Light and Casual: Summer in Nude

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Light and Casual: Summer in Nude by ishipaye89 featuring teardrop earrings

Places to eat -- Baguio City

I've been living in Baguio City eversince I was born. Baguio is a small city. It is a tourist destination but living here sometimes make me feel like there is not much to see anymore. Almost all tourist destinations here are like "been there, seen that" so on a day out, eating places take my number one go to destination :)

minsan hindi na lang "saan tayo pupunta?" kundi pati "saan tayo kakain?" narin.
Me and my friends rattle our brains to get that one sparkling idea of where to go  or where to eat, yet again.haha :)

so here, some of the best places to get a good meal in the city of pines. I may not know all the good places to eat at but here are my picks.  Take note of the prices. All of them are affordable (coming from a nursing grad with no big income) ;p

*indicated price ranges are just estimates, from what I can remember*
*** -- a real favorite. restaurants worth going back to, again and again :)

*IN RANDOM ORDER*

Vizcos @ Session Road *** (beside Don Henricos and Ocha Asian Cuisine)
-- They offer pizza, pasta, set meals, cakes and pastries. I usually go back to this restaurant because of my love for pasta. Their set meals are also good. I love their butter garlic sauce in one of the set meals I ordered before, chicken cordon bleu perhaps? I am not sure. One of their best sellers is their strawberry shortcake. I personally feel homey and cozy with their foods and I always go out full and satisfied :) You can also choose size servings, for pizza and pasta.
--estimated price range: 120-300/ personal meal.

Cucinino @ Porta Vaga ***
-- We always eat at this small and quaint place. You can see their spot while you walk along the wide corridors of the shopping center. They serve pasta, paninis, sausages and salads. The place seats only a limited amount of people considering their location but the food in this place is worth your money and the prices are really really affordable. I love their aglio olio and pomodoro pasta, FGS/ fresh garden salad (I am a sucker for the vinaigrette dressing) & Bratwurst sausage. They have "pasta of the day" that changes each day and that is off the menu.
-- estimated price range: 65-150. Iced Tea @ 15 php only :)

Solibao / Ganza (session road)
--- Solibao has been a long standing restaurant in Baguio City and what I go back for in this place are their Shawarma and Puto Bumbong. They have the best shawarma and puto bumbong. Those are the only things I like there since I kinda had several bad experiences with some of the food there. Solibao also has a fancier branch at the Heritage Mansion along Abanao extension. By fancier, I mean, better interiors, elegant white plates and more courteous service staff.
--estimated price: 50 php for Shawarma and 45 php for 2 pcs of puto bumbong smothered with butter and muscovado sugar :)


Sizzling Plate (session road)
-- Been eating their Grilled Pork Chops while growing up. Used to love them as a kid and I still do now. This is a lunch/dinner staple here in the City. They serve soup as appetizer. I am not a fan of their drinks/beverages so from several experiences, I learned to suit myself with mineral water and in can softdrinks :) Their sansrival is to die for (hey you sansrival addicts! )
--estimated price range:  80-200 php/personal meal.

Little John's (Camp John Hay Commissary)
-- My parents love their baby back ribs here. It is actually their best seller. Sandwiches are good too. This is a kid friendly resto as kids can have their share of crayons and brown paper (used as placemats) to exude creative juices. the resto also frames worthy works of art by customers  :)
--estimated price range: 150-300/personal meal.

Happy Tummy ( right across Wright Park)
-- Actually went to this place last Valentine's day. It offers asian cuisine with emphasis on Thai food. At the exterior, it looks like a simple shack and inside are wooden tables and seats catering also to a limited number of customers.  The food was good and according to a staff there, the Tom Yum Shrimp soup is one of their best sellers. We ordered that one and while its good, I think it was really gingery in taste, a sore throat reliever (accdg to rijel who had sore throat at the time we ate there) and I think it would appeal mostly to our early elders,parents and aunts perhaps? Their pad thai is just ok since I do not love peanut taste on foods. The winner here was the squid and thai fried rice we ordered. A friend suggested to order their tilapia with mangoes (?) but only heard of that after eating at the place. :)
--estimated price range: 120-250/ single food order. They also have set meals.

