A New Meaning to the Phrase ‘Food for Thought’ (cont’d)

It’s a new day!

Let’s pick up where we left off with bashing Baguio restaurants (that didn’t serve good food or had bad service in our visit).  So where were we?  We ended with Mile Hi Diner yesterday and today, we’re going to start with the restaurants in Pines View Hotel.  Let’s just get this over with so we can get back to the good stuff the city has to offer.  (“,)

Failed Quest

Pines View Hotel – Café Roma and Pines Garden Cuisine

We’ll take the two restaurants as one because when we went to Café Roma; they did give us the menu from Pines Garden Cuisine (and vice versa in succeeding visits).  Even with two menus, it didn’t do anything for us because most of the stuff that we wanted to order was not available.  This happened in our first visit and on our second.  To think, we were just ordering drinks both times.  It’s the same story, on our third visit and that time, it wasn’t just Race who wasn’t amused but my friend (mild on her part, she was half thinking about Chaya restaurant) and her sister (who works at one of the top hotels in the city), too.  Ohhh, the shame that I picked this place to eat!  (face palm)

The forgettable drinks and Race, not amused. =))

The first visit at Café Roma/Pines Garden, I got myself the four seasons shake (I think that was it *head scratching).  It didn’t have the consistency of a shake at all.  It was just juice.  Race got the Kahlua coffee or more rightly, coffee with essence of Kahlua. =b  We learned on our second visit to ask about what’s available just to avoid playing 20 questions with the attendants.  We got our order – negligible and forgettable drinks.  *tsk

In giving the Pines View restaurants a third chance, we ordered Caesar salad, French onion soup, mango crepe and the only available drinks.  I think we got some other dish, too but I forgot what it was – the experience was just too unbearable, my memory repressed it?  Hhhmm.  I was looking for the photos I took of that day and surprise, surprise, it’s not in my archives. =b)  We requested for mango crepe to be brought out first because my friend’s sister had to leave soon.

For refreshments, what we really wanted were fruit shakes but the attendant told us that they couldn’t make shakes that time.  He said their (forming the shape of the blender with his fingers) was broken.  (Now, a game of charades! =b)  My friend’s sister told us later that giving us the reason why the shakes weren’t available made her think their hotel kitchen wasn’t safe.  (Another hhmmm, she had a point there.  Paging Chef Gordon Ramsay!  Please make their kitchen shipshape!)

Our fourth visit to Pines Garden Cuisine.  Still NOT Amused =b

Our request about the mango crepe fell on deaf ears and we waited and waited …and waited.  Half an hour later, ALL our orders arrived.  (I think they were trying to wow us with the spread by giving us everything we ordered at the same time.)  The damage was done; my friend’s sister was late.  The delicious mango crepe, however, did its work to ease the blow (a bit).  The Caesar salad was pretty good too.  (My friend almost didn’t get to eat that because the special oil they used for the dressing was out of stock.  They must’ve sent someone out to the grocery to get some =D)  For my French onion soup, it had a measly crouton raised over the broth with rings upon rings of onion.  It was soup fit for Shrek. *heehaha

 for the delicious mango crepe and the Caesar salad that wasn’t half bad.

 for the waiters that day.  Thanks for trying guys!

Anyway, we lived through that experience promising ourselves to never go back.  (But I still wanted to include Pines View in my Eats albums on Facebook.)  And so Race and I went back just to order the delicious mango crepe.  To my dismay (four chances, man!  Face palm AGAIN), the mango crepe wasn’t available.  This time, we didn’t sit through any of the games, 20 questions or charades.  We said thanks to the attendants and left for more promising places to eat.

Piece of advice for Cafe Roma, Pines Garden Cuisine, and Mile Hi Diner:  Have a menu for the peak season and another one for the off peak season.  It’s going to keep you from getting your customers’ hopes up. =D  This goes for the Tam-awan Cafe too.  (More on this restaurant in the future.)

Heaven on Earth Vegetarian Center

I beg to differ.  =b

My sister putting on a brave face for the drinks, the burger, the noodle soup. =b

Let me count the ways:

-Unenticing spread of entrees.

-Mango juice that needed more mango.

-Tiny veggie burger that didn’t have flavor (might be due to their aversion to garlic and onions among other things and most probably, salt.  All I need is a pinch, please?)

-Vegetarian noodle soup that was no different from instant noodle soup from the grocery or instant ramen from the Korean grocery, although it did taste veggie (ohhh, I feel healthy already).

-What’s up with the halo halo?  The lady kept talking about it like she was trying to subliminally input it in our brains. =)) “Halo halo?”

Lots of room for improvement for this wee eatery… I’m cheering you on, guys!  Gooooo!

86 Grill

Ambiance…or, the lack of  =b

Don’t be fooled by its name.  There’s no meat grilling, sizzling, crackling, or popping whatsoever either on an open fire, coals or even an electric grill here.  It’s a bar that serves some breakfast meals but I guess, this would best suit you if you were looking for a place to drown your sorrows in alcohol.  Ambiance wise, the ambiance might come back when the dark shadows of night creep over the horizon.

Prince Plaza Hotel

Simple food, NOT so simple price.

My advice, eat at Marosan’s.  You’ll save yourself a lot of money for the same meal.  (It’s probably even better at Marosan’s.  More on this Baguio fave soon. (“,))

Bohemian Café

Just when you thought there was no way in hell, ice cream wouldn’t be delicious; comes the ice cream parfait from Bohemian Café.  The presentation was good although, once you dip your spoon into it and have a taste, it’s more ice than cream really.  =(  They also have a sad glass of a house drink, the Bohemian float.  Imagine Italian soda with ice (like McDonald’s floats) but instead of ice cream, you just get cream on top.  It’s a mix that tastes like Gloria Jeans fraps or iced coffee, only this time, it’s the rinse water for a glass of milk.  Sorry, Bohemian.

Sad Cafe, how true. =S

(I might have been in better spirits about this cafe if I got my picture taken with the wings painted on the walls a la angel.  *skip a beat  …Naaaaah! =b)

Hebrews Bookstore and Café

The old Paliz’Zata, oh, how we miss you!  Gone are the scrumptious watercress salads, small bowls of prawn bisque, refreshing iced tea, and other fancy plates overflowing with food.

La Vecchia Palizzata. (What a view!) We miss you! (“,)

We only have a small selection of food now, just pasta and sandwiches.  The pasta was okay and it was well priced, however, the proportions were tiny (Exodus rations? =D).  If you’re hungry, this wouldn’t be a good place to eat.  Getting two orders or three of the pasta, you’ll be running up the bill for a meager meal.  Better to be in Don Henrico’s where the serving will surely leave you swearing off food (if only for a few hours).

As for the taste of the pasta (chicken rosemary and tuna zucchini), it was okay.  This is not going to pass with my uncle, though.  He always said if you’re going to eat out, order something that you can’t make at home.  My sister said, we can easily make this at home.  So there. =b

I didn’t know we could pick the type of pasta. When did I say I wanted mine to be Angel Hair? =b

And so ends the blog about my failed quests for good food in the city.  Hopefully, this is all there is.

Oh goodie!  It’s lunchtime!  I hope you’re all sitting to a good meal, enjoy! (“,)

***credits to saerrael for the Failed Quest image. polyvore.com/failed_quest/set?id=47334299 Thank you so much! (“,)