Rochkirstin | com

Category: Baguio

  • Review of Carlo’s Pizza and Italian Food Restaurant (Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    Review of Carlo’s Pizza and Italian Food Restaurant (Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    Staying at The Forest Lodge in Baguio City did not require us dining only at The Twist or side-tracking to its neighbor hotel-restaurant, Le Chef at The Manor. Of course, we were also free to eat at other places inside John Hay and even outside the camp. With a wide selection of outlet stores, charming cafes and specialty restaurants on sight, the Mile Hi Center fronting The Manor caught our attention. For late lunch, we decided to try Carlo’s Pizza.

    Carlo’s Pizza is an Italian, casual dining restaurant with 13 outlets in different parts of Metro Manila. It’s interesting to learn that this branch in Camp John Hay is the first of Carlo’s Pizza which was established way back in March 2002.

    Review of Carlo’s Pizza and Italian Food Restaurant (Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

    Hosting a cozy ambiance for some relaxing meal, Carlo’s Pizza has kept its interior design simple. Bright yellow wall paint and hanged pictures of food and relevant pictures can drive customers’ senses to a creative frenzy. The vibe was laid-back. My only gripe was that the space was quite cramped with tables and chairs put side-by-side, making everyone hard to move around.

    Service: ★★☆☆☆

    The server for our table was familiar with Carlo’s Pizza’s menu and was good at recommending the best dishes. The thing that broke their five-star score for “service” was the staffs’ lack of attention. There seemed enough manpower with three to four of them working for about five active tables in a dining room whose size was pretty manageable for everyone to handle.

    I kept raising my hand, hoping for them to take notice. Without luck, I had to stand up a few times to make them aware of my presence. There was even a time when the guy at the counter already met my gaze and saw my arm up high, and he still failed to reach out to us or conveyed to a coworker about it. I was asking for the bill. Ugh, I hate the feeling of being ignored as a paying customer. Who doesn’t?

    Food: ★★★★☆

    The Nachos Supreme (PhP 235) consisted of crunchy and colorful feast of nachos topped with seasoned ground beef, mushrooms, black olives, jalapeno chilies, tomato salsa and creamy cheese sauce. It was an easy favorite since the distinctive flavors and components were all intact. Nachos with these ingredients left our lips greasy but that’s okay. The varied texture was creative.

    Appropriate amount of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese made the Lasagna alla Carlo (PhP 190) a winner. It was composed of layers of homemade lasagna pasta, meat sauce, Italian sausage, creamy cheese, bechamel, and pepperoni. Overall, a good balance of proportions of ingredients made this lasagna a gratifying treat.

    The Pizza Capriccioso (Regular 9″: PhP 285, Large 12″: PhP 395, Family 15″: PhP 560) with pepperoni, ham, bacon, Italian sausage, mushrooms, black olives, onion and green pepper was triumphant. While ingredients were plenty, they all worked. The pizza was made with freshly made dough, punctuated and drizzled with olive oil, and stone-baked with imported pizza sauce made from Roma and tomatoes blended with herbs and spices. It was most unique on the menu with rich flavor worth trying.

    Note: All the pizzas are handmade to order hence there’s an expected waiting time of about 20 to 30 minutes.

    The one thing that didn’t beat my expectation was Carlo’s Pizza’s Creamy Pesto Pasta (PhP 175)—pasta tossed on creamy basil pesto. It lacked on the pesto flavor and the looks department. That said, I was also right when I thought that it would not be delicious as I would have liked.

    Price for Value: ★★★★☆

    Our dining experience at this pizza joint in Camp John Hay had been satisfactory. Having tried both the pasta and pizza here, I would most certainly recommend the latter. Carlo’s Pizza is definitely a good place for pizza lovers. Prices are very affordable given the portion and tastes of their food.

    [schema type=”review” url=”http://www.carlospizza.net/” name=”Carlo’s Pizza and Italian Food Restaurant” description=”Mile Hi Center, Camp John Hay, Baguio City” rev_name=”For inquiries, contact (074) 446-1387 ” author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2014-11-06″ user_review=”13″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

     

  • Review of Le Chef Restaurant (The Manor, Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    Review of Le Chef Restaurant (The Manor, Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    As we were staying at The Forest Lodge for 3D2N on a weekend, we grabbed the opportunity to dine in at what’s regarded as the best fine dining restaurant in Baguio City: Le Chef at The Manor, Camp John Hay. This all-day dining hotel-restaurant offers both Filipino and international cuisines by Chef Billy King. It’s open daily from 6AM to 11PM, and serves breakfast (buffet style), lunch and dinner.

