About X
My grandmother always told me to go out and experience what life has to offer. If anything new is available, go ahead and try it. If it pans out, well and good, she said; and if it doesn’t, never do it again. If anything, you’ll be wiser for what you’ve experienced. At least you know.
I took my grandma’s advice and as soon as I was working, which started pretty early, I used some of my salary to try new things. You can say that I’m my friends’ guinea pig with trying out what’s fresh. What was a way of spending time with loved ones and friends became a quest, too. I went out trying new restaurants in Baguio City as well as those that have been in business for a long time that I haven’t been to.
It took me five years more or less to go through all (if not most) of the Baguio food establishments. As a creature of habit, I kept coming back to the restaurants that I loved most, and that’s probably why I took so long.
For those staying in Baguio just for a short period, don’t waste your precious (vacation) time just looking for a good place to eat in Baguio. As a guinea pig with a lot of (munching) experience now, I’m hoping this online diary of my exploration of the gastronomic delights of Baguio City would be of help to you. As for those who’ve been in the city long enough but haven’t found establishments that are worthy of being named your favorites, you might like the places I found out about that I feature on this Baguio blog.
I’m Xine (pronounced Zayn – “I saw the sign” – Ace of Base’s song, some friends call me *hihi) and I’ll mark out the spots where to eat in Baguio.
***Unless otherwise stated, I finance this Baguio eatsploration with my own hard earned (“big sweaty wads of …”) money.
Legend of the Treasure Chest Ratings
(sounds like a movie title *harhar):
– the highest rating an establishment can get – exceptional!
– above average rating
– the so-so rating
– below average rating
– poor/thanks for trying =b
No treasure chests – the lowest rating – failed quest
The more the treasure chests collected, the more successful the quest for good Baguio food. ^^, (If you’re looking for fancy/fine dining in the city of Baguio and price is not the issue, you can ignore the price ratings. On the other hand, if you want simple comfort food and the looks of the restaurant doesn’t matter, you can ignore the ambiance ratings – a good meal can sometimes come from the most unlikely places =D)
Hope you have a fantastic time experiencing good Baguio food with me. (“,)
Feel free to leave your comments, questions, and/or suggestions at the end of my blog posts, guys! (via your email, Facebook or Twitter account – just click on the corresponding icon in the comment box) (Please observe GMRC when doing so.) Thank you so much! So, let’s eat!
Frequently Asked Questions:
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How do restaurants get featured on your blogsite?
- My foodie lovies and I pick a place from our compilation of restaurants in Baguio, go to the restaurant and ask for a table. Since I want us to be treated like any other customer, food blogger/critic is never a card I would use in any restaurant visit.
- Once in a while, some restaurant owners send me (or tres blogging Marias) an invitation to come and visit their establishments.
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Do you pay for your own meals at the restos you feature?
- YES. Obligating food establishment owners/”free food for a favorable review” seems pretty sleazy to me.
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Do you get paid/ask for payment for these restaurant reviews?
- NO, I do not get paid and NO, I never ask for freebies or payment.
- As for restaurants that I’m invited to, the invite and the freebies/payment that come with that will always be disclosed on the feature post.
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How can I get my restaurant/baked treats featured on your site?
- Let me know about your establishment by leaving a comment or sending me a message through this blog’s Facebook page and I’ll make a visit to your place as soon as I can. Excited to hear about you and the scrumptious foodstuff you have to offer to the City of Pines. ^^,
Disclaimer:
X Marks the Spot for Good Baguio Foods is a personal blog. Everything posted in this blog is PERSONAL OPINION DERIVED FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and since TASTE can be pretty SUBJECTIVE, should NOT be taken as THE NORM or the LAW OF DINING around in the City of Pines.
Its (prosaic =b) contents are meant to help with the question “san tayo?”/where do we go? in relation to eating out in Baguio, to ENCOURAGE EXPLORING (eatsploring) and TRYING NEW THINGS offered in the City of Pines.