Woodnymph Korean Restaurant *** (SM Baguio top floor)
-- I love Asian food and since being hooked to Korean cuisine, this K-Resto has been on my list. You can choose from bento boxes to single food orders. Love their Spicy seafood soup (red) and chicken teriyaki. Side dishes are also a plus plus. They serve tea, free of charge, upon request. I think :)
--estimated price range: 130-350

Hodori *** (Mabini near Olympian Lanes)
-- Another asian place to eat at. YOu can choose from a variety of Korean and Japanese dishes here. We usually order Bulgogi if we come here in groups. they also have side dishes and a friendly service staff.
--estimated price range: 140-280/ order.

Jinho Korean Barbeque (session road)
-- Had ramyeon here first time around with some friend and during the second time around, we had Samgypsal ( minimum of 2 orders) and kimchi soup/stew. This place is where I witnessed what seems to me as authentic Korean Barbeque in terms of how to cook it.  The owner was obviously a Korean Lady with a high pitched voice.  There is not much to choose from their menu but it was fine.

O Mai Khan Mongolian Restaurant (upper session road)
-- People frequent this place for their eat-all-you-can mongolian buffet open only for certain times during the day :)
--estimated price range: 150-280


For good Asian restos that are present on other places as well:
1. Mann Hann (SM Baguio)
2. David's Tea House (SM Baguio)
3. Prince Plaza Hotel (Legarda)
4. Rose Bowl
5. Central Park

Tried, tested, Famous and Easy to spot:
1. Don Henricos
2. 50's Diner
3. Cafe by the Ruins
4. Mario's
5. Volante
6. Good Taste Restaurant
7. Cottage Gi's (SM Baguio)
8. Gilligan's Baguio
9. Barrio Fiesta

O.M.G / Oh My Gulay (La Azotea, Session Rd.)
--vegetarian food in a creative environment. You can see art pieces of local artists here. This place is an inviting and cozy spot to hang out with friends. The real winner here is the interior.

Gecko *** (Session Road)
--coffee place. We always hang out here during the late nights where we would just munch on their tapas, have hot chocolate, some beer and just chill :)

Retro's Diner (Session Road, La Azotea)
--food in a usual diner. Open for 24 hours. Service is kinda slow but food is alright. :)

Bambenny (Marcos High Way)
-- pasta, pizza and fries. nice interior and friendly staff. would recommend their pizza :)

Kaffe Klatchse ***(City Camp Entrance)
-- A coffee and music place. People would just hang out here and have coffee, listen to the live band at night and chill. they also have munchies to serve. The place is a little jam-packed at times and you would mostly see young adults in this place. Not much of an appealing place to moms,dads and aunts or uncles. :)

Cafe Will (M.H Del Pilar Rd.)
-- I think this is a Korean owned coffee, munchies and music place. the place is cozy and large. you can choose from various couches, tables inside and out. Some of the items are kinda pricey but it is worth the stay with friends. a hang out place.

PNKY Travel Cafe ( Leonard Wood Rd.)
--quaint, cozy and fresh. there is also a bed and breakfast here. the food tastes good, kinda pricey but still affordable. I would love to have their tuna rolls again :)

Bliss Cafe (Inside Hotel Elizabeth, Gibraltar Rd.)
--Vegetarian Cafe. This was actually where I celebrated my 22nd birthday. The owner was so nice. Their Crepe is to die for! :) Asian inspired decor :)

Mr. Ramyun (Assumption Road and Kaplan Building near Baguio Center Mall)
-- This is a student friendly noodle place. You would find typical korean noodles and delicacies here made very affordable, commercialized and student budget friendly. We come here for our usual craving of ramyun, korean spicy noodles. :)

I pretty much squeezed my brain but I still feel like I still missed out on some good places to eat here in Baguio City. Well, updates are to follow.

yawn. sleepy me.
hoped I helped you, if ever you landed on this page :)

for those excited to experience Panagbenga, look forward to Session Road in Bloom :)

used?

