Love for food and art
Panagbenga Festival is in full bloom here in Baguio City, and what better way to celebrate than with a food crawl at SM City Baguio? Come with me as I explore different featured restaurants, capturing the experience not just through flavors but also through urban sketching!
Filling breakfast and top-notch pastries: James Wright Café
Together with my Tito Ric and Tita Irene, we started our SM food crawl journey at James Wright Café, where we tried their new breakfast meal— a generous serving of meatloaf, omelet, hash brown, bread, and of course, coffee! Another must-try is their Tiramisu Latte, a perfect blend of bold coffee and sweet, creamy layers.
For PB&J lovers, their Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich is a treat, made with their homemade peanut butter and strawberry jelly, served with a hefty side of mixed fruits! Another thirst quencher for a refreshing morning was the Ube Cheesecake Frappe! Of course, their pastries are not to be missed—especially the Matcha Bar, which quickly became a personal favorite. Other bars we tried were the Chocolate Peanut Bar, Lemon Bar and the very Baguio pastry; Ube Oat Crumble which is my second favorite!
Elevated Japanese Cuisine: Kureji
Kureji’s menu has leveled up with exciting new dishes! We kicked things off with Chicken Manila Gyoza—an instant favorite for me! Their Tomato Seafood Ramen is a must for spicy food lovers. Something too spicy and thick for my liking, but I enjoyed a few spoonfulls! The Agedashi Tofu gives a takoyaki-inspired twist. Truly there are many other ways to cook tofu and that dish was quite promising with the right balance of the softness and texture of the flakes. The Pork Chashu Don is filling and flavorful especially the meat. Make sure to mix the egg right away with the rice! As for the dessert, the Sweet Potato Mochi was a delightful surprise—both sweet and satisfying.
Heartwarming Comfort Food: Hill Station Bistro
One of my go-to spots, Hill Station Bistro, brings something special this love month with vodka-based cocktails to complement their savory dishes. The “Love-struck” is made with pineapple juice and vodka. The other refreshing drink with a kick is the Goodnight Kiss which has Grenadine, vodka, cranberry juice and Sprite. The Bistro Salad was served with two dressing, they have the classic vinaigrette but what I loved was the strawberry vinaigrette! The Sisig Palabok is one of their best sellers to for the Filipino dish lineup. I appreciate the thick “bihon” and I savored the deliciously cooked sisig as its topping. The sauce is perfect blend, too! For breakfast lovers, try their Eggs Benedict! The egg was perfectly cooked and delicately placed on top of a bed of ham and bread. The set even has side salad! For dessert, their new Ube Crinkles were the perfect sweet ending to a sumptuous meal!
Exploring, sketching, and indulging in good food—there’s nothing quite like celebrating Panagbenga at SM City Baguio!
