The Birds, the Bees, the Flowers, the Trees at Mother’s Garden and Cafe

Well, there really weren’t any bees … at least, not that I saw on my return visit with my siblings, but oh yeah, there were lots of birds and flowers, a few trees here and there (they were still small … or maybe they were shrubs *hihi) , lots of adorable cuddlies of the four legged persuasion and of course, heavenly eats. The droolfest starts here.

Our lovebird dining entertainment.  The lower photo focuses on Blue (my brother’s name for him), ostracizing himself from the sunny yellow ones; emote-ro. *harhar

Getting to Mother’s Garden and Cafe could be quite the challenge, particularly if you pick the steep way from the road going to Ferguson/Guisad.  Just follow the route they sketched out on their map, which  in retrospect, IS easier for vehicles … as well as cadillak-ads.  = )) As soon as you walk through the gate, the garden/cafe starts to pull out all the stops to impress and entertain. We’re nature/animal lovers aside from being gastronomes and the minute we got our orders in, we made like butterflies flitting from one section of the establishment to the next.

The flowers, the shrubs, the bushes, the herbs, the pigs, and the dining areas at Mother’s Garden Cafe
*click photo for larger view

I don’t think my sister, my brother and I would’ve come back to the table if it wasn’t for lunch being served.  I wanted to go down to see Michelle up close, (they moved her further down the ‘terraces like’ garden) but I guess there will be other days to do that. So up we went the stairmaster leading away from the (main) garden/menagerie at Mother’s.

The soft, cuddly, friendly rabbits … they were pretty friendly until they found out I had nothing for them. Thus, the back turning. Eeeeiii, bushy tails! =D

While we enjoy our minty fresh but warming cups of tea, have yourself a look at the Mother’s Garden and Cafe menu.

Spot of organic herb tea.

Dining at a garden themed restaurant, it’s a given we’d start the meal off with salad.  Tons of greens, fruits, veggies, flowers and nuts, it’s a salad one can’t help but delight in.  (Definitely new and improved from my visit with Race a few years back.)   We would have liked this plate to have more dressing on it though. Considering we were given the choice of light or creamy dressing and we picked creamy, we expected it to be heaped over the greens … something more sinful.  =b Anyway, a good plate of salad.

The house salad =)

The next dish we filled our gobs with is a spaghetti Neapolitana and pork cutlet combo.

Piccata Milanese (“,)

Another winner of a pasta dish because of the well balanced sauce that’s poured over it – tomato-ey, herby, yummy.  \m/ The pork cutlets were divine, too. Fried with parmesan batter … damn, that was good!

One with nature dining. A vine-y plant growing underneath our table =))

We went with something Asian for our main course, pinaputuk na bangus (stuffed milk fish).  While this fish is a favorite (that my brother considers a bit boring =D ), the way the staff prepared it, totally surprised us.  Served with savory, savory pickled vegetables on the side and stuffed with an ingenious mix of herbs and spices, it’s a dish that we’ll be sure to come back for.

Pinaputok na bangus ^^,

We were so mad for these, the owner sent us off with a small bag of the picked veggies.  (Shout out to Maam Therese! Thank you so much po! (“,)) In hindsight, it was the stuffing that I wanted to relish in. =)) Again, there’s always next time.

… and the siblings at the garden&cafe

Our meal ended with cocktail glasses of peach Melba. With the small bites of vanilla ice cream on peach halves drizzled with blueberry sauce I had, it brought to mind memories of childhood watching Jeopardy with my uncle and my siblings.  I saw a segment on this dessert once before and when Alex Trebek gave the definition, I bowled my uncle over when I blurted out: “What is peach Melba?” From that day on, I’ve been wanting to get a taste of that dessert.  These days, whenever I see it on the menu and nothing else sounds intriguing, I get peach Melba. Ahh, mem’ries. ^^,

Peach Melba

Now, let’s get back to the topic at hand. *hee

X marks Mother’s Garden and Cafe for good food in Baguio. “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” says botanist, Luther Burbank and that’s just what the garden and cafe with its flowers, trees/shrubs/bushes, resident creatures, and dishes does for its visitors.

Food: 

Service: 

Ambiance:  Lots and lots to see! It would be good to come early so while they’re preparing your meal, you can meet and pet the cuties in the garden. Although, it might be nice to dine at the garden cafe in the evening too … all the lights from the houses on the hills twinkling in the darkness, must be breathtaking. Just make sure you get a table in their second floor then (and that you bundle up nicely for the icebox weather conditions).

Mother’s Garden and Cafe in 2011 before the overhaul. Kudos to Mother’s Garden! I’m lovin’ the new set up. \m/

Price: 

Additional Info

Parking space – yes

Sightseeing around Mother’s place has a P100 fee per person … that is, if you’re not going to try their cafe offering.

Mother’s Garden and Cafe

Upper Fairview Road, Quezon Hill Proper

Baguio City, Philippines

facebook.com/mothersgardenbaguiocity