    Going to fastfood restaurants and those you frequent when in Baguio City may be tempting, but absolutely  if you only have a few days to visit and tour the City of Pines and want to eat well, it would be a mistake to miss dining here. Le Chef at The Manor has landed features in travel magazines and online sites many times over, and after experiencing it for the first time, we say the hype is well-deserved. Make a reservation as this restaurant books up well in advance.

    Review of Le Chef Restaurant (The Manor, Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    Ambiance: ★★★★★

    We walked from the parking lot of The Forest Lodge and were led to The Manor’s garden, restaurant and bake shop. Elegant and classically beautiful. That’s how I’d shortly describe the atmosphere and design at Le Chef inside and outside. There’s little lighting in the garden area but it was enough to set a romantic mood right while enjoying the cool air of Baguio.

    As we stepped inside, we found that the ambiance is one that spots a rather relaxed setting. It’s an ideal venue to host an executive lunch, an intimate family gathering or a memorable date. The restaurant is partitioned into sections with wall dividers, giving diners a sense of exclusivity while all being in the same room. The nice presentation on the dining table highlights the exquisiteness to expect from the meal to come. This is really my kind of place. 🙂

    Service: ★★★★★

    Service was great from reception to the end. We received warm greetings from the staffs and the manager upon arrival, and they presented only friendly and attentive stewardship.

    For those celebrating their birthdays, an acoustic band serenades them a song and this shows how Le Chef wants to please customers and make them happy on their special day with dedication. I also noticed that the staffs take effort in speaking to diners between service unobtrusively to make sure that the food was cooked well and requests are attended to promptly without fail. Now that’s commendable.

    Food: ★★★★★

    Warming us up for dinner was this basket of bread with Le Chef’s specialty dip. Boring, right? Wrong. These breads were perfectly soft and light, and the dip was flavorful. This complimentary starter kicked off the meal just right, while we were waiting for the actual courses to be served.

    Topped with toasted almonds, Le Chef’s bowl of Broccoli Cream Soup (PhP 160) was as delicious as a simple plate of broccoli gets. It had this pure and eye-popping green color with chicken broth that’s nice and aromatic. The contrast of the rich texture and flavors of the cream soup and the crispy almonds helped make it remarkable.

    Dressed impeccably, the Caesar Salad “The Classic Way” (PhP 220) came with Romaine lettuce in anchovy dressing, with croutons, bacon bits and Parmesan cheese carvings. We loved every minute eating this salad. The greens were so crunchy and so fresh that your lips will water and your eyes will pucker. If green stuff isn’t your thing though, then maybe pass.

    Well seasoned and beautifully presented, the Pan-fried Halibut Steak in Pommery Mustard Sauce and Penne Pomodoro (PhP 720) was straight-up amazing! One of my go-to’s has always been fish, and this is one you definitely don’t want to miss. The pasta was also excellent, a heartier content of the dish than you might think. You could use some carbs anyway.

    We carried on, with more wisdom than sense of adventure. My mom had the star dish, the Malaysian Goat Curry with Biryani Rice (PhP 495), which looked interesting on Le Chef’s menu. The classic aroma of curry was present. The meat had a staggering tenderness so our teeth could gently bite it down. To goat meat lovers, I bet this will be your heaven. In my case, I thought it was better to cash in my digestive bandwidth elsewhere.

    Served with pickled green papaya and steamed rice, these Char-grilled Baby Back Ribs in Fennel Barbecue Sauce (PhP 540) were not what we came to Le Chef for, but they were the best of the bunch out of our orders. Smoky with just the right spice, the baby back ribs were not tricky to eat as they’re fall-of-the-bone good. The sauce was less sweet than I expected; it was alright. We really liked this a lot, though not quite as much as the steak….


    I’m not even gonna hesitate. The MANOR Steak (PhP 880) is one of the best steaks we’ve tried. My boyfriend had sampled a lot of versions of steak in many restaurants and he told us this one has his seal of approval. It was an incredible cut of medium rare meat, which arrived at the table perfectly cooked and juicy. Home-fried potatoes and grilled tomatoes were sitting on a side. Yes, they were nice as well, but we’ve hardly noticed them as we were too busy shoving slices of steak into our mouth. 😉 Even if my taste buds don’t often agree with meat, they did this time. The MANOR steak was delicious with a capital D.


    Since Le Chef lacked selections for vegetarians, the most they could offer my dad who’s a strict vegetarian was the Brown Rice Selection – Vegetable and Mushroom (PhP 320). The minimal description didn’t need to take some decoding. With an elegant display, all ingredients were as you know they would taste like, and nothing was deceptive.


