A dining expedition in the City of Pines

MANILA, Philippines - Baguio City is a sanctuary for those seeking an idyllic break from the demands of metropolitan living. Here is a quick list of “only in Baguio” food specialties and restaurants one can visit on a Baguio food trip vacation:

• Strawberry taho. Sold almost everywhere in the city, good, old-fashioned taho is made from soy drizzled with strawberry syrup and, if one is lucky, fresh strawberries.

•Café by the Ruins. Café by the Ruins serves aromatic, full-bodied and flavorful coffee.  They also have unique tea infusions. Also available are a variety of Philippine-style hot chocolate drinks, fresh fruit shakes and juices, pure carabao’s milk, special breads and spreads. Their bestsellers include the delicious, signature Ruins coffee; kamote bread; longganisa-sinangag-itlog; bacon and eggs; blueberry muffins and kesong puti with basil as a twist. Café by the Ruins serves breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily.

• Café Sabel of the BenCab Museum.   Located on the lower third level of the BenCab Museum, Café Sabel offers farm-fresh green salad with strawberry vinaigrette, carrot and pumpkin soup, carrot and ginger soup, tomato-basil pasta, basil-pesto pasta, chicken paprika, tuna with pineapple panini, strawberry shake, cucumber cooler, and a selection of herbed teas. Coffee lovers should also try BenCab’s Brew, which is freshly brewed from native Arabica coffee beans.  After lunch, explore the various levels of the BenCab Museum, see intricate Ifugao sculptures and learn about how life was in the Cordillera’s centuries ago.

• Choco-late de Batirol. Merienda time is best spent at a quaint little café tucked in a garden near Camp John Hay.  Choco-late de Batirol specializes in comfort food. Other hot-chocolate selections include Baguio blend (made with strawberries), cinnamon, almond, Cointreau or orange-flavored liqueur, Kahlua, and choco-mallow. Lovers of cold chocolate drinks will appreciate the flavored variations on iced tsokolate. Snacks such as suman sa latik, bibingka and turon de langka are also available.

• Te Quiero Tapas Bar and Restaurant.  An evening in Baguio can be magical at the in-house restaurant of Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham.  Te Quiero is Spanish-inspired and serves a wide variety of Western and Asian dishes. The restaurant serves cold tapas such as jamon serrano, salami mixto, and picante salchica y queso de cabra. Their hot tapas bestsellers include salpicao de carne de vacuno, caldereta de cabra, and callos a la madrilène. The buffet is available every Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The best way to reach the City of Pines is through Victory Liner, which has been providing safe and reliable bus transportation to Baguio City and other places in Northern Luzon for 68 years now. Victory Liner also provides free Wi-Fi connection.

For trip schedules and online booking, visit www.victoryliner.com and follow Victory Liner on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VictoryLinerInc.