Beyond Manila: Baguio Treats

Baguio's dynamic duo

Baguio has always been known for great tasting vegetables, strawberries and the famous ube (yam) jam from Good Shepherd. It's been a while since we've lasted tasted it so what remains is a faint memory of the creaminess and sweetness of their ube jam, until recently when his mom just got home from Baguio and brought home these delightful treats... jars of Good Shepherd ube jam and walnut wheat bread from Baguio Town and Country Club.

yummy yams...

She says....

The ube jam still tastes delicious, very creamy and rich with the right amount of sweetness. The consistency has not changed, still that same pasty consistency that you can eat it as is or spread it over some bread. I prefer roping it on bread.

The walnut wheat bread was not so tasty on its own. It had a rough texture owning to pure wheat, which makes this fiber-rich that's truly perfect for all dieters and health buffs. Topping it with the ube jam is a different story. This crusty bread is truly a perfect match for the mildly sweetened ube jam. Together, it was truly a perfect snack... Or a dieter's lunch! Two sliced of bread was really heavy on the tummy, you need not gobble more.

She rates:4.5/5 Ube jam, 4/5 Walnut Wheat bread

Arabian Nights Food Fest (Part2)

Falafel @Shawarma Snack Center

Another food on the menu that we tried at Shawarma Snack Center was their Humus with Pita Bread and their falafel. It was a year ago when, after that trip to Kuala Lumpur, we had been hooked into trying out food of middle eastern cuisine and the search for the best tasting humus.

plateful of humus variants and falafel balls

Location: Shawarma Snack House

Food Ordered: Humus and Falafel with Pita Bread

Cost: around P200 each

She says....

This perhaps was the best tasting humus. We got to try out 3 humus variations in this restaurant and I was overwhelmed at how tasty they were. It just had the right amount of spice and olive oil that blended perfectly right to the slightly rough texture of grounded chickpeas. Eating it with the pita bread and adding in their special garlic and chili sauces made this dish something to go crazy for. It was just so so yummy!

The falafel on the other was weird looking. Dark brown in color with the shape of a flattened ball with a hard crust (maybe this was deep fried), but with a really soft and mushy center. I believe this is made of ground vegetables and potatoes and rolled into a ball. Together with the yogurt dip, this was truly a meal  worth the second helping.

"I will consume thee!!!! Nomnomnom" - Alain

She rates: humus 5/5, falafel 5/5

He says...

When I first heard about Humus (from the move You Don't Mess With The Zohan by Adam Sandler) it sounded like some pasty stuff middle easterners just like to put on their food. Kinda like rice for us Pinoys. Since it was portrayed comically, I never had an inkling to even try it but after actually trying it out, we actually liked it.

We've tasted humus across different Middle Eastern restaurants but this restaurant has the best one. They carry three flavors and all are excellent.

The falafel was different. It was my sister's suggestion. She said it was good but she was wrong. She totally under-rated it. It was very good. It's the first time I've eaten it yet I've already fallen in-love with it. Just so yummy!

He rates: 5/5

Stuffed Pastry Treat

quiet food stall near MRT Ayala exit

Walking long distances, riding in a congested train and alighting in almost the farthest station would truly make one hungry. Perhaps that is the reason why MRT stations are lined with several different food stalls to choose from. One of which had caught our eye, Empanada Especiale. It's just a small food stall selling empanadas or stuffed baked pastry.  They offered 4 variants, chicken, ham and cheese, tuna, and pork.

We tried out their ham and cheese and chicken variants.

Location: Empanada Especiale, Ayala MRT Station

Food Ordered: Ham and Cheese and Chicken Empanada

Cost: P20 each

She says...

The stuffed pastry was really tasty. The chicken variant reminded me of the empanadas baked and sold in bakeries in the province, really tasty, meaty and so flavorful. The ham and cheese variant on the other hand was the one I liked most. The pastry really had that huge chunk of semi-molten cheese inside that was wrapped around a slice of sweet ham. It was just perfect.

She rates: 5/5

He says...

Empandas on my hand!

Who would have thought you'd find delicious empanada on an MRT station? Edible, sure. Decent, perhaps. But delicious, that's something else.

The empanada from this stall reminded me of  one of my favorite snack houses in the province. There was a right balance between the wrapping and the filling. The bread does not overwhelm the meat and vice versa. I liked both but the ham and cheese variant reminded me more of that snack house and so I liked it more.

This is one of those stalls that I'm sure I'll always be visiting when I pass by MRT Ayala.

He rates: 5/5