What’s Your Flavor, Cafe Sapore?

Sapore by definition means flavor.  With a long time friend as my Baguio food quest companion, we went to Café Sapore to assess just how saporous this cafe is. =D

Welcome to Cafe Sapore

We worked/walked ourselves up an appetite when we finally arrived at 36 Legarda Road.  (Yes, we’re still in that part of the city and yes, this is another restaurant trying to bring life to the dead zone.  ^^,)  Jo’s been seeing this café going to and from town and she was super curious about it.  So here we are, killing curiosity before it killed us. =b

Xmas plants at Cafe Sapore (“,)

Walking through the café gate, we had to climb a staircase before we were treated to the sight of a homey looking establishment.  Imagine a modern home with all the rooms (except the kitchen and the bathroom, of course) set with tables and chairs.  So cozy – Jo, Cat (Jo’s friend who became my friend too. *hihi) and I settled in pretty quickly.

The Cafe Sapore scene

For a moment, we were alone in the nice cafe and then our attendant popped in from the kitchen.  Handing us the small menus, we started browsing for stuff to satisfy our appetites.  Though only three pages, the menu had dishes for everyone; salad, burgers, steaks, appetizers (really meaning pulutan *heee), Filipino food and also one Japanese sounding dish (gyu saikoro).  Let’s not forget, the coffee based beverages as well as flavored sodas, blended drinks and beer.

Cafe Sapore menu circa store opening 2012

Focusing on the drinks first, we had a hard time deciding what beverage to quench our thirst with.  Essentially, we were all looking at the same drink (the one with a neat name *hee).  We ended up with glasses of the kryptonite iced tea.  (At the back of our minds, wondering if this will really make us weaker or just the opposite. =b)  It’s a beverage that got raves mostly for its appearance – green, so kewwwl.  The flavors were mild but that was probably because of the ice in the glass, too much.)

Kryptonite iced tea. Pretty greeeeen hueeeee. *hihi

For tummy fillers, I ordered the kani salad (to see if they have what it takes to compete against my Chaya fave =b).  Jo got carbonara (she was also checking if their version tasted as good as someone’s version she liked.  =D This day, we took our role of being critics to heart. \m/)  Cat got spaghetti (just because she wants it *heeharhar).

Good ol’ spag (“,)

When the food was brought to our table, we decided that we would go la mesa style with it so that everyone can get a sample of everything.  I served the salad up in the saucers (stock up on dinnerware please, Café Sapore…serving spoons and simple plates; you know, bigger ones we can maneuver in, for just this situation.  Thank you. ^^,)  The Kani salad that looked pleasing to the eye was reduced to egg salad with the super sized helping of mayonnaise to dress it.  Eating a forkful of shredded cucumber with crab stick shreds, that’s the only time it tasted remotely like Kani salad.  I think it needed a dash of sesame oil or two, too.  (I didn’t feel the fish roe popping in my mouth like I did with Chaya’s version. *hihi  I’m still suffering from popping boba fever from Cosy’s, I see.)

Kani salad, is that you…under all that mayo? ^^,

Finishing the salad up, (waste not, want not – ‘Maraming nagugutom sa mundo’/millions hungry in the world) we moved on to Cat’s spaghetti.  Now, this dish had great tang in it.  Tomato-ey, salty good, meaty, herb-y – simply flavorful.  Ahh, good ol’ spaghetti.  (“,)  Moving on to Jo’s pick, we reveled at the pasta that had so much ham topping.  In getting a taste of it, I thought it was too buttery and not really creamy (different definitions).  Jo said something was missing, but she couldn’t quite place it.  (Maybe a dash of sesame oil?  *snicker snicker)  Thank God for Cat and her order, we had something to fall back on.

Carbonara…butter-nara with lots and lots of ham topping and equally buttery bread. =D

I was eager for a lunch finale with a Peach Melba dessert but there was no ice cream available so eating that then was out of the question. *aw  We’ll just have to come back some time for that dessert as well as the other stuff they have on their menu.

Baguio food quest with Jo and her friend, Cat (“,)

So in answer to the title question, what’s Café Sapore’s flavor, it really depends on what you order and what you’re used to with particular dishes.  The spaghetti was deliciously reliable; the drinks were inventive (and yes, refreshing in their own right, definitely the opposite of kryptonite (“,)).  This cafe is a fairly new establishment (opened late November), and they’ve got all the time to improve the offering that doesn’t cut it with the Baguio crowd.

X marks Café Sapore for good food (good ol’ spaghetti especially =b) in Baguio.

Food: 

Service:  Friendly, accommodating staff; way to go!

Ambiance:   I can see it now…a nice and comfy hangout when their business booms.  (“,)

Price:   ‘Good food at reasonable price’ is the cafe’s slogan.  When the food gets even better then the slogan will be justified.

Café Sapore

36 Legarda Road

Baguio City, Philippines

facebook.com/cafesaporebaguio

***What’s Your Flavor title based on Craig David’s song, What’s Your Flava.

***credits to Jo for finding this place.  It was great to see you (up and at ‘em)!  Till next food quest, friend! (“,)