Secret Garden – A quick chill

After getting copies of our marriage certificate, I walked from T.Alonzo to Wright Park passing by Baguio Center Mall, Session Road, Hill Station, 50’s Diner, the White House, PNKY, Botanical Garden and Ketchup Community. You would think I am crazy but let me tell you, walking along the roads of Baguio city is a must. J

I thought I’ll be passing by South Drive Rd but I think I really need to consult “the map” on my next visit because I did not see South Drive Rd during my long walk. Hesitantly, I hailed a cab and told the driver to drop me off “Secret Garden” along South Drive.

The restaurant is situated beside South Drive Manor. I thought the restaurant inside South Drive Manor was the Secret Garden. The waiter must have known that I was not expecting a high-end dining place so he asked me whether their restaurant was my choice or the Secret Garden. I told him “Is this not the Secret Garden?” He replied “No Ma’am. That restaurant upstairs is the Secret Garden” So that’s it. I thanked the waiter and grabbed my backpack. I walked out of the fine dining restaurant and went to this tiny way up a cozy place.

I really would like to impress myself with the ambiance. That’s not on the negative side please. But I guess the gloomy weather made its way inside me. In fairness to the servers, they greeted me with all smiles when I entered.

It was a bit early when I visited so I am not surprised that I was the only customer. I chose to sit by the window to savor the wonderful view of pine trees less the BENECO cables.

I ordered chicken sandwich together with ripe mango shake since I was not ready for a pasta meal. I ate heavy breakfast that’s why.

While waiting for my food, I grabbed my camera and took pictures around. It was a tiny restaurant but my lens has a lot of things to play with especially because it was made cozy and homey at the same time.

cozy setup

Counter Details

After a few minutes, my mango shake was served. I took a sip. Hmmm. Good!

A few minutes passed and my Chicken Sandwich was served. I looked at it and said to myself, “Doesn’t look like a chicken sandwich after all.”

not so impressive Chicken Sandwich

I want to rant because I am going to pay a few hundred bucks for my chicken sandwich that’s not even good looking. The fries were also bland. Haist! Gloomy weather has something to do with this. L

In all fairness, I tried to chew my meal. That was the first time I ate a sandwich without the bread and I used knife and pork to dissect it. I did not order a salad. I ordered a sandwich. Why don’t they let me eat my sandwich as sandwich? The bread used was a French bread and it was hard. [As in matigas like a bato.] I really appreciate loaf breads when it comes to sandwiches because they are soft and they taste so good with the fillings. I only have French bread as a side to my pasta.

With this not so good review, will I go back? Definitely “Yes”. To give the restaurant a chance to get better ratings from me if in case on my second visit I’ll be satisfied with their food.

Ratings:

Food – 1/5 [This is for the Chicken Sandwich]

Drinks – 3/5 [For the Mango Shake. They lack presentation with their shakes. A little fruit toppings will be nice.]

Ambiance – 4/5 [In fairness they are really homey and cozy. It should have been 4.5/5 if they don’t keep a cobweb on their Entrance.]

Comfort Room – N/A [I was not able to try their comfort room. I will try on my next visit.]

Staff – 4/5 – Good Staff.

The Perks and Irks of traveling SOLO

Read it right!

I traveled solo last September 13-14, 2013. That was a first time! J

Jenny I did it. Kaso I’d be more thrilled if I did it in an unfamiliar place.

It was not as scary because I think my destination is very familiar to me. I lived here for 5 years so it’s very easy and husband allowed it since I have a valid reason to travel alone.

Backpack Backpack!

I rode a Victory Liner bus at around 1am in their not-so-lovely Cubao terminal beside a delusional “artist” who I discovered was a pervert. Okay erase. What is a more subtle term for that? Hmmm. I don’t have a word. Clue: He was the patriarch of a famous show way back in the 90’s. The show had a remake aired today with those three lovely ladies with initials AKN. If you got it, then good. If you don’t never mind. J [irk]

By the way, my facebook post below was for him.

We arrived at Baguio city at 6:30AM. Since I am very familiar with the place, I went out of the terminal and proceeded to my favorite place to eat Filipino breakfast. I ordered my usual Hotdog Meal with hot choco and ate silently. I observed that parents together with their children went to the counter with their lunch boxes and ordered the breakfast steak. The crew happily placed the order inside the lunchboxes. I was able to count 6 parents and children do the same. I don’t know if it was a promo or something. I just thought it was cool.

After getting what I needed from Baguio, I was ready to explore [again].

[perk] I walked from T. Alonzo to Wright park passing by Baguio Center Mall, Baguio Public Market, Session Road, SM Baguio, White house, Botanical garden, Saint Joseph church and Ketchup community. Wondering how far? Hmm. I walk for about 2 hours. That's all I can give.

