Baguio Eats: Sage Restaurant

Our Baguio food trip continues with our lunch stop at the Sage Restaurant.

As mentioned in previous posts, I researched where we should eat and Sage come up on the top 5 of the list.

Located at the Military Cutoff Road, it is one of the must-go to places and in this area you have other great options for your next meal.

Ultimate Nachos Platter (P240.00)
Seriously big! And with a lot of toppings and sauces. And, seriously great tasting too!

Sulit sarap!

Salmon Picatta (P280.00)
Per brother dear, a bit dry to his taste. Well, it was. Kind of resembled  fried bangus to me. I would have preferred it to be a bit moist.

Walnut-Crusted Butterfly Tenderloin (P280.00)
A bit dry and a bit tough. Enough said. Wrong order for me, I guess.

Creamy Bulalo Steak w/Mashed Potatoes (P280.00)
Now this was something that I liked! And the size was generous! Both the meat and the gravy. Can be shared by 2 people. Tender meat flavored fantastically! Thumbs up!

One thing I can solidly commend on are the serving sizes, truly generous! Oh, and the prices too! Very reasonable.

Infused service water

Brownies ala Mode (Php 120.00)
The brownie size was small, cute-sized! It was good. And very affordable, don't you think? 

Green Tea Cheesecake 
Very mild tasting so this is good for those who are not fond of too much sweetness in their cakes. I forgot the price but I am sure that is is below Php150.00.

Some of their cake options.

Small and cozy places and gets pretty packed during peak hours.

Overall, we had a pleasant dining experience. The service was very good and the food was good. Value for money is great! Though not all were hits but I think I just need to go back and try their other dishes.


RESTO FACTS:
Sage Restaurant
95 Military Cutoff Road, 
Baguio, 2600 Benguet

Baguio Eats: The Budget-Friendly Good Taste Restaurant

A Baguio food trip is a must when you are in the City of Pines. Why? Because there are lots of choices to fit every budget of every Juan.

One fine example of that is Good Taste Restaurant. While doing an online search, this place always pops up so it we heeded to the call of the masses and gave it a try.

Located near Burnham Park, they are conveniently situated and is very easy to locate. They are known for their big servings and very affordable prices. And, they said that they do not skimp on the ingredients. And yes, I can honestly say that do not skimp indeed. They are very generous!

Buttered Chicken (Php 170.00 half order)
Their bestseller. Very tasty and the chicken was cooked just right. Half order is good for 4-5 pax. There was four of us but we still took home the leftovers.

Lechon Chopsuey (Php 115.00)
Overflowing with fresh vegatables and I loved it. Though nothing special with the taste, just regular chopsuey, but the serving size was humongous! 

Sweet and Sour Pork (Php 145.00)
Average tasting but a big bang for your buck.

Beef Broccoli (Php 125.00)
What I enjoyed most here is the crisp broccoli flavored with the sauce. I had lots! But the beef was a bit tough.

Feasting!

The building serves a lot of customers and during peak hours, a queue is formed outside. Good thing, my parents are both senior citizens so they were prioritized and we just waited for 5 minutes.

Apart from the good food, they also have breads and pastries. Just come on to the ground floor and take your fill of a sweet ending or for take-out.

This huge restaurant is open 24/7 so you can drop by anytime you feel like eating. For solo diners, they do have rice toppings. For those with a big group, you have come to the perfect place.

Price-wise, you get great value for your money. The serving sizes are good enough for 3-4pax or 4-5pax, depending on the appetite. Taste-wise, it is not the best but it is not bad either. They have some dishes that really stood out for me like the Buttered Chicken and Pansit Canton (though I was not able to take a good photo of this).

So, will I come back again? Of course, yes! Much better if with a big group so it will be fun ordering a lot and then share the foods.


~Lovelee~


RESTO FACTS:
Good Taste Restaurant and Cafe
Carino St. Baguio City, 
Philippines
Tel. #: +632 443 7959
Facebook: Good Taste Restaurant and Cafe

Baguio Eats: Zen's Restaurant at Mines View Park Hotel

Last November, me and my family traveled to the City of Pines, Baguio City, for my mom's 60th birthday. This was the first time that we went there as a family and we very much looked forward to this vacation.

Prior to this trip, me and my mom did lots of research on where we should eat and we came up with a lot of choices. So basically, upon arrival there, I already had a game plan where we should dine.

So this post, and the next ones, are the documentation of these resto-hopping food trips.

First stop, the in-house restaurant of the Mines View Park Hotel where we were billeted, Zen's Restaurant.

Chicken and Pork Adobo with Strawberries
One of their bestsellers. The twist to this classic Filipino dish is the presence of plump strawberries in the sauce which added hints of sweet and sour taste to it. I actually liked it. It's an ingenious way to incorporate the Baguio staple in a simple dish.

