Last January when Pope Francis visited the Philippines, my beau and I decided to have a short vacation in Baguio instead of joining the multitude of people who wants to greet the pope. Upon arriving in Baguio, we were met by bustling cars only to find out that a lot of people had also made the same plans. By afternoon, getting a cab was really difficult and if you're lucky to get one, you would be caught in a heavy traffic. Otherwise, you'd be having chills while waiting for that long awaited ride back to your warm hotel room. Terrific!
We were on the second day of our trip when we decided to have a chartered cab to visit the tourist attractions as planned. We went to the Strawberry Farm, Botanical Garden, Wright Park, and Mines View Park. It was past 1 o'clock in the afternoon when we were on our way back to the city proper, not expecting to have our lunch any sooner due to the usual heavy traffic. It was then that we stumbled upon a fresh ruins in Baguio - the Cafe by the Ruins Dua.
Yup! The famous Cafe by the Ruins has now its second branch which is located on Upper Session Road, near the Victory Liner bus terminal. You don't have to get your way past the long lines of cars in the city proper in order to have a sumptuous meal in this restaurant. And we were just lucky to find the place at the most convenient time.
Unlike its predecessor, the interior of Cafe by the Ruins Dua is quite modernized. But you can observe its rustic quality on the carefully chosen displays. It's more spacious and oozes with a "clean" atmosphere. If you want to feel the cool breeze of Baguio, you can go to the second floor and enjoy the weather and the view on the balcony. And if you're a person who has a fetish for clean comfort rooms, then you'd surely approve this place.
My beau and I were seated on the second floor. The server immediately handed us the menu which offers the same dishes as with the former restaurant. What I like about this place is that it serves great variety of dishes, from traditional authentic Filipino dishes to modern ones which are surely great value for your money.
We tried their bagnet, which is an Ilocano version of mouthwatering lechon kawali, (it comes with bagoong, tomatoes, a slice of lemon, rice, and sinigang soup), pinikpikan, and strawberry shake. For as low as Php. 700.00 you can enjoy these delicious meals for two. Also, you'll be pleased as to how the servers would attend to your needs attentively and efficiently with a smile.
So if you're looking for a good and new place to visit in the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", try to visit the Cafe by the Ruins Dua -- another ruins at the heart of Baguio.