What should you absolutely drink in Baguio? Not Red Horse, but coffee! Baguio is known for its high-quality coffee beans, among the best in the Philippines. There are plenty of great cafes to explore. I enjoyed a cup at Kai Café near the Valley of Colors, and it was delicious!

The theory that food wrapped in leaves is delicious holds true. At Baguio’s night market, I discovered a dish called Tupig. Wrapped in leaves, it promised greatness. It had a unique texture: warm, sticky, yet crunchy, with coconut sweetness. In Cebu, it’s called Budbud.

Filipino cuisine “Dynamite” is like a mystery food cop or a character from a show. Crispy spring rolls with spicy green chili inside are easy to snack on! I craved an ice-cold beer! This Filipino treat lives up to its explosive name, though some are dangerously spicy!

Baguio is a small town with few nightlife spots. Enter the night market! People enjoy street stalls and diverse street food. I enjoyed it every night myself. I found grilled chicken heads! Hesitantly biting into one, it tasted just like chicken. The many bones made it hard to eat, but my curiosity was easily satisfied.

Seeing the good in one thing over many flaws brings happiness. At the Filipino diner Good Taste, I ordered fried rice and lechon (fried rice and pork). The lechon was tough and cold but had juicy fat and crispy skin! The fried rice was soggy and mediocre, but the lechon’s juicy fat and crispy skin were delightful!

Large restaurants have difficulty serving food. The enormous Filipino restaurant Good Taste solves this with robots. The menu is overwhelmingly extensive! They offer local food, Chinese, and bread. The Ube cake I had tasted like a high-tech mass-produced future flavor.

Love strawberries, cakes, and the Philippines? Let me introduce a wonderful shop! Vizco’s is a restaurant known for its delicious strawberry cakes in the Philippines. The moist sponge cake, mildly sweet cream, and generously used strawberries make it a must-try for strawberry lovers!

The way food is wrapped shows cultural differences. At the City Market in Baguio, I discovered a gourmet dish called Suman, made of glutinous rice and coconut milk. Unwrap the triangular leaf, and it feels moist, sweet, and sticky against the lips like a snack. In the Philippines, banana leaves are often used for wrapping. In Japan, it would probably be bamboo leaves.

Answer this psychological test with Yes or No.
・Do you like meat?
・Do you like rice?

If you answered Yes to both, you’ll likely fall in love with Mang Inasal. His thigh meat is marinated in a sweet sauce, and you can have as many rice refills as you want without complaint. The sour soup adds a surprise. You’ll be happy.

Discovered a Ghibli-inspired café, Cabsat Cafe, in Baguio! Mesmerized by numerous Ghibli characters drawn on the walls, I ordered iced coffee. It was very sweet, with nice jelly at the bottom. By the way, Cabsat means sibling in Ilocano. A name fitting for family-loving Filipinos. MAP