    For desserts, we shared the Banana Split “Le Chef” (PhP 220)—three flavors of ice cream, sliced bananas, cream, nuts and cherries on top. As a punchy, sweet combination with a spectrum of textures, it won our hearts and minds.

    Also a hit, the Cherry Cheesecake was a very pretty and fairly tasty CHEESY bite. It was smooth, creamy and everything I’d look for in a cheesecake. I loved the thin graham-cracker crust at the bottom. Yum!

    Price for Value: ★★★★☆

    We’ve traveled six hours from Manila, and we just wanted to maximize our vacation stay in Baguio with great-tasting food. Pleased and satisfied, we didn’t go back to the Forest Lodge hungry with these heavy and impressive entrees. Le Chef’s menu is by no means exorbitant especially for a special occasion, and by the standard of the variety of food matched with good quality, is actually good value.

    If you are going to stay or just arrange a visit at Camp John Hay, I recommend that you make a reservation at Le Chef Restaurant and do so for dinner. It’s better to go with a larger group and order as much as you can realistically handle, and then have some desserts. 🙂

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/pages/Le-Chef-at-the-Manor/328393353856658″ name=”Le Chef at The Manor” description=”Address: The Manor, Loakan Road, Camp John Hay, Baguio City, Benguet” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (074) 446 0406 or (074) 424-0907″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2014-11-05″ user_review=”19″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

  • Review of The Twist Café (Forest Lodge, Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    Review of The Twist Café (Forest Lodge, Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    When it comes to modern Asian cuisine, I always have a lingering question mark on top of my head as I wonder how the chef can transform conventional comfort food into yet another palatable creation. So when we learned from the menu that The Twist by Chef Billy King, the only in-house restaurant and café in the Forest Lodge at Camp John Hay, serves a variety of Asian food, I was psyched. 🙂

    The name “Chef Billy King” sounded familiar. Apparently, he’s the famed as “the Anthony Bourdain of the Philippines,” and also the same person who brought Le Soufflé Resto to Manila. With those impressions in mind, I became more interested on how much the dishes at The TWIST would manage to successfully draw approval from our taste buds. Let’s find out! 😀

    Review of The Twist Café by Chef Billy King (Forest Lodge, Camp John Hay, Baguio City)

    Ambiance: ★★★★★

    Offering a comfortable casual dining ambiance, The Twist sits almost adjacent to the front desk area of The Forest Lodge. No doors separate the restaurant and the hotel’s airy and spacious lobby, but still the interior was quiet. The Twist had a consistent rustic theme and bold color contrasts, an intelligent balance between traditional and contemporary.

    The handmade and sturdy wooden furniture, tribal decors and Filipino modern paintings illustrating a forest on the side made me feel like being transported to a restaurant in a forest. The chandeliers looking fab and artistically installed on high ceilings made the vibe even cozy and chic. Tables and chairs were neatly arranged and it’s worth mentioning that they can be requested to be moved to fit a certain group of people.

    Service: ★★★☆☆

    Servers were friendly and informative without being overbearing. Securing their attention was easy and their hospitality was good. My only complaint is that waiting time took too long but not longer than promised: 20-30 minutes.

    To be fair, we considered that the restaurant was super packed in the morning, with tables getting filled immediately after customers leave. Many might have availed of The Forest Lodge’s ongoing promotion (reserve for room online from October 8, 2014 to December 19, 2014 and get free breakfast from 6AM to 10AM), thus explaining the overflowing diners.

    In the case of lunch, I’m not sure what went on. There were two active tables and it took them about half an hour to deliver our orders on the table. Maybe the kitchen staff were normally busy with operations and maintenance at that time or the dishes were prepared too intricately to win us over. Luckily, there’s free wi-fi and many good views in the hotel to keep us entertained.

    Food: ★★★★☆

    Lunch – Asian Combinations

    We started lunch with Calamari and Prawn Oriental Pasta (PhP 260). To be honest, it wasn’t the best pasta dish I openly recommend. I thought the sauce needed more spices. Just a wee bit of salt and pepper plus a subtle hint of garlic would have made it better. Overall, it can be counted as a nice and light demonstration of simple goodness, with seafood toppings that seemed compatible.

    Coming with a generous helping of succulent prawns, the Thai Green Prawn Curry (PhP 380) with vegetable brown rice risotto was delicious. The Thai curry taste may be a bit rare for some people’s liking, but for me it was great! I expected the Thai flavor to be more pronounced though, because of the bright yellow color.


    The beautiful sear on the surface of the slice of the Grilled Salmon Fillet (PhP 380) made the fish melt-in-your-mouth, almost. The freshness of the protein shone through, and the lightly sweetened tahini yogurt provided a rich, creamy element together with the vegetable fried rice. Yummy!