The whole experience was relaxing because walking along the roads of Baguio city was bliss. It was cold, comforting, warm to the heart and uber relaxing. I have a very good attachment to nature ever since I started climbing mountains. If you’re not on that side DON’T TRY THIS. J

I chanced upon a good place to eat in front of Wright Park. It is called Ketchup Community. I think I read about this in one of the blogs and it is gaining popularity in the blog world. I must try this on my next visit.

Meantime I hailed a cab and told the driver to drive me to South Drive. My goal for the day is to visit the Secret Garden.

Full review is posted HERE. 

I keep on discovering new things/places in my favorite place. Thanks to the creative businessmen, it keeps on going and going and going.

After my lunch I went straight to the city market to buy some fruits for my family who are waiting for me at home. [perk]

Conclusion:

Paul will always be my favorite travel buddy. But because of some unavoidable circumstances, there are times [and will be times] when we need to take separate routes.

Being alone means I can control my time. [perk] I can be anywhere I want to be [perk] and I can eat anywhere I fancy. [perk] I can buy things I want without the usual side comment “Mahal yan.” [perk] I can walk kilometers without hearing any complaints. [perk] I can be at the same place twice and eat the same thing over and over again. [perk]

On the other hand, I don’t have somebody to ask where would be the nicer place to eat. [irk] No comments whether my new slippers are pretty or not. [irk] No one there cheer me up when I’m feeling down. [irk] No one to laugh with. [irk] No one to carry my bags. [irk] And no one to talk to over a cup of coffee. [irk]

I guess I just need to find the balance. I want to explore more things and do more things alone and with company.

Tara byahe tayo!:)

Bliss Café body mind soul

It was few weeks before our [not-so-grand] wedding when Paul and I went up to Baguio to finalize some details. The preparation was in full swing and we had to finish everything before lunch time so that we can get our lunch and go home to Manila as early as possible.

In the midst of a chaotic environment, I asked Paul if we can try a new restaurant in the city. It was as if he felt my longing to go to a quiet place and agreed even if we only had a few hundred bucks to spare. Mahal magpakasal noh. Hindi basta-basta ang paggastos sa mga panahong naghahanda. :P

So we rode a taxi from Upper Session Road and went straight to Hotel Elizabeth which houses the Balinese inspired café. The view inside was a feast in my eyes because of the bright orange wall contrasted by wooden furniture together with some silver and brass ornaments. It was bright! It was refreshing! It was uhm…. something new.

I researched about the café before we headed to the city so I know that it serves vegetable based food. We ordered plant-based adobo and the plant-based sisig. Since we were seated in front of the kitchen, we knew that our orders are prepared just after we placed them. Talking about freshness here! :D

We were immersed in wedding details discussion so we were not so keen on looking around. But if opportunity will knock twice then I’ll probably take lots of pictures of the place.

After a few minutes, our orders were served warm. I can smell the adobo overpowering the sisig. Hmm… delish delish delish!

No Quack Duck

Veggie Sisig

The adobo was a bit salty for our tastes but it was good still. They tried to mimic the taste of a duck and I must say “Bravo” to that. On the other hand the sisig was a little bland. Sorry but I did not find anything special on it. Hey people, honest opinion here.

After our lunch, we had a quick talk with the servers. There are really lots of warm people in a cold place like this. After few more Q&A’s we paid our bill and went out. Another place to cross out in my list!

Inside Bliss Cafe

Till next time. ^_^

Bliss Cafe facebook page is here.

PNKY

I was looking forward to see this place on our next visit to Baguio and I almost dragged Paul to accompany me.

We were so tired from our trip and will begin our endless meetings in about two hours and he just wants to stay in a place where he can rest.

He even asked me, "What are we supposed to see there?" And I replied, "A lot."

I was at the verge of getting mad when he said "Ok." Ha ha. That was a sweet victory.

PNKY is located at Leonard wood in front of the famous White House and very near 50's Diner.

The staff of PNKY were very accomodating. One staff led us to the showroom which is located at the second floor of the house. Everything in there was for sale. From the sofa to the paintings, chairs, tables, candle holders, cabinets up to the small decor had tag prices.

If only I had extra money that time I would buy a cute necklace or a wooden craft.

The bed and breakfast has 5 rooms. We were lucky to have a look at one of their rooms. I think staying here would be relaxing.

On the side of the bed and breakfast is the PNKY Cafe.

Lots and lots of colors here. The concept was very European and very unique. Of course everything you see is also for sale.

We just had our breakfast before going to PNKY so having a full meal is out of the question.

But i wanted to try something from this Cafe so I ordered ginger tea with lemon grass. The tea was made special because it was served with a small cup of honey. How lovely!

Enjoy some pictures we took during our brief stay at PNKY.

Hope to be back there soon.=)

~Till then

Oh My Gulay!

(A Cool Baguio Experience)

It was our first time to eat at Oh My Gulay in Baguio City.

The restaurant was not familiar, I guess, because my hubby had to ask me twice where it was.

FYI: Oh My Gulay is located at the 5^th floor of La Azotea Building along Session Road.

If you do not know La Azotea Bldg., it is on the left side of Session Road (coming from SM Baguio) beside Philam Building.