Lord, in your greatness, you would know, more than anyone else, that I did not use anybody.

I am comfortable that even if others think that way, you don't.
Thank you. Please save me from fires that burn me down.
I know you reserved me for greater heights together with the people I should rightfully be with.

forgive us Lord.
Thank you very much.

Amen.

so this is today

here is for today. A blog post, purely text just like how I envisioned blogging way back when I first blogged on livejournal and friendster. I recently realized that pictures made blogs interesting and the less you write (when you just rely on pictures to speak for you) makes your post more reader friendly. Consider attention span and anonymous interest, it all makes sense right? :)

I vent out on blogging. I really did not intentionally care how much or whose attention I get by what I write, I just wanted to add an additional voice to the emotions and feelings that get all weird inside me, all those I can't tell to a close friend, a special someone or a family member. I used to think I write well but comparisons extinguished that confidence in writing I had in myself. I consider my words boring and  appealing only to the writer--who else but me. haha. sense my weakening esteem arsenal? :)

today started out with an entertaining dream. The kind of dream where everyone I know had a chance of participating.haha. It was weird, impossible and funny but somehow when I was asleep, I felt happy and waking up at 2 pm kinda proves that I had a good time. A dream with Lee Min Ho, Park Min Young, a hotel, party, highschool people and spontaneous characters all mixed up in settings from Korea, to our gate to a vintage and expensive looking hotel where we all had a room to ourselves and I can't find where mine was. :)

waking up at 2pm spikes you out of bed and thinking like crazy why you did not wake up in the morning, even in the late morning in my case. Ate, took a bath and went out to see Rijel, go to mass, eat and talk with the limited time in the afternoon before my night classes started. For the fraction of time I spent preparing and eating late lunch with Papa, I started feeling guilty at how I spend so little time in the house at times when it was his day off and he usually stayed all day doing DIY stuffs at home. Guilt at the fact that once I come home, I wont be eating dinner with them since my classes coincided with dinner time and while they were eating, I am facing my computer, talking to foreigners and missing what should be an everyday family event.  YOu've caught me now, lashing out on what cuts my heart straight across. Guilt and inevitable sadness at how Papa endlessly calls us to eat dinner even if he knows we cant since we have to do something. oh, kill me. I am crying right now. Guilt at how I still have classes and he needs to go to sleep. Guilt at the fact that this day, we spent so little time together. I suddenly realize how the usual home scenario looks now: children in front of the computer, seemingly pouring their whole life to what keeps them staring on the computer/laptop screen, clad with headphones keeping any sound from the environment completely unheard. Less family time and more computer time. that sucks right? Even I, guilty as I am right now, knows that and feels the gravity of how much technology voids us from things that matter the most. With a world that requires perfection, time and effort on work and professionalism, family becomes a second option for most. Money makes the world go round eh?

guilt feeling #2: My tito from abroad came back to the Philippines days ago and he is here, with my mom and other aunts at BAguio and I did not even make an effort to see them with him. I am just waiting for their call if we were to meet and spend some time together. I believe that despite being shy, having that initiative would be better, even if it was unrequited. funny how I am aware of all these things and I still chose to stay where I am now, just writing it all out and not doing anything about it. I hope my heart was just as agile and creative as my brain is when I think about so many things. #haaaaay.

congratulations if you reached this point of my post. haha :)

I felt like blogging before I open the television and watch before I sleep. A usual routine I have these days. Classes-surf the internet-check online shops-read blogs-eat dinner-watch-chat (occasionally)-sleep :) dinner time has been at 12am usually, for me that is.

