Baguio city is filled with a lot of stories. Café by the Ruins a quaint restaurant in Baguio City shares a unique story of Filipino resiliency and adaptability. On July of 1990, a massive earthquake hit Baguio City. Buildings collapsed – a total disaster. This restaurant was closed. Yet, it quickly opened to help feed thousands of earthquake (the ruins) survivors.
Today, Café by the Ruins is that place in Baguio having succulent dishes, a nice atmosphere and friendly patrons. A truly pleasurable Baguio experience
The entrance:
You’ll be greeted by a stand displaying freshly baked goods. Their muffins and cookies are truly a spectacle to behold. The dining area:
Wood crafted tables and chairs, placemats and table settings – very Baguio.
We Ordered drinks:
Pandan Lemon Grass Iced Tea (PHP 85.00). Note, Exchange rate is around PHP 40 to 1 USD. Pandan leaves, used to be only added as flavoring ingredient for cooking rice. Now it’s a main ingredient in a lot of Filipino desserts,
Salabat Tea, Ginger Tea (PHP 125.00). Hot water served in a kettle accompanied by Ginger in a shot glass and honey in a small porcelain cup.
Sinigang soup, a truly delicious tamarind laden broth with chili, Filipino radish, onions, tomatoes and vegetables. Not too spicy, with just the right amount of heat.
Baguio Bagnet (PHP 320). Bagnet is pork, fried to a level of crispness that you can compare to eating a cracker. The Bagnet sits on a nice bed of Baguio rice. Accompanied by slices of onions and tomatoes on a separate square serving bowl. Joining the dish on yet another separate serving bowl is another variant of bagoong a Filipino sauce similar to Indonesian blanchang.
Tortang talong (PHP 220)- a Filipino eggplant(talong) omelet nicely sitting beside Baguio rice adjacent to a square serving bowl containing a mixture chilies and tomatoes ( the sauce) – Delicious.
For dessert we had:
Fresh Baguio strawberries(PHP 150) sitting on a bowl of fresh cream. A delicious end to a beautiful lunch at
- Café By The Ruins
- 23 Chuntug St.
- Baguio City, Philippines
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