    The Honey Glazed Crispy Pork Belly (PhP 340) with steamed rice was cooked perfectly, leaving a nice crisp on the skin while the inside remained tender and juicy, locking in all the juices without leaving a greasy aftertaste. The mixture of honey and sauces appealed to us most. No doubt, this is comfort food that you cannot go wrong with. For those who are in the health-conscious zone, this might make you cringe as there’s a rather thick layer of fat in the belly cut. My boyfriend said it’s the fat which made it tasty. 😛


    After enjoying four courses, it was then time to let the sweet tooth sink in! We had this Cheesecake (PhP 100) which did not come across as the most photogenic but surely compensated with its strong taste of cheese. This treat is a must-try for all cheesecake fans, and one should stay prepared for the smooth and overwhelming cheese in each bite. 😛


    Next, we had the Moist Dark Chocolate Cake (PhP 100) that was so rich that one slice was plenty for five of us to share. Without drinking water or any beverage in between, you’ll feel your mouth hurting in the most pleasurable way imaginable. I bet chocoholics will agree that this chocolate cake is an ultimate indulgence. One-fifth of it was enough for me, and it was the perfect sweet end to our meal.


    Stealing the limelight with glistening surface, the Crème Caramel with Fresh Mango (PhP 120) appeared like the classic leche flan. Delicately shaped and sculpted, the caramel custard had a smooth and silky texture, with consistency that was slightly set and very creamy.


    Less tantalizing on the eyes, Banana Bread (PhP 150) wasn’t too sweet and not quite decadent as well. As I was looking for a more “banana” taste and more moisture for the bread, it didn’t pass as a big of a hit as compared to the other desserts we had for lunch. Maybe I’m just so used to Red Ribbon’s Banana Crunch Slice that I found The Twist’s version to be lacking in flavor. No ground nuts and cereals but basic banana bread as it is? Meh. 🙁

    Breakfast

    We were advised that The Forest Lodge does not offer breakfast buffet for its guests but only a la carte meals. That’s fine for us, as long as the food to be served would be equally decent. At least for myself, I thought it’s a positive way of getting the “hidden bonus”: it won’t lead to a significant increase in food intake. 😛 So yeah, we were presented with a menu of Filipino breakfast sets all served with fried egg, grilled tomatoes and garlic fried rice. Hooray for a carbohydrates-loading breakfast!

    Well marinated, the Fried Daing na Bangus (PhP 245) was fried to perfection and it’s obvious from the color. It tasted like it was cooked from home. I particularly liked that the milkfish fish was boneless, otherwise I would have a hard time eating it.

    Not lacking in terms of fragrance, the Pancakes with Syrup and Butter Cream (PhP 195) were really good. While the edges of the pancake was crisp and brittle (in a good sense), the middle portion remained warm, moist and soft.


    I didn’t know that there are numerous versions of longganisa in the Philippines until last two years ago. A friend had me try longganisa from Vigan, Ilocos which is very different from the only longganisa taste and texture from Pampangga that I used to know. The one from Ilocos is tangy with a hint of slightly smokey pungent flavor of “sukang iloco” or sugarcane vinegar. I’d say it’s more favorable.

    This time ’round, we had the chance to try Baguio Longganisa (4 pieces) (PhP 245) for the first time. Compared to Vigan’s, it was less juicy, less on the sweet side and more savory.


    Another breakfast favorite among the Filipinos, The Twist’s Beef Tapa (PhP 285) had the right combination of sweet and salty. The cured beef was not too chewy but tender enough.


    The Tocino (PhP 245) was okay. It’s the tocino (Filipino bacon) you’d usually get, nicely pan-fried to the right texture and relatively without fat. It tasted a tad like “bak kwa” (肉干) but the softer kind.

    Each breakfast set is served with a choice of pineapple juice, coffee or hot chocolate. We preferred coffee and hot choco.

    Price for Value: ★★★★☆

    The Twist at Forest Lodge, Camp John Hay is an attraction on its own—that is, if you’re going to CJH just to dine in as you’re staying in a different hotel overnight. Albeit there were some misses, we enjoyed the food on the whole. If you’re planning to eat here, it will be good to check with the serving staffs for recommendations based on your appetite.

    For the price conscious, you would be most delighted to learn that the prices on the menu are affordable considering that you’re dining in a hotel, and the food is value for money.

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/TheForestLodgeCampJohnHay” name=”The Twist Café by Chef Billy King” description=”Upper Ground Floor, Forest Lodge, Camp John Hay, Loakan Road, Baguio City” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (074)422-2075 to 76 / (074) 422-2080 to 81″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2014-11-4″ user_review=”16″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]