So today, I went out with Rijel. saw each other at Church, during which I was momentarily pissed at him for some very petty things where I was really annoyed. It took silent and distant moments before he came around, grabbed my waist and ushered me closer. That time, I was letting time get away with the bad feeling I had and I was endlessly saying sorry to God for feeling that way and not being able to listen to His word while I was at church. oh, it was incredibly windy today. wala lang :)

after church, we went and ate at Cucinino where we ordered our usuals, FGS, aglio olio (a pasta where we were both intrigued in), pomodoro (rijel's favorite in the making), bratwurst sausage and iced tea. We were always satisfied eating at Cucinino and while we wish that they had new items on their menu, we always end up wanting and craving for their food at various moments in time.haha :)

off to meet lerry, cham and mel at Saint Cafe in SM Baguio. They all finished their expensive lipton tea and we went there and shared the same experience with them that the place sucked in service and it was not at all customer friendly. Cham even said that the place was crossed out from her list. haha :) The lady waitress/manager/unknown position looked like a monster with craters in the face. she was standing there, condescendingly looking at us, most probably waiting for us to leave even if the cafe was an inch close to EMPTY. haha ;p Never going to Saint Cafe again.

I was running late for class and since my laptop decided to fail me this time, I had to switch to cables instead of the usual wifi and I was late for 30 minutes waiting for skype to log me in. Smooth classes tonight and I was thankful for that. While waiting for the 1030 class, papa, paul and me shared what remained of the fresh fruit salad papa made this morning. Salad with melons and strawberries-- not your usual fruit cocktail salad which is a huge plus plus!! :)

After class and the internet reading I was fond of, I came to eat dinner. the walk from our living space to the kitchen made me realize that I was afraid of the days to come when Rijel is already at far away Pangasinan and he will not be a text away anymore. Our everyday rendezvous would be greatly reduced to a once or twice a month thing. No more having the luxury of time, spending hours walking and eating outside, cooking at home and all the things we used to do with the free time we had a bunch of. There was this great sinking feeling while I was getting rice from the rice cooker to getting reheated chicken in the oven to sitting in the sofa and eating dinner. I got a feeling of how it would feel if Rijel wasn't around Baguio City anymore. Of how empty those days would seem and how I would return to my usual alone strolls or occasional outings with friends where happiness seemed near superficial only.. For one thing, his going away is a good thing as I can focus on my own self, think about my days, what I will do with my life and start moving about. I had this realization that going out with Rijel gave meaning to my days, where I wasn't worried of how or what use that day would be to me. Having that meaning almost made me forget that I needed to catch up with my life and start doing something for my future. I was caught up and Rijel if you are reading this right now, I hope you wont connote this negatively or think of how pathetic I am. In a few days,  you'll be close to being unavailable and I can't help but cry even If I am less than a step away from my brother. Its hard to think about the thought that you will go and that will happen in less that 72 hours already. I will definitely miss you being here and though I know it is completely hopeless, I would still tell you not to go. On a lighter note, God has His plans. His plans are always better than we consider and can conceive as best. Let us trust in His plans even if we are afraid.

*thoughts on friends: I never really realized  how superficial friendship was until I reached this stage where common ground seems to be the strongest factor keeping friendship together. There was no friendship like what you see in movies where crappy as your friend maybe, you know her that way and you celebrate your differences in knowing each other so well, no negative feelings and speculations arise once backs are turned. well. this feeling is still up for revisions anyway.

while walking in line, waiting to receive communion at church today, a thought came to me: Even at this moment where we are leading different lives, away from each other, someday, one day, we will still smile and be happy together. For now, let us go on with our lives and go with the flow. this moment is tantamount to a movie scene you know, in my head.haha :)

oh and yeah, welcome to a new puppy at home. I first thought it was a cat as there was this fuggly white and black animal on the floor the moment I came in from the door. haha. You will be sleeping  in a basket with old rags tonight at the comfort of Charis' bedroom.haha. welcome to our home dear puppy (to be named.haha)

well. that is today. :) I gotta go and pee, wash my face and watch TV. Thank you Lord for these days. really. thank you. :)

:)

and I am thankful Lord that I could be in the presence of these feelings and not put them off just because of the things I should do the next day.

That I have sometime to cool it off naturally instead of force myself to sleep to carry on matters of tomorrow with an ailing heart.

thank you that I dont have to put my emotions in a place that is hidden yet so visible.

thank you for letting me breathe.