A Moment of Peace at Cafe de Angelo

With an area of 57.5 square kilometers, Baguio City is a pretty small city.  Although it’s not the smallest (According to some funny man on Yahoo answers, it’s Legoland with its scaled down buildings and its temporary population. =b) and not that big either, it can still be pretty noisy with sounds like passing vehicles, welding sounds from a nearby construction etc. going on in the surroundings.

Sometimes, you just want to get away from the hustle and bustle.  If only for a short period of time like lunchtime, snack time or an early dinner, the perfect dining experience would be at some place quiet.  So where to eat in Baguio?  Think outskirts of the city like Eve’s Garden and Mama’s Table.  For someone on a budget, however, these places may be out of the question.

The outdoor cafe that is Cafe de Angelo

There  wasn’t any choice until Cafe de Angelo.  Located in Chapis Village, Marcos Highway (use the Total Gas Station as a landmark.  Go into the street on the side of the gas station and follow the road until the dead end … almost =D), you can actually hear the wind rustling through the trees with the minute “uwak-uwak” of the uwak/raven flying overhead here.  (Oh and the occasional gaggle of Korean students taking a coffee break from their classes at nearby English academies.) *hihi

Cafe de Angelo menu *click to enlarge photo

When Race and I arrived at the Cafe, the sign at the gate was turned to “Closed”.  Walking through the open gate, I was relieved to see the cafe open for business.  I turned the sign and picked a table in front of the counter.

Not really a caffeine addict, I had a tough time choosing from the various drinkables at Cafe de Angelo.  Race asked about their frappes which the owner said the closest ones to ice blended drinks are the mocha drinks.  So Race got himself a glass of dark mocha java.  I picked French vanilla and was a bit torn between getting a hot glass (its layers looked so cute on the Cafe de Angelo Facebook photo but I’m not really a hot beverage drinker so…) or an iced glass.

Race got his drink first.  He said it was a chocolate-y refreshment.  Mine was so frothy, some of it was spilling over.  Note the first layer in my glass which must be honey.  Make sure to mix your drink well or get the straw to the bottom (This was quite a feat since I had a short-ish straw and the glass was already tall to begin with.  I kept getting the cinnamon dusted froth on my finger tips. *hee) to get some sweet flavor with every sip. (I like it with “more sudar, Marmar.”)

My pint (as in Guinness *snickers) looking glass of iced French vanilla cafe au lait.  Race’s dark mocha java. =)

My sirloin steak sandwich was next to arrive at our (wee) table.  What a nice (and healthy looking) sandwich it was.  It was stuffed so much with steak and alfalfa spouts that it looked like a small bread tower.  With every slice (yes, it’s easier to eat with a fork and knife) I took a bite off , the distinct crispness and flavor of the sprouts burst in my mouth.  Chewing in the strips of meat, this sandwich really sang. (“,)

Sirloin steak sandwich … the sandwich with an alfalfa overgrowth.  Simply delish! (“,)

Race got the other Cafe de Angelo best seller, the messy garden burger. You can choose to have one patty or two in this.  Race was fine with one patty and when his lunch arrived, he was glad he just got one. Take a look at that … it could pass for one of Brothers Burgers designer burgers … a more sophisticated one at that … even though it is messy. ^^,

The messy garden burger ^^,

The flavors in this bunwich are pretty intense and it’s all due to the barbeque sauce like sauce in between the patty and the tomatoes.  When the cheese joins the fray, oh wow!  True to form, this burger is overgrown with greens, too. (More alfalfa sprouts, yey!)

Zoom, zoom, zoom for a closer look! \m/

Oh, alfalfa. Say it the way Darla says it. *giggles

As an afterthought, we got a plate of the chicken spinach parcels.  That was sort of a wrong move for us since these were starters. With our bread based meals bombarding our tongues with zest, the parcels tasted a bit bland (though tender and juicy) even when soaked in the dipping sauce. So note to you my foodie friends; to fully appreciate this appetizer, they should be eaten at the beginning of the meal (as they were meant to). *hee

Chicken spinach parcel starters that became enders  =D

As we ate and drank our fill (Who knew sandwiches could sit in one’s tummy like that?  Before our meal, we had a few restaurants in mind where we could go after our de Angelo experience to fully satisfy ourselves. Oh, we were so wrong. =))), Korean college kids came in twos or threes ordering up their favorites from the Cafe de Angelo selection.  When they left, there was nothing but soft music in the background. As one of the Koreans put it, “it’s so peaceful here, right?” To that, I say:  네. [ne] = That’s right. / I agree.

The other 180 (or less) degrees of the Cafe de Angelo scene

X marks Café de Angelo for good food (yummy heavy sandwiches that hit the spot) in Baguio.  Plus, you get a moment of peace while having your meal.

Food/Drinks:   for my sirloin steak sandwich (*For its merit I will knight it, and then it will be Sir-Loin. ~Charles II =b) and  for everything else we had.  ***MSG free food! (food offerings are free of monosodium glutamate – as per menu/restaurant staff member.  Please ALWAYS CONFIRM with your attendant/server/waiter to be on the safe side. ^^,)

Service: 

Ambiance:  Cafe de Angelo is a small cafe packed with small tables. It can be challenging to reach the counter especially when someone’s sitting at the tables. (Like we were an obstruction to the Koreans coming to order their drinks. 미안해요/Mi an he yo/I’m sorry)

(Long overdue) UPDATE 03/16/2015: This is the CdA of today – inside is a pebble studded concrete floor area, wide enough space to get to the counter, (if you have to) and glass ‘panel’ walls for cozier ‘indoor’ dining.

Price: 

Our receipt – check out the owner’s penmanship. It’s almost like my watermark. I wish mine was something as nice as that instead of the poor excuse of a chicken scratch I have. *harhar

WHERE TO EAT IN BAGUIO CITY

Café de Angelo

54 Chapis Village, Marcos Highway

Baguio City, Philippines

http://www.facebook.com/CafedeAngeloBaguio