Finally, another foodventure with my blogging besties Sam and Xine! This time we sample food at Xine’s newest discovery, Foggy Mountain Cookhouse.
From the name alone, you’ll figure out where it is and why it’s called that. Quite literally, Chef Babes’ cookhouse, also his actual home where he entertains his guests, is situated atop a foggy mountain.
Braving the fog to Foggy Mountain Cookhouse
I had a hard time driving to Foggy Mountain Cookhouse because I was a newbie driver (and I drive a manual car) and oh my goodness, the road was steep! But once you see the view from the terrace you’ll realize that the trip up there is so totally worth it.
There is no view of the cityscape or the usual mountain view; what you can see instead is an ethereal, peaceful view of the thick fog. This is accompanied by the sharp, cool breeze, which I always find so comforting.
It was so relaxing being there. Something about the fog and the cool breeze and the quiet. Oh how I loved the quiet! It gave me a warm, cozy feeling on the inside.
We were seated outside by the terrace but it was so comfortable. The vibe felt like I was just over at a friend’s house for dinner. I suppose that’s what Chef Babes wanted to achieve when he conceived the idea for his cookhouse.
Foggy Mountain Cookhouse: Go for the ambiance, stay for the food
If you’re only in Baguio for the weather, go to Foggy Mountain Cookhouse for the ambiance, wear your thickest jacket because it can get super cold. If you get too cold, there’s a small fire pit to warm you up and you can roast marshmallows on too!
When X asked me what I wanted to eat and showed me the menu, I couldn’t choose, talk about option paralysis! Everything sounded so delicious when I read the description, so I told her to go on ahead and order whatever and I will eat it.😁
She couldn’t stop rambling on about how delicious everything was, so my expectations were definitely high.
Fortunately, Chef Babes did not disappoint! I felt like my taste buds were having a party every time I put spoonfuls of his food in my mouth, it totally made me go, “mmm mm mmm mmm… so good…”.
You all know that I have no photography skills, so I’m sorry for the photos, the pictures don’t give the food any justice, but believe me when I say, the food was ‘A’-MAZING!🤩
But first, a refreshment
As always, drinks are the first one to be served, and whenever I am with Sam and Xine, I have to have a drink by my side at all times, because I swear, my mouth gets dry from all the talking we do!😂 I’m amazed at how we can even understand what we’re talking about when we jump from one topic to another, but somehow we manage.
We were served a pitcher of the Cookhouse Iced Tea; it’s their house blend iced tea infused with mint. I love mint on everything, so you know I loved this. It’s very refreshing, and it prevented me from getting cotton mouth.😅
Babaganoush with Pita ala Foggy Mountain Cookhouse
And then the appetizer came out… My first thought was, “okay, bread and dip, that’s thrilling.”.🙄
And boy, do I regret that thought!
I dipped my pita into the dip and literally, fireworks went off in my head and the burst of flavor on my tongue rendered me speechless for a few minutes.
The ‘dip’, it turns out is called, Babaganoush.
I only know what Babaganoush is because of that Vilma Santos movie with John Lloyd Cruz and Luis Manzano, In My Life. It was one of the things Vilma Santos’ character was trying to memorize as she was working in a Persian restaurant and she was required to know what the items on the menu were.
So anyway, the Babaganoush. You know what they say about not judging a book by its cover, this one is the perfect example.
I judged it too quickly and I was schooled. It wasn’t just a dip.
It was so freaking good. I don’t know how to describe it better than that. It was a perfect marriage of mashed eggplant and whatever it is that you put to make Babaganoush.
The pita was tasteless, perfect for the Babaganoush. Thinking about this is totally making me drool!🤤
Sal-ad
And then the Sal-ad came… I’m like, eww, vegetables.😅
I am not fond of vegetables and I hate olives! So one look definitely made me turn my focus back on the Babaganoush and thought they can have the salad.😂 But of course I had to try it, and so I did.🤷🏻♀️
Still not crazy about the olives, and I realized I do not like watercress in a salad.