By all means, eat where you want to eat and eat what you want to eat. May you have a great experience with all the places you visit and may all the restaurants you go to deserve a ton of treasure chests! (“,)
[Also, if you have any second thoughts about a certain place you arrive at, please DON’T LET THIS BLOG BE THE REASON YOU ARE FORCED into ending up anywhere. If the restaurant doesn’t have what you want, please FEEL FREE TO WALK AWAY. (Who made me your mother? *tee hee)]
72 responses to “About X”
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X Marks the Spot for Good Baguio Foods 
I enjoy the reviews you provide for restaurants in Baguio and during my recent visit to Baguio this Christmas 2012, I did follow up on some of your restaurant choices, e.g. Bliss Cafe, Azotea Greens. Would it be possible in your restaurant rating to also include some marker that says whether they use MSG or not – we have severe food allergies to MSG and so we are always on the lookout when visiting Baguio which restaurants we can go to.
Once again thanks for your wonderful reviews and great service you provide to all of us foodies who like to explore Baguio food scene.
Hello, Benjamin! Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I hope you had a fantastic vacation in the city last Christmas. I’ll look into the restaurants using MSG/not using MSG in their offering and will update my Baguio restaurant list (with notations about that =D). Happy weekend and happy (healthy) eating! (“,)
P.S. Bliss Cafe is a good choice for food with no MSG. Sir Jim and Ms. Shanti are keen on providing MSG-free dishes. =)
Xine…
Just an update.
After 9.5 years of BLISS we are closing our doors for good on Sunday 6 Jan.
We are going out ‘ on a high ‘ having been awarded the highest rating for Baguio in both 2012 & 2013. (Trip Advisor)
To say thank you for our 9.5 years on 6th we will have an all day buffet for just 95 pesos each. Hope all your readers who love Bliss will pop in for a hug and a meal.
Jim
Partner n Bliss
Hello, Sir Jim and Chef Shanti! So sad to hear that Bliss is closing but also happy that you’ll be doing so on a high note.
Thank you so much for the healthy good eats that you’ve provided for the city and its visitors. Wow, 9.5 years, what an accomplishment. We’re ever so grateful. (“,)
Update : After a great 9.5 years run…our Bliss will close it’s doors on Sunday 6 Jan with a 95 pesos plate of many of your favorites.
Our way to say namaste to all our dear friends.
Welcome all who love Bliss to pop in and get a hug and a farewell from us and our team.
Jim & Shanti
Partners n Bliss
At Baguio Center Mall ,FIFTH FLOOR, ALI’S BIRYANI SPOT Restaurant ,Best ,tasty and Authentic PAKISTANI/AFGHANI foods .now open
Hello there! Will add Ali’s Biryani Spot to our Baguio restaurant list now. See you one of these days! (“,)
At Baguio Center Mall ,FIFTH FLOOR, ALI’S BIRYANI SPOT Restaurant ,Best ,tasty and Authentic PAKISTANI/AFGHANI foods .now open
Thanks for the heads up on the opening of your restaurant! (“,)
Nice blog of yours. I’m also from Baguio. Nice to “meet” you. 🙂
Hello there, Aris! Thank you for visiting my blog and for the compliment! Ahey, Baguio boy! *hihi Nice to “meet” you, too! (“,) A blessed Sunday to you!
Hello! I added you on my “Recommended Sites.” Feel free to check my site . 🙂
Good evening, Aris! Whoa, thank you so much! Will sightsee at arisonline soon! Hooray for Baguio bloggers! (“,) A blessed Holy Week to you!
A blessed Holy Week to you too. 🙂
Hi XiNE! I did not know of your blog until now while i was looking for good eats here in Baguio. Anyway, i think you’re the best person who can help me, my sister will be celebrating her birthday on august 1 and i was wondering if you can give recommendations where we can have dinner on that day. there’s 6 of us, me, my two sisters, a cousin and 2 friends. we love steaks, pasta, pizza, filipino foods, actually we eat almost anything so we are just basically looking for a great food and dining experience here in Baguio. also, you can include if you know a dinner buffet which will be available on that day. i am really hoping for your help. you can email me as well. thanks a lot! God bless!
