The Axes Food Effect

It’s not always me keeping a lookout for a good place in Baguio City to get sustenance.  You could say that I’m operating with the Wonder Years opening theme in my head, going, ♪ ♫ I get by with a little help from my friends ♪.  (It’s even more so today, than before I started this blog as you’ll see in a little while. =D)

On one of the days that I put myself on house arrest, Race brought home, not the bacon but dishes from Axes Cafe and Panciteria. (I’m so happy restaurants are popping up in the Wright Park vicinity. Used to be, we had to go back to town after a riding frenzy just to get something good to eat. ^^,)  From the moment, we transported the food into the proper containers, the sight of it and the smell of it gave me a tingle. Oohhh, the Axes effect!

Race brought home … Axes Cafe food =)

I had such a fine time with both selections that I insisted I see (and eat at) the eatery for myself. Axes was added and checked off the list the very next day. The cafe and panciteria is on the street after the school going into Gibraltar Barangay. Keep your eyes peeled for a gate with the Axes tarp sign because it’s a little easy to miss.  (That’s what happened to us. *heee  We chose to make a visit in the evening though so that could account for us not seeing it. Just in case you were wondering, they’re open until 9:00 p.m.)

The scene at Axes Cafe and Panciteria

After choosing a table, I started looking at the various items they had on their menu.  (Don’t let the space in front of the counter fool you, there are more tables behind the wall by the counter.) Some of the stuff they had sounded so Marosan’s-y like Axes Rice, beef ampalaya rice, etc.  It wasn’t a wonder when we asked the cashier about it; she told us this eatery used to be Lenroc’s (sister eatery to Marosan’s). Browsing the menu was just an act (so I could photo document it *weasel grins) … I knew from the start what I wanted. \m/

The Axes menu. *click photo to enlarge

We ordered a large bowl of shantong soup, the  starter that doesn’t really give anyone clues about what is in it from the name.  So let me run down what’s in it for you.  First off, the consistency.  It’s the type I like in soup – thick and filling, something to swish oozing-like in your mouth.  It’s super hot, talking about temperature and taste (but you can always ask the cook to turn the flavors down if you’re not up for a spicy whammy).

It has everything I could possibly want in it – tender pieces of chicken and ham, tenga ng daga/mouse ears (Before your expression turns into that of horror, tenga ng daga is a kind of mushroom. *sighs of relief everywhere, right? =b), and egg (Knorr real Chinese soup style: “Just add one egg!”)

Shantong Soup.  ^^,

After being thoroughly warmed up by the soup, our fried lumi was delivered to our table. (Not sure if it’s lomi now or lumi but we’re having ears, pig ears, again, so you get the picture.) A plate of Axes lumi is loaded with strips of pig ears.  It’s dried up (not saucy like the one at Soledad’s) but it’s got oils, the kind that already took in all the flavors of the pork, settling at the bottom. (So pulutan! *harhar)

If you ever get tired of the meat, (which you probably won’t =b Bet Chef Bourdain‘s going to die with delight with this dish as well. =D) you can always pick at the greens mixed with the meat in this plate: onions and leeks. (Ooh, love the way the porky taste gets all over them from the oil, too. Yum!)

Axes fried lumi … lomi? Whatever. (“,)

(Thank you so much, Chef for featuring Jollibee Amazing Aloha in your Parts Unknown show. We all started craving for it and wondered why it wasn’t available in the Philippines anymore.  Now, the Bring Back the Aloha Burger campaign is a success! Yes, JB Amazing Aloha is available in PH stores today! Aloha 10 for me, please! (“,) I digress. *hihi)

We didn’t finish all the shantong soup but it’s never a problem. Packed to go, we gave ourselves the chance to have this for breakfast the next day.    Also, Axes will always be a motorcycle ride away when I get the craving for ears … mouse ears and pig ears. =))

Just so thrilled about pigs ears. =D

X marks Axes Café and Panciteria for good food in Baguio. (It’s fried lumi to die for.  Not off with our heads, but off with its ears. … aw, sounds brutal.  Let’s go at that again …) Experience the Axes food effect today! Ohh, tingle, tingle. (Better. *hihi)

Food:  for the shantong soup and the lumi which are selections I will always have with my order at Axes.

Service: 

Ambiance:  eating in someone’s garage but nobody cares because the food is just too good to notice anything else. *more contented sighs ^^,

Price: 

Garage digs at Axes =b

WHERE TO EAT IN BAGUIO CITY

Axes Cafe and Panciteria

1-A Gibraltar Road

Baguio City, Philippines

***Back to the song, With A Little Help from My Friends. Jo is a bona fide food quester now. She’s always telling me about the new places that she’s seen on her ‘cream puff delivery route’ (more on that in another blog *snickers).  Maam Gracie of Sky Cable’s Events Next Door also pointed a few places out to me, too. Shout out to Jo and Maam Gracie! (“,)

(Both recommended C Boutique Hotel’s in house restaurant. Oh, they’re having a soft opening event at their bar today, 05/015/2013. According to Sir Darryl, they’ll be open from 3:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. You might want to check the place out. A really nice looking place … but I’m getting ahead of myself.  Blog on that food adventure with Jo coming soon. =b)

Ms. elakatrina also told me about Sage restaurant being open for a week now.  Ahh, kindred spirits in good Baguio food. \m/ Thank you guys, so much!