However, this salad had its redeeming qualities, and that is it’s Orange vinaigrette. It was a perfect balance of sweet and tangy, I loved the shredded pieces of cheese and cherry tomatoes. Not crazy about the olives, oh wait, I already wrote that.😅
Foggy Mountain Cookhouse Rice and Lamb
Non lamb eaters, let me change your minds!!!
Chef Babes on his Facebook Page
Then the Rice and the Lamb came…
The fried rice smelled so good, like seriously, this was the most fragrant rice I’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling!
So, I don’t like lamb. It’s because all the other lamb chops or lamb steaks I’ve ever had tasted like rubber with the same toughness of rubber. I literally would chew for what feels like forever plus the taste of lamb meat just wasn’t something I could ever get into. It literally tastes like boiled rubber bands with salt.
I told Chef Babes about my aversion to lamb and he said the same thing he posted on his page to me, “Let me change your mind.”.
What’s the worst that could happen? I could either feel the same way about lamb and my world continues unchanged or he could actually change my mind.🤷🏻♀️
SPOILER ALERT!
He changed my mind about lamb!
The lamb was not tough and it didn’t taste like boiled rubber bands with salt!👏🏻 There was no disgusting rubbery after taste. The most surprising part, he cooked it medium rare, but it didn’t taste or smell bloody. It was absolutely perfect!
This slow roasted lamb, cooked in a brick oven is all that and a bag of potato chips.
Even the kids loved it and they usually like their steaks cremated.😅 This was the first time the kids had lamb and I’m glad their experience with lamb is a pleasant one, unlike mine which was absolutely traumatizing to the point of avoiding lamb altogether.
So if like me, you’ve had a bad experience with lamb, give Chef Babes a chance, I promise you won’t regret it!
Squid but make it Fries only at Foggy Mountain Cookhouse
The Crispy Squid Fries with Dill and Tartar Sauce and Sriracha on the side is X’ favorite and she couldn’t stop raving about this particular beer match, even though she doesn’t drink.😂
Apparently, she’s tried it before and she said she couldn’t have enough of it. I’m not really a seafood person, since I am allergic to shrimp and crabs, but I do enjoy squid and although I have had Calamares here and there, squid just doesn’t shiver me timbers.
I’m also not fond of anything spicy, so I wasn’t too thrilled about this one.😅 But because I am a foodie, I will eat whatever is served in front of me. So I dug in, and gosh!
This squid was surprisingly good. The batter was delicious and the squid wasn’t chewy at all! It’s made with a huge strip of squid. No tipidity* here!
I’m told it was supposed to be good with the sriracha it’s served with, but I didn’t enjoy it with the sriracha, because like I said, not fond of anything spicy.😅 But, I’d totally eat it as is or with the dill and tartar sauce.
Chicken Parmesan Pie
Then came the Chicken Parmesan Pie, ‘L’ loved this one.
It’s a savory pie with polenta, chicken, tomato with basil sauce and loads of mozzarella and parmesan. This literally took my tongue to northern Italy, polenta’s birth place.
A couple spoonfuls of this one and I was already full but I couldn’t stop eating because my taste buds wanted more!🤤
And now, Dessert!
Then came dessert, we had the Pumpkin Pie ala Foggy Mountain Cookhouse.
There are no other words to describe this pie other than it’s really delicious. I’ve had many pumpkin pies in my lifetime but none as good as this one was. It made me feel so warm and fuzzy on the inside.
It’s made with pureed pumpkin topped with roasted marshmallows, finished with whipped cream and cheese tortilla chips on the side. The flavors all worked well to complement each other, not one ingredient outshined the other, it was a perfect medley of flavors.
The best part? Nakakabusog sya**! Definitely worth every penny it costs.
You’re Missing Out
So, don’t miss out on amazing food! Bring your friends and family to Foggy Mountain Cookhouse! This is one recommendation I’m truly very proud of.
A reminder: Book reservations at least 2 days before you plan on going at Foggy Mountain Cookhouse, to ensure Chef Babes can accommodate you.
Foggy Mountain Cookhouse
172 St. Joseph Street, San Carlos Heights, Baguio City
Foggy Mountain Cookhouse on Facebook
*tipidity - A made up word I use to describe when something isn't made with thriftiness in mind.😁 **nakakabusog - roughly translates to "It's filling" in English.
