 |
| Solibao Restaurant - Burnham |
Solibao, a home-grown
Filipino restaurant in Baguio City owned by Moises Cating, has been serving the
best of all-Filipino fine dining for local and foreign tourists alike since
1972.
It is best known for its yummy
Filipino recipes like Pancit Palabok, Binagoongan Liempo, Kare-Kare, Ilocos
Bagnet, Bibingka and Puto Bumbong.
The word, “Solibao,” comes from a drum or percussion instrument used by
the Igorot in the Cordilleras.
 |
| The main dining area |
 |
| Laing |
 |
| Pinakbet |
Coming from boating and
biking at Burnham Park, we had lunch at this original and conveniently located Baguio
restaurant beside the lake.
With its laid
back setup and Filipino-style ambiance, the restaurant is surrounded by wide clear
glass windows that gave us a great view of Melvin Jones Grandstand, football
field and the park. They even had tables set up outside where one can catch the
cold breeze while enjoying the food.
 |
| Combo E |
As we were five in my group,
we chose, from their extensive menu, combo meals good for five persons, finally
deciding on Combo E (at PhP1,655.00, not too pricey) which consisted of Honey
Fried Chicken (1/2), Kare-Kare with Special Bagoong, Pinakbet with Vigan Sitcharon,
and Laing; all served with Garlic Rice, Iced Tea and 5 pieces of their famous
Puto Bumbong.
 |
| Honey Fried Chicken |
The Pinakbet, a medley of fresh
lowland vegetables sauteed in garlic and bagoong (shrimp paste), was served crunchy
Vigan Bagnet. Their version of honey fried chicken, cooked medium-rare, was crispy,
tasty and not too oily.
The Kare-Kare, with generous
portions of tender buntot ng baka (oxtail)
simmered in traditional peanut sauce with fresh mixed Baguio vegetables, was
served with their special Solibao bagoong
alamang (instead of the fish bagoong
sauce used by Ilocanos). We loved the “peanutty”
taste of the sauce. The laing, taro
leaves cooked in coconut milk, was spicier than usual laing I tasted.
 |
| Kare-Kare |
The much awaited puto bumbong, a must-try, was made from glutinous
rice fresh out of a bamboo steamer housed in a hut outside the main restaurant. It was very soft, tasty, and paired really
well with the freshly grated coconut, melted butter (not margarine) and brown muscovado
sugar on top.
A downside of this restaurant
was its slow service. Aside from the
original restaurant, Solibao also has 5 other branches around Baguio.
Solibao Restaurant @ Heritage
Mansion Hotel: Kisad Road, Abanao Extension, Baguio City, Philippines 2600. Tel: (074) 448-3815. Open daily, 6 AM to
10 PM.
Solibao Restaurant – Session
Road: Door #1, Puso ng Baguio Building, Baguio City 2600, Benguet. Tel: (074) 442-3867.
Ganza Restaurant – Burnham
Park: North Football Grounds, Baguio City 2600, Benguet. Tel: (074) 442-2478.
Solibao Kiosk – BGHMC Waiting
Shed Food Court, Baguio General Hospital Compound, Baguio City 2600,
Benguet. Tel: (074) 423-0169.
Cafe Solibao: Gen. Luna cor.
Mabini St., Baguio City 2600, Benguet. Tel:
(074) 442-4872.
Stepping into the Forest
House Bistro and Café, a 275 sq.m., casual yet upscale bed and breakfast, bistro
and restaurant built into an old American-era structure along the zigzagging
and pine-forested Loakan Road, is like entering the homey atmosphere and
serenity of a gracious and warm log cabin created by pinewood, yellow bricks
and colored antique glass windows. The warm
light and soothing feel of the interiors and the accouterments are definitely
the first thing that catches your eye. 
Opened last April 8, 2001 by couple
Ari (Baguio-born, raised and educated, he prefers to be called “Manong Ari”) and Raquel
Verzosa, with cousin Alvin Verzosa (who has an eye for detail and penchant for
good food), its foyer (where guests wait to be seated) has a cozy sofa and two
armchairs facing each other. 
A coffee and tea bar, on the
side of the restaurant, boasts of an excellent selection of coffee and tea from Chicago-based coffee masters (a choice of decaffeinated brew in a variety
of granules, depending on your preference of richness), while on the opposite
side is a pasta bar. 
Its charming bathroom is
decorated with a box of potpourri, scented candles, a square-shaped seater and
a wall décor with an uplifting message, “Greet each day with your eyes open to
beauty, mind open to change, and heart open to love.”
Start up with the creamy and
properly rustic wild mushroom soup. Appetizers include the piping hot Roti
Canai (Malaysian unleavened flat bread served with curry dip), Scallops
Thermidore (half shelled scallops with white, bubbling cream sauce), minced
chicken in lettuce cups (Asian marinated chicken in lettuce caps with hoisin
sauce on the side) and Forest House platter (a combination of smoke fish spring
roll, buffalo wings, bagnet and tomato bruschetta).
Also on the menu are popular
international (Spanish, American and Italian) dishes such as Lengua con
setas (ox tongue in rich gravy mushroom sauce); succulent Prawns
Thermidore (baked prawns in rich Bechamel cheese sauce); Beef Caldereta;
Lamb with Mustard sauce; Flounder with White Wine Sauce; Chicken Alexis in
mushrooms sauce and red wine; Jakero Pork Chop (grilled pork chop topped with
chili on a bed of fries); Forest House wine-sauced Chicken; Vegetable Kebab;
Sesame Crusted Fish Fillet; Callos; Salpicado; and Roasted Dijon Rack of
Lamb (roasted rack of lamb rubbed in soy Dijon Mustard and spiced with herb
and blue cheese). 