The restaurant was cool. The experience was great. And the dishes were delectable.

We ordered the Lumpia with salad, Pasta Puttanesca and the Chow Chow Noodles. They're really good.

Here are some pictures of our Oh My Gulay experience.

Try to visit the restaurant and experience fresh salads and pastas while chitchatting with friends and love ones.

~Till Then

Bencab Museum Failed!

It was a sunny Monday morning. Paul and I decided to visit a secluded museum in Asin Road. We got up early and left the hotel around 9am and had a brunch at Soledad’s – a famous eatery beside Saint Louis University.

Around 10am we were bound to Bencab Museum. The address says it’s at Km 6 Asin Road. I was pretty sure that was far but I did not expect that the taxi driver would ask for an additional payment. That was not customary since Baguio taxi drivers were known to be very courteous. They will even give you your change up to the last cent. Nevertheless we agreed to pay additional 30Php for the ride. During our trip I silently agreed that we should really give the driver additional payment because it was far from the city and there was no possible passenger going back to the city because the people in Asin road opted for a jeepney ride instead of a taxi. (We rode a taxi because first we didn’t know where the jeepneys going to Asin Road were located and we were in a rush because we were set to meet someone in SM at 3pm.)

Upon arriving at the museum I noticed something was wrong. The door was closed. Nobody there but the security guard and an ice cream stick peddler. We alighted the taxi and proceded to the museum. When we asked the security guard he told us that the museum is closed on Mondays for day off. Bang! That’s where I failed in the planning! I forgot to check the schedule of the museum. To my dismay I sat on the stairs leading to the entrance and thought about Paul’s money wasted for nothing.

I asked the guard if he could open the museum for us. He told us he didn’t have the key of the museum. I pleaded and I even told him we were from Quezon City and we just want to see the artworks inside. He refused and told us, again, that he didn’t have the key of the museum. So we just took pictures of the façade of the museum and sat at the entrance trying to regain our strength because there was a short walk before we could reach the jeepney waiting area going back to the city proper.

Maybe the guard felt sorry for us because after a few minutes he let us enter the museum garden through the guard entrance. And we saw a paradise created by an ingenious mind. We were given 20 minutes to explore the area but I begged for another 10 minutes. The guard was so kind and agreed.

Here are some pics we took during our short stay at the museum. We will be back next time to explore the artworks inside. We will just fix some schedules and itineraries.

~Till then

Forest House

We were supposed to eat dinner at Oh My Gulay on our first night. Unfortunately Oh My Gulay closed early that Sunday evening.

Paul didn't have a choice but to dine with me at Forest House located along Loakan Road. As if I gave him other options. Ha ha!

There were a lot of restaurants in SM Baguio but we opted for something special. It was his first time in Baguio City after six months anyway.

We rode a taxi going to Forest House. It was already 8pm then and the weather condition made it hard for us to commute.

I love the place. The ambiance was homey. The waiters were accommodating. Even the tables were inviting.

I was supposed to take pictures of their souvenir shop but Paul said we should find a place to sit first. I never had the chance to take pictures of their cute souvenirs because we were seated far from the shop.

We were among the first few to dine here. I think only four tables were seated including ours earlier that night. When we finished our dinner I noticed that almost all of the tables were occupied.

We ordered the Forest House Bouillabaisse (Paul’s favorite), Sesame Crusted Fish Fillet and Forest House Salmon.

The experience and the food were g

reat. I never knew there’s a place like this in Baguio City. I’m so glad we had dinner here.

I will surely dine at Forest House again.

Here are some pictures from our Forest House experience.

~till then

Choco-late de Batirol

“it was raining so hard and I was in a training room just sitting not really listening to the speaker. Whenever it rains I miss Baguio. I want to sip a cup of batirol with hubby Paul. Pa, let's do this in baguio while sitting on a bench and reminiscing our college life.^_^”

Posted on Facebook last June 26, 2010

Mission Done!

This was the first place we visited during our short stay in Baguio City because I really want to experience batirol. My friend Vanessa Pacson told me about it back when we were in college but we never had the time to visit.

Paul never checked my itinerary. He just asked me where we were going. I told him we will go to Camp John Hay (CJH) to have a snack and that’s it!

Chocolate de Batirol is near Gate 2 of CJH. Gate 2 of CJH is near Baguio Country Club. At first I thought it was near the botanical garden.

We passed by Manor Hotel and Mile Hi Center. The driver dropped us in front of a hut. I never expected that the place will be this unique. Imagine a hut inside CJH. How humbling.

You can have your chocolate with flavors. Cinnamon was really inviting but I had to suppress the feeling because I want to experience the plain one.

Paul didn’t like the chocolate much because of the after taste. But I think that’s what makes it special. Next time we will try it with flavor.

Here are some pictures we took while we were sipping a cup of batirol in Camp John Hay Baguio City. We also tried their pancit palabok to match the chocolate. Very nice combination for an afternoon delight.

~till then