commercialized area of Session Road.

I'm glad that the boys were able to experience it, and I do hope more Filipino generations can visit it for years to come.

Here is our breakfast experience in Cafe by the Ruins...

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
• Hotel Elizabeth and Bliss Cafe in Baguio
• CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
• EVE'S GARDEN Organic Lunch

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

 

HAPPY TUMMY & Wright Park

Happy Tummy is a Thai resto hidden just across the horseback riding area in Wright Park.

The first time we went to Wright Park, we did not even notice that there was a good place to eat nearby. (Thanks to JP Alipio for the tip about Happy Tummy!)

I loved this combined experience of horseback riding + eating home-cooked Thai food. It is one of our best experiences in Baguio. :)

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
• Hotel Elizabeth and Bliss Cafe in Baguio
• CAFE BY THE RUINS Breakfast!
• EVE'S GARDEN Organic Lunch

BAGUIO: Your Awesome Journey to Baguio Food Trip (Infographic)

HILL STATION & Mt. Cloud Bookshop, Baguio

[Update 03/06/13]: HILL STATION: One of the BEST Restaurants in Baguio! (Revisited)

Hill Station Tapas Bar & Restaurant is one of the hottest restaurants in Baguio. It was voted as one of Asia's finest restaurants in The Miele Guide 2011/2012.

Mitos, the owner (and also the secret behind the success of Mario's in Baguio), decided to set up her own restaurant in the old Casa Vallejo hotel. It serves the best of Asian and Continental cuisines from other Hill Stations around the world.

I met Mitos in an Artist Mafia gathering in Baguio. The people there are the ones who are campaigning and giving life to the authentic Baguio (vs. the commercialized Baguio) experience.

Mitos is a close friend of the owners of Cafe by the Ruins, so it's no surprise then that a visit to Baguio is not complete without dropping by Cafe by the Ruins and Hill Station.

Here is a glimpse of our trip to Hill Station...

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