Old Baguio Café (Quezon City): A Taste of Baguio in Manila (and Your Source of Vizco's Strawberry Shortcake)

Me and my wife were supposed to go to Baguio City on September for our honeymoon. Unfortunately, the City of Pines closed its borders to non-essential travellers due to the recent COVID-19 surge. We had to postpone our trip and shelve our food itinerary!

Do you miss Baguio and its amazing food like we do? Can’t travel there anytime soon? Don’t worry because you can now have a taste of Baguio in Manila! Old Baguio Café (OBC) has opened a branch in V. Luna Ave., Quezon City. A franchise of its original branch in Baguio, the OBC in Q.C. opened during the pandemic and offers Cordilleran dishes and Baguio delicacies, among many others.

Stepping into the café will instantly transport you to Baguio and the Cordilleras:

Old Baguio Café V. Luna (Quezon City) Branch

OBC’s interior will make you feel like you’re in Baguio

OBC carries Good Shepherd, Taroland, and other Baguio products:

Most cakes are from Taroland and Vizco’s

Here are the food I tried:

Kinuday

Like I mentioned, OBC offers Cordilleran dishes. One is Kinuday, which means smoked meat in Ibaloi. This Cordilleran delicacy is traditionally a ritual food and can be eaten plain, stir-fried, or mixed in soup like Pinikpikan (more on this later). Though kinuday means smoked meat, some are sun-dried instead.

I got OBC’s sautéed kinuday. The meat is salty and smoky, similar to bacon (that’s why some call it as Cordilleran bacon or ham). It also has a slight chew, which I like, and some pieces has fat in it, which is nice! Then it’s sautéed with bell peppers and garlic cloves. The french beans and young corn on the side add crunch to the entire dish.

Pinikpikan

Pinikpikan is another Cordilleran dish offered by OBC. Also a ritual food, it’s a chicken soup dish and probably the Cordilleran version of Tinola. When prepared in the most traditional way, the live chicken is gently beaten (“pikpik”) to death to keep the blood inside, making this dish controversial.* But modern recipes just use chicken slaughtered in a normal way.

OBC’s version uses native chicken, as any pinikpikan recipe should. I believe it’s blowtorched, giving it a smoky taste. As expected with native chicken, the meat is not too tender but tastier and slightly gamey than regular ones. The broth is light and also a bit gamey, and the chayote and other greens add crunch. My favorite elements in the dish are the whole garlic and the smoked pork belly.

Strawberry Champorado

OBC won’t be truly Baguio without strawberry in their menu. While there are strawberries in their salad and there are many strawberry dessert and drinks in their menu, I went for their specialty, Strawberry Champorado (sweet rice porridge).

It’s unexpectedly not too sweet, has the perfect amount of strawberry flavor, and has pieces of the fruit in it. This is a comforting dish and a nice break from the usual chocolate variety.

Vizco’s Strawberry Shortcake, Taroland’s Bibingka Cheesecake, and Choco-late de Batirol

A visit to OBC won’t be complete without having Vizco’s Strawberry Shortcake, my favorite! It’s fluffy, rightfully sweet, and has the perfect strawberry flavor. This strawberry shortcake is what kept OBC afloat during this crazy season and made the café an online hit. (By the way, check out this article [link coming soon due to technical difficulties] for the owners’ inspiring story on bringing OBC to Manila and keeping it alive during the pandemic.)

You can also have Taroland’s Bibingka Cheesecake, which is creamy, has a flaky topping, and has a note of vanilla.

Choco-late De Batirol Hot Traditional Blend (P165) and Taroland Bibingka Cheesecake

Their strawberry shortcake and the bibingka cheesecake are perfect with their brewed coffee, which is directly sourced from the coffee farmers of Benguet, or their Choco-late de Batirol drinks, which will transport you to Camp John Hay.

Old Baguio Café will make you feel you’re in the Summer Capital through its ambiance and food. If travelling to Baguio isn’t possible for you anytime soon or you’re simply missing the City of Pines, then a visit to OBC should satisfy for the moment. I highly recommend this food spot to you!

What food above have you tried or would like to try? Comment them below!

Address: 2/F Kalayaan Centrepointe, Lot 7 Block 80 Kalayaan Ave. cor. V. Luna St. Quezon City | Operating Hours: Daily, 8AM-10PM | Contact No.: 0917-7908823 | Facebook | Instagram (links coming soon due to technical difficulties)

*People have differing views about the way food is prepared. But let us respect the Cordilleran/Igorot culture and practices. Preparing pinikpikan, being a ritual food, has a deep meaning for the said cultures.