Kubong Sawali and My Attempt for A Last Summer Hurrah

Come to think of it, I didn’t really go on any kind of summer get away this year.  (Not that that matters.  There’s always rainy season, dry&cold season … and the beauty of that, we’ll get the resorts all to ourselves. *snickers) To make up for it, Race and I decided to have foodstuff that has a summer quality to it.

Summers come and gone in the Philippine Islands … (upper right photo, with Charlie’s angels, Midland Courier. Shout out to you all! =D)

It’s amazing how food can bring up special memories e.g. having pandesal hot from the oven transports me back to early school days when my brother and I went out to buy pandesal in the early morn, eating dinengdeng reminds me of childhood meals and treats like ice cream and cake (like sans rival) put me in a festive mood because these used to be for special occasions only.  So for the feel of the sunny season, I wanted binusog na pusit/stuffed squid. (Yes, I don’t like seafood, but this one has a different effect on me.  Probably because it has tons of onions and tomatoes stuffed in it.)   To Kubong Sawali!

The kubo … I want to buy a vowel please. =))

It was Ave who introduced me to Kubong Sawali and their binusog na pusit.  I couldn’t get enough of it that time.  (Her hubby’s homecoming was celebrated at the kubo’s Luneta Hill branch.  Shout out to the A.G. family! (“,) Big hugs!)  I liked the pusit so much (It’s a miracle! *harhar)  that I came back the next few days, the next few weeks, (it might have been) the next few months too, with P3.

Introducing my posse to binusog na pusit. Note, the lower left corner of my solo photo (late birthday celebration so there I was, holding my gift like an Oscar *hihi). We also had pinaksiw na puso ng saging/banana heart cooked in vinegar then. Ohhhh, makes me tingle just thinking about it. ^^,

After the stuffed squid binge, I became jaded.  It wasn’t until two years or so that the craving begun again.  When we checked the Kubong Sawali Military Cut Off branch off the list, we tried gising-gising and imbaliktad.

Gising-gising (whoa, I really woke up with that spice!) and imbaliktad/turned over(?), which is like a half cooked bistek/beef steak Tagalog. =b

On that 2011 visit, Race remembers that the lights were out on the street. (Hhmm, seems to happen a lot at Military Cut Off.)  Looking through the photos, I recalled (finally) that we dined in the dark … or by candlelight for an hour or two and then the electricity was turned on again.  The dark, didn’t stop us from enjoying our food.

Inside the kubo

The “smoking area” at the kubo

Back to the present, we return to the kubo to attempt a last summer hurrah … if only through the feeling of nostalgia that one gets through (grilled) food.  Nothing changed much from the restaurant; the establishment, the menu, the food.  They were doing things nicely anyway so why ruin a good thing, right? =D

Kubong Sawali menu *click to enlarge photo (UPDATE 11/12/2017: See their new menu.)

The ‘smoking area’ part of the dining hall was packed.  That’s on account of us arriving a little after 7:00 p.m.  Race and I occupied one of the tables inside the restaurant.  (One of the nice qualities of the kubo.  They have so many seats and tables for their patrons.)  This was the first time I noticed the buzzer for service on the railing by the table.  I don’t know if this is a new installment but that’s a good addition for better service. Way to go, Kubong Sawali! \m/

Buzz for service.

Inasmuch as I wanted summer themed food, the monsoon/typhoon season had come in.  We  got some soup, sinampalukang manok, to beat the chill.  Race also wanted the pulpog liempo.  I wondered what that was all about but was more excited for my choice of ‘viand’. =)

Chicken in tamarind broth. Ahhh, the warmth of soup with the zing of tamarind. Soooo comforting.

Why, hello, binusog na pusit! You’ve gotten so big! Check out the thick rings on the photo on the upper right. I like it better with small squid but this was grilled with skill. It never crossed my mind that I was eating rubber. Let me get all that stuffing, yum-yum stuffing. (“,)

Pulpog liempo. Another grilled treat reminiscent of summer spreads. I particularly loved the sauce on this dish. That went all over my rice … the bit that could be drizzled on it. *hee

X marks Kubong Sawali for good food (dishes that remind me of summer and squid/seafood that I will eat with gusto) in Baguio.

Sorry, my face could only do a few expressions. In the words of a friend, “Iisa lang timpla ng mukha ko.” Shout out to Pie! ^^,

Food:  for everything we’ve had so far and  for binusog na pusit

Service:  

Ambiance:  

Price:  

WHERE TO EAT IN BAGUIO CITY

Kubong Sawali

165 Military Cut Off

Baguio City, Philippines

424 6525

***Emong’s on its way out of PAR but we’ve got a low pressure area affecting our weather. Again, stay safe, warm, dry, and satisfied (busog like the pusit), you guys! =D