Hello there, renz! For strike anywhere types like you guys, choices abound for eating places to celebrate your sister’s birthday in Baguio. *hihi
My top picks would be Forest House, Hill Station, Route 55, Ketchup Food Community, and one of the Baguio greats, Good Taste (try the newest branch on Carino Street). Probably the main question is, what is your budget? Oh and do you want the celebration to be fancy/formal or is casual okay? ^^,
Hope my top picks help you narrow your options down. Go ahead and sightsee in this blog, the photos of some restos might call to you. Thank you for visiting my blog (buti nalang you came across it =b)! Comment away if you still need more info. Have a nice day! (“,)
wow thanks a lot! actually i am considering Hill Station or Le Monet even before I read your blog. Since it’s a special occasion we were thinking of spending it in a ‘slightly’ fancy resto. thank you for your suggestions. take care!
You’re welcome! Advance happy birthday to your sister! Happy Baguio food trails! (“,)
Thanks muchie, vigilant222! Thanks too for joining me in living and experiencing life. Big hugs! (“,)
Thank you so much for writing to me about the content scrapper – I noticed that a lot of their posts looked like they were taken from other blogs and took the initiative to contact some of the bloggers just like you contacted me. I hope that website gets taken down! Maraming salamat!!
Hello, Jade! You’re welcome. (was a good thing your blog post title is unique, made it easy to find who the original is. ^^,)
I’m hoping too that our “collective” reports will be enough to take that thieving site down.
Once again, more power to your blog! (It shur is purdy.) (“,)
Hi Xine..how can my food products be in your famous blogsite?
Hello there, Marinel! I mainly visit food establishments and try out their dishes. Some have sent me samples of their stuff and if i like them, i feature them. ^^, May i know what your products are (name and where to get them)? So i can keep a look out and buy when i see them. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! (“,)
Hey X! Thanks for this blog, now I feel like I have my own online menu. I usually get the feeling that I am craving for something but Idk what it really is. I was also looking for a blog about “Overtime” located in session rd. I guess you haven’t tried that yet. Anyways, thanks for the awesomeness of this blog ;))
Hello there, Rutger! I know the feeling … glad you found the menus here useful. Thank you adding to the list too, I’ll go check Overtime out some time. Happy Baguio food trip, and a blessed Sunday to you! (“,)
I enjoyed reading your blog. I dreamed I was already in Baguio, eating in the restaurants that you featured. Can’t wait for Panagbenga Festival!
Hello, M! I’m glad you enjoyed reading the stuff on the blog. Happy food quest to you, wherever that may be and I hope you have a great time at the flower fest. (“,)
Hi X!
I have no question, just want to thank you for constantly updating your blog. I studied in UB until 2011, and never had the opportunity to visit the highlands more often than I should. I checked out your site to find new food establishments; wasn’t disappointed. It was very helpful. Thank you.
I thanked and cited your site on my latest blog entry, by the way. :)(http://enzotacadao.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/back-to-074/)
Kudos and happy food tripping!
Hello there, Enzo! I’m so glad hear that the blog was helpful to you. Thank you so much, too, for citing my work in your blog. What a boost of encouragement, I got from reading your message, i really appreciate it! May you have a great experience with all the places you visit and may all the restaurants you go to (in the City of Pines or elsewhere) deserve a ton of treasure chests! (“,)
Wow, 10 “Treasure Chests” for your Baguio Food Blog! As owners of Baguio vacation rental apartments we are always asked “where is the best place to eat in Baguio” (of course our answer is subjective and depends on the guest’s preferences), so what a bonus finding your blog! Our simple answer now is to just give your web address and let the guests discover for themselves! We too have spent many long and wonderful hours going out to find new dining places (& re-visiting old favorites), and find ourselves agreeing with many of your observations and recommendations. I hope you wont mind if we include a link to your excellent blog, on our websites. We have been fortunate to be awarded TripAdvisor certificates of excellence for the last 3 years in a row and I do encourage readers of your blog to leave reviews on TripAdvisor after their dining experiences here in Baguio, The more that Baguio is recognized for its great diversity of food, the better for all.
Best wishes for your future food adventures here in beautiful Baguio. Peter. http://baguiotransient.com/
Ahoy there, fellow Baguio food questers, Peter & Jhoie! Thank you so much for the 10 treasure chests for this Baguio food blog, I really appreciate it. ^^,
It would be such an honor to have the Find Good Baguio Foods link be featured on your website. I hope it helps your guests find a great place to have their meal while in the City of Pines.