Pork Strawberry Sinigang
Wow! I liked this a lot. Who would have known strawberries can be used as a sour ingredient for sinigang. I've had sinigang with watermelon (which was weirdly good) but this was also a revelation. 

Bibingcrepe
What an invention! Marrying bibingka and crepe in one! It was not sweet so the condensed milk, syrup and choco sprinkles on top did the sweetening part. We ordered take-out after we checked out because it was that good.

Longsilog
My complimentary breakfast and includes coffee, tea or juice. Very convenient because you don't need to think where to have your first meal of the day and saves you money at the same time. I love longganisa and this was good. I also had bacon but was not able to take a good photo.

Their food here is good so it was very nice for those staying because they have that option.

Apart from the food, service at the hotel itself is great. Me and my family had a wonderful time here!



~Lovelee~


RESTO FACTS:
Zen's Restaurant
Mines View Park Hotel
Outlook Drive South
cor. Apostol St. Baguio City
Benguet
Facebook: Zen's Restaurant

Photo Diary: Taipei, Taiwan Food Trips!

(This trip happened last 2014)

My Taiwan trip has been pretty amazing -- nice people, affordable expenses, old and modern cultural wonders and one of the most delicious food trips I've ever had!

Night market food staples are all a must try. Sadly, we were not able to try the stinky tofu because we thought we could have it on a different night but that did not happen. But yep, I have a reason to go back! I said to friends that food tripping in Taiwan is enough reason for me to go back there.

So here is what we had during our 3-day trip:

Pork cutlet that I ordered at the insanely elegant Taipei 101 food court.

This pickled side dish was so good. I had 2-3 portions of this.

Tried this Rose Tea Latte at a Starbucks branch near our hotel

Shilin Night Market is the most popular night market in Taipei and many tourists, as well as locals, flock here everyday to buy their favorite street foods as well as other non-edible items. It's a food mecca, I tell you! So many things to try but so little tummy space. 

TIP: Keep in mind that if you buy one food item, share it with your buddies so you will not feel full right away and have more space to try the rest. 

If feeling thirsty, they have lots of fresh juices that you can try.

This bread was a slice of heaven! Subtle flavors and soft to chew.

Sausage with what I first thought was sausage as well but it was rice. Ingenious!

Flavorful balls!

Another set of juice for the night. How I wish I can remember what this was but I can't. But it was sweet and refreshing.

Hot Star Chicken! Big and tasty! Originally from Taiwan and good that it is available here in Manila.

My favorite! This potato dish smothered with a lot of that cheese and filled with so many toppings!

This looks like trash but this was milk tea. And the presentation of the vendors, with all the flair and fancy moves, made this all the more exciting to drink!

Breakfast at Ximending District - also a well-known commercial district that totally comes to life at night! Our search for breakfast made us stop at this woman's stall. For the first round.

Yum! 

Pancake-like and quite filling. One was not enough for me as it was so delicious.

Din Tai Fung - A Michelin-starred restaurant that is known for their Xiao Long Bao. It was the first time for me to dine in such a prestigious place when it comes to great food.

Good thing the queue was short so we were able to sit ourselves right away

Xiao Long Bao! The soup inside was just right to whet one's appetite. One basket is not enough.

Our DTF experience!

Yakult! Yakult! And more Yakult! Or at least they were. Different brand I guess.

As big as my Samsung Note 2 phone. Loved it!

Ximending Night Market

The ingredients of my favorite potato dish -- corn, pineapple, egg, scallions and 3 types of meat. Plus the sauce and the cheese on top!

Carbo-loading! But so worth it.

More night market finds.

And Yakult-like drink that I took home in Manila

Now this is one unique, and a bit cringe-worthy, drink. White Bittergourd shake. Gosh! It was like any shake at first but the bitterness will follow after. Did not finish this at all.

Lunch on our last day.

Refreshing drinks

The famous Mango Shaved Ice. Three of us shared this one and it was so refreshing. And sweet and creamy. The shaved ice was so fine and milky.

Another cherry on top of our vacation was this rolled shaved peanut brittle taro ice cream with cilantro. Weird! But it will grow on you and you will like it. Same thing happened to me. 

Our last dinner before going to the airport. There was a typhoon coming and we were quite thankful that we were out of Taiwan before that happened. We were not prepared for one. But still, we bulked up some with our dinner and filled our tummies because we never know what could happen, if we will get stranded or not. Good thing, all was smooth for us.

This pork stew was the most tender and softest that I've had. Hands down! And delicious too!

Convenience store finds

Potato salad with shrimp bought from the neighborhood Family Mart.

Another salad.

See? Taiwan's street food will make you come back for sure. And it will not create a hole in your pocket. Everything was delicious!

Will have that stinky tofu soon!


~Lovelee~


Read more of my Taiwan trip:
Taipei, Taiwan Day 1
Taipei, Taiwan Day 2 & 3