Food + Travel: Dine amidst Baguio's famous Cafe by the Ruins
While I was sifting through the rolls of indigenous textiles at Easter Weaving Baguio, my brother suddenly whispered into my ears "gutom nako.." (I'm hungry). I actually asked him to buy something to eat from the nearby store, but he immediately declined. And since he wanted me to finish my 'textile shopping', he waited until I was done. He's such a supportive brother, right? So as a reward for being such a good companion (and since I was the only one who benefited from this specific travel), I treated him to a sumptuous lunch at Cafe by the Ruins.
I can't remember the last time I ate from this restaurant (I think it was back in high school). So I couldn't help but wipe the smile off of my face when we finally arrived at the lovely cafe. Of course, we came at an inopportune time as everybody were also out for lunch --- on a weekend! But thankfully, we were able to get a table upstairs just after 10 minutes of waiting.
I was already feeling the pangs of hunger at the time, so I ordered something heavy for lunch. My brother wanted the same cuisine, so we both ordered some pasta dishes. I got myself a hefty order of Lemon Ricotta with grilled chicken breast, while my brother requested for a Meatball Pasta dish. Of course, I had to try their Fresh Lemonade, while Choy ordered a Mango fruit shake.
My pasta had a nice Lemony flavored cream sauce of carabao ricotta cheese, which was complemented with a perfectly grilled chicken. It also had several Foccacia bread strips that really tasted oh-so delicious! It was so delish that I had to ask for Choy's share.
My lemonade drink on the other hand was freshly squeezed. So you can imagine how sour it tasted (eyes cringing). And despite being smeared with sugar on the mouth piece like a Mojito drink, I still had to request for an extra shot of honey just to help tone down the sourness.
Choy's pasta dish on the other hand was a very familiar meal. His pasta platter had the usual tomato sauce, meatballs and Foccacia bread strips. I actually got to sample a whole meatball, and was able to get a real kick out of it. It was no ordinary piece of meat, as it had a good fusion of salt and herbs.
AN AMBIANCE THAT EVERY ARTIST WILL LOVE
If you've never been to the cafe, the first thing that you'll notice are the dilapidated walls. But the beat up foundation doesn't sum up the whole edifice, as the restaurant already displays a wide array of contemporary materials.
Cafe by the Ruins also uses different kinds of wood, which can be seen prevalent in the restaurant's surroundings (from walls to tables). Besides that, the cafe has also decorated its interiors with a variety of artworks, which have been mostly created by Filipino artisans.
I also loved the open kitchen setup. I actually got to see my food being prepared right on the spot. I mean, it would literally make your mouth water while anticipating for your food to be served. It was definitely a sight for sore eyes, given all the freshly cooked food being laid on your plate. It was just oh-so beautiful!
HOW TO GET THERE
Since my brother and I were really hungry at the time, we opted to take a cab from Easter Weaving to the restaurant. In just a matter of minutes, we arrived at our destination. Now regardless of your current location, you can easily instruct the cab driver to take you to the restaurant (Cafe by the Ruins) that's right in front of the City Hall.
How about you? Have you been to Cafe by the Ruins lately?
Explore & Be Free!
Mai
Mai
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