Congratulations on your TripAdvisor certificates of excellence, more to come! More power to Baguio Transient! A prosperous 2015 to us all! (“,)
Keep up the good work! You’ve got plenty of recommendations here. Thanks! I will read them little by little in the coming days. 🙂
Hello, Shayne Zalameda! Thanks so much for the encouragement, will do my utmost. I hope you the posts will be drool worthy enough for you. *hihi Happy eatsploring! (“,)
Big thanks to you, Shayne for giving a star for this post! (“,)
Hi Xine! I have been living in Tuba now for a little over a year; and while I have my own share of favorite food finds in Baguio, I am so happy to have stumbled upon your blog to help me find some more! Your blog is a great guide. Thanks and God bless!
Hello there, RJ! I hope you’re enjoying Tuba/the highlands! Ahh, a fellow foodie, I hope you have a great experience wherever you choose to dine! Thank you so much to you too! (“,)
Hi X! 🙂 I’m a fan of the manga/anime One Piece so when I saw the One Piece RestoBar beside Concoctions, I became curious about it. Then I saw in your blog that you’ve been there already. Can I ask for reviews? 🙂
Hello there, AA! So exciting that we now have such a place in Baguio, right? Will do a writeup on it as soon as I check it off my list here (it’s still pink as I’m down for the count due to a bad cold).
Here’s a quick review of One Piece RestoBar from our Baguio Food Adventuring friend, Clar: “Interior’s awesome but they only serve Korean food and liquor so we didn’t really dine in… on top of that, I didn’t see any trace of Zoro and Robin! Huhu.”
I hope that will do for now until I can hop to it and make my own review. *hihi Thank you for visiting the blog! Happy eatscapades! (“,)
Hello there, AA! Just a heads up that a feature post on Chef Andrew’s One Piece Restaurant is already published. https://findgoodbaguiofoods.com/2016/01/26/one-piece-restobar-a-portion-of-the-precious-one-piece-in-baguio/ I hope it helps! Have a great Baguio food quest! (“,)
Hi Ms. Xine, Iam an avid reader being a fellow foodie myself. I follow your blog as well as I just recently moved here and needed a few inputs on where to go around Baguio to eat. I just got a new job recently and I was wondering if I can give you a proposal? May I have your email address or any contact number so I can give you the full details? I hope you can find time from your busy schedule to accommodate my request. Thank you and more power!
Hello there, Ann Sinopen! Glad to hear Find Good Baguio Foods has helped you in terms of where to eat in Baguio. Sending you a private message via email now. Thanks for the support. Happy Baguio food trails! (“,)
I plan to move to Baguio City next April, from a small west Kansas town where fine dining is a hamburger and fries at the bowling alley. Obviously, I will be dumber than west Kansas dirt. I will be seeking a companion for culinary adventures. I am an adventurous eater. Obviously, I buy. This may be a good opportunity for a woman who would like to eat out more often. Perhaps you could recommend someone. If I make it into one of your blog postings, I cannot be photographed or named. I can only be named as XY, a white of Viking ancestry who finds cold Baguio nights quite comfortable.
Hello there, XY! We wish you a happy and easy move/transition to Baguio! Surely, there are many nice and wonderful people here that you can be good friends with.
We’ll be glad to accompany you in some of your eatsplorations of the City of Pines as we love eating out, too. Till your official move, we wish you well. (“,)
HI 🙂 I would like to ask for your email ad if you don’t mind. We’d like to ask some questions for the business’ project. Thank you and God Bless!
Hello there! Apologies for the late reply. Please do send a message on the blog’s FB page. https://www.facebook.com/FindGoodBaguioFoods/?ref=br_rs Happy Baguio food quest! (“,)
Hi. 🙂 I would like to ask for your email if you don’t mind. We would like to ask questions. Thank you and God bless!
Hello there! Apologies for the late reply. Please do send a message on the blog’s FB page. https://www.facebook.com/FindGoodBaguioFoods/?ref=br_rs Happy Baguio food quest! (“,)