I finally came up with the list of places that my husband and I should try - Good Taste, Ketchup Community, and O Mai Khan
Here's a quick review of the places we tried. :)
1. First Stop: Good Taste.
3 or 4 years ago, my cousins, lolo, and I went to Good Taste for dinner. We ordered chopsuey, beef broccoli, pancit, and sweer and sour. The dishes tasted good - it's like eating home-cooked meals. The veggies were fresh and everything was perfect. It left a good impression on me that when my husband and I went to Baguio, this place was at the top of my list.
It was early in the morning when we decided to eat at Good Taste. The place wasn't packed with people compared to the first time I went there (maybe because it was around 9AM?). My husband and I ordered fried rice, sweet and sour pork, garlic buttered chicken and lomi. My husband ordered calamansi juice and I got brewed coffee. We just came from Manila that day and we were famished. I forgot to take a photo of the menu.
But ALAS! We were a little bit disappointed with the food. :(
My verdict:
*Fried Rice - It wasn't served hot - felt like it was cooked hours before it was served. The serving was generous though. Nothing special with the taste.
*Sweet and Sour Pork - This was a big disappointment. It was served cold. The dish was dry and the meat was rubbery. It was way different from the one I've tasted the first time I was in Good Taste. The vegetables were fresh but was not cooked enough.
*Garlic Buttered Chicken - This was the only dish that I'll give a two thumbs up. The chicken was cooked well and it was not too buttery nor garlic-y. Just right. Now I know why this is their best seller.
*Beef Lomi - Ordering this was a big mistake. It was too salty. I think the cook was not in a good mood when he was making this dish. Felt like I was eating salt and MSG. My husband and I didn't even finish the bowl - it was a waste of money.
I don't know if we chose the wrong dishes to eat that day. The ones that I've tried 3 or 4 years ago were delicious. The good part is everything's affordable and the servings were generous.
Anyways, do not forget to try their calamansi juice - two thumbs up for that.
2. Turning Thai: Happy Tummy
Next on our list it Ketchup Community. I've read a lot of good reviews about this. We went there on Christmas day and unfortunately, 2 out of 5 restaurants were open. We were supposed to eat at Canto to taste their famous Lomo Ribs but they were closed on that day!
The only two restaurants open were Rancho Norte and Happy Tummy. The place was packed with people waiting that so we chose the one that has a shorter line which was Happy Tummy.
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After 30-minutes of waiting, we finally got a seat at Happy Tummy. Happy Tummy serves Thai dishes. Worth trying something new. :)
I love how the owners maximized the small space. The tables were meant for those who are eating with their barkadas or family.
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| Hi there, hubby! |
Here's there menu:
We ordered bagoong rice (large - PhP 150), chicken pandan (PhP 195), fried spring rolls (PhP 175), and pad thai (PhP 195). The service was fast and we got our food after 15 minutes. :)
My verdict:
*Spring Rolls - Tastes like your ordinary spring rolls, with veggies inside. It actually tastes good but nothing really special. Good thing the spring rolls were not too oily.
*Bagoong Rice - The serving was generous and was not too salty. Topped with green mangoes and it was just the perfect match for a hungry stomach.
*Chicken Pandan - It was my first time to try chicken pandan and the dish was place in front of me, I felt a little disappointment. There were only 5 pieces and you can actually gobble up a whole piece in one bite. Sabi ko s sarili ko "This better be good" and TADA! the chicken was delicious. I wasn't able to take photo of the chicken because I was already hungry. The taste won't disappoint you.
*Pad Thai - This was my first time to eat Pad Thai. I've never tried other Asian dishes aside from Korean and Japanese cuisines. And this Pad Thai was awesome! Has two pieces of shrimps, chopped boneless chicken thighs and generous amount of tofu. A little spicy but just right. :)
Next time we'll try the tamarind juice. Almost everyone in the place were ordering that drink, I can't believe we did not try it.
3. ????? - O Mai Khan
On our Day 2 in Baguio, we decided to have dinner in O Mai Khan. We were so dead tired from walking. There were also a lot of people I can't believe it was so difficult to get a taxi ride in Baguio at 7pm.
O Mai Khan serves unlimited Mongolian BBQ and hotpot for PhP226. When we got there, the line was so long and we did not have the energy to stand in line. So we just ordered their set meals.
I like the ambiance of the place. We got to seat on the veranda. It was so relaxing to get a seat in this area after a tiring day.
Their menu has a lot to offer. Their set meals come with rice and veggies. I got the Genghis Khan Steak and my husband got the A-nia Khan Bulgalbi.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the dishes we got! Jeez. We were so tired that all we wanted was to eat and go home.
The service was slow which I totally understand as the place was full with people. And since the place was full, I felt like I was in a fastfood joint.
Anyways, the meat was big but nothing too special. Yes, the meals we had tasted okay but it lacks that OOMPH! Or maybe we were too tired to appreciate the taste? Maybe.
Lesson: Again, visit Baguio when it's not the holidays. I guess we would be able to appreciate the place and the food when there are just few people and not everyone is in a rush.
4. Oh why?? - Rancho Norte
On our last day in Baguio, we decided to have our lunch back at Ketchup Community. We were so glad to find out that Canto is already open but my goodness!! The line was too long. Akala ko pila nang lotto. So we asked if there they are listing the names for reservation but the lady told us that we literally have to fall in line. While talking to her, a guy suddenly butt it. He complained that their group have already been waiting for an hour and why was the other group in front of their line. Almost everyone was raising their voices so I realized that it was pointless waiting in line with all the people already pissed off.
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| The line for Canto - it actually extends all the way outside. |
We wanted to try Rumah Sate but it was also full.
That's why we settled for Rancho.
There were still a lot of people but the line was shorter and they had an organized way to seat customers.
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| Love the decors :) |
Again, my apologies if I wasn't able take a photo of the menu. :(
We decided to get combo meals which comes with what they call "Pinoy Salad" and Iced tea.
These were the dishes that we ordered:
I got the Pakbet with Bagnet Meal (PhP 158)
And my husband got the Lechon Kawali Meal (PhP 158)
We also ordered the 'best seller' Crispy Sisig (PhP 198)
My Verdict:
I wish we hadn't eaten here. :(
*Pakbet with Bagnet Meal - I can't believe the meal is worth PhP158. The 'pinoy salad' they were referring to were just few (really few) slices of onion, one small slice of tomator and one small slice of cucumber. The bagnet was just the small slices of pork. The taste was bland. It was so disappointing.
*Lechon Kawali Meal - This meal was disappointing. It was not lechon kawali but it aws just a piece of fried pork marinated in nothing. It was bland and lacks flavor. Even the sauce/gravy tasted like the generic ones sold in the market.
*Crispy Sisig - My husband and I have different opinion about this dish. I love the taste and the meat was crispy. It was not too salty but it was not 'sizzling' hot when served. However, my husband did not like the dish because according to him, it was bland, lacks flavor and not worth PhP 198.
The price was a bit expensive for the serving and the taste. I don't know if the cook was in a hurry preparing everything (because of the number of people ordering) or they really serve the food this way. I have read a lot of good reviews about this place but it was not what I was expecting.
There are still a lot affordable restaurants to visit in Baguio but next time, my husband and I will visit Baguio when it's not the peak season.
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