Baguio: Forest House Bistro & Café

Our first night's dinner in Baguio was in Forest House Bistro & Café.  We came here just after our warm experience with nature in Choco-late de Batirol.

As soon as I stepped inside the restaurant, I fell in love with it! It surely captures the ideal Baguio: warm, woody, homey, relaxing and Christmassy! Oh how I love Christmas and this restaurant is just filled with that vibe!  I am amazed by how all the wood, lighting, table setting, floral arrangements and the random artsy decorations -- not to mention the delicious and calling aroma of the food -- all come perfectly together. I was surely smitten!

 This is the entrance to the Bistro & Café.

This is the ante-room that leads to the entrances of the restaurant 
and the bed and breakfast. 

 This greets you as you enter the main restaurant. Just wow!

This is how the interior looks like. :-) 

The decorations are very joyful and lively that even if it is a log cabin, it doesn't feel heavy.  The ambiance is vibrant but not overbearing, relaxing but not boring. I kept looking at other tables and I saw diners enjoying their food and having a very lovely night.
 
The placement of tables is just a bit cramped, but it's forgivable.  There are tables big for families and there are nooks perfect for dating couples as well.

 Edward and I cozied up for a picture. 
It was reeeeally cold! Brrrrr!

There is even a pine cone to decorate your utensil set. 
Christmas, indeed!

FOREST HOUSE BOUILLABAISSE for P120.

That Baguio night was shiveringly cold and what best to order for starters but soup. The Forest House Bouillabaisse (Eng. BOOL-yuh-beys or bool-yuh-BEYS; Fr. boo-ya-BES) is creamy seafood soup that is just big enough a serving for starters. I always have a leaning for bread bowls and I like that they still serve the bread taken from inside. They also put sayings or quotations to inspire you with.

FOREST HOUSE WINE SAUCED CHICKEN for P295.

This is my order. The vegetables are cooked and crisp to the bite.  The white wine sauce is creamy and smooth which went well with the grilled chicken.  I like that the sauce was not strongly flavorful either. Eating it with the bagnet struck a winning combination.

BINAGOONGAN BAGNET for P275.

Edward's order of this crispy deep-fried pork slices and shreds in binagoongan (fish paste) sauce is a Forest House favorite. We like that the sauce just lies at the bottom of the bowl. Since the pork slices were not soaked in the bagoong sauce, it retained its crispiness. Having the sauce at the bottom also makes you control the saltiness of every bite.

Bouillabaisse is a traditional dish from Provence, France. The term originated from the Occitan word bolhabaissa, which is a compound word formed from bolhir (to boil) and abaissar (to reduce heat).  This stew is prepared by boiling many types of fish, and may include shellfish and other seafood such as lobster, crab, octopus, mussels, and even sea urchin, and simmering with it vegetables like potatoes, onions, leeks, and tomatoes. It is then served with grilled slices of bread with rouille (ROO-wee), a spread made of garlic, saffron, chili/cayenne pepper and olive oil.

In Marseilles, the Mecca of bouillabaisse, it is usually made for ten or more people, and is made with 5 to 7 types of fish, not counting the seafood! They say that the more people who share the stew, and the more fish and seafood are in the dish, the better the bouillabaisse is. Wow, that is one BIG standard! :-)

Bagnet, on the other hand, is a fried pork dish from Ilocos, a northern province in the Philippines. Its name is said to be of Italian origin, specifically in Piedmont where it means "little bath".  Italian bagnet has sauce and is prepared with vegetables, while Filipino bagnet is cooked differently.  Pork is dehydrated under the sun for 1 to 2 hours. A pot of water with salt (to taste) is brought to a boil and the dried pork is then dropped to the water and cooked until tender. After, a wok of oil is heated and the pork is deep-fried until its skin bubbles and pops. Crrrrrrrrisp! 

 Lovin' the place, I am all smiles! :-)

Check out the menu:

The warm and welcoming atmosphere of Forest House Bistro & Café is a definite to-do on a cold Baguio night. 

For its Baguio feel, Christmassy vibe and sumptuous food, FOREST HOUSE BISTRO & CAFE is DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED.

A minute point of improvement is the wifi connection. It was faulty when we were there. But heck, who needs wifi when you are there to warm yourself by the fireplace, fill your tummy, and enjoy good company.

===============================
Information on Forest House Bistro and Café:

16 Loakan Road, 
Baguio City, Philippines

(074) 447-04-59
(074) 304-45-53
 
inquiry@foresthousebaguio.com

Open everyday from 11am to 11pm.

Official Forest House Bistro & Café Webpage 
Official Forest House Facebook Page
===============================