When in Baguio: Arca's Yard

Baguio is one of my go-to places when I need to relax, unwind and get fat with strawberries. Thanks to TPLEX, our trip to the land of ube halaya and cold breeze has been cut in half. Since then, I’ve visited Baguio a lot more but I always miss the opportunity to visit Arca’s Yard due to scheduled hibernation. But I finally managed to drop by this picturesque restaurant before bidding farewell to 2016. 

Hello, Arca’s Yard!

This place has been highly recommended by a handful of food apps and reliable foodies. My smile was that of Cheshire Cat (from Alice in Wonderland) when I found out that we’ll have lunch there on New Year’s Eve. Worried that we might not have seats, I sent the place an SMS to reserve us a table for six hungry individuals. 

I was surprised that the place was not packed as expected but the beautiful corner with coffee table and pillows was already occupied by another group.

 And since we were with R’s parents, we need to be on actual chairs so that it won’t be difficult for them to get up. (I have to admit, I was slightly heartbroken there but the mature me figured that I could make do with just interior shots and simple flat lays.)

For lunch, we ordered Pumpkin Soup (PHP60), Oyster and Mushroom Soup (PHP60), Crispy Lemon-Orange Chicken (PHP240), Longganisa with Egg (PHP165), Hungarian Sausage with Homemade Bacon and Egg (PHP240), Stir-fried Vegetables with Squid and Mushroom (PHP220), Vanilla Milkshake (PHP120) and Arca’s Cloud Tea (PHP60). 

First served was R’s Vanilla Milkshake and it tasted pretty good though it would have been nicer if it was a bit thicker. 

Our soups were served next just in time to keep us warm and both tasted great as well. 

I loved that the pumpkin soup was thick and slightly sweet. Adding a bit of pepper made it even better!

Though I liked my pumpkin soup more than R’s clear oyster and mushroom soup, I liked that it was light in terms of flavor prepping the tastebuds for the main course. 

The longganisa was quite garlicky guaranteeing a powerful kick of flavor per bite. 

This may be a hit for those who love what Count Dracula hates but foodies who like to eat more of the viand than the meat might find the three Pinoy sausages a bit too stingy. 

The Hungarian sausage, on the other hand, was the total opposite of longganisa in terms of size. Succulent and mildly spiced, it was well complemented by the crunchy homemade bacon (which tasted like thinly sliced pork chop) and runny sunny side up egg. It was bang for the buck as I was so full after eating half of my plate. 

A strange cup with one chopstick was served to us and I totally forgot that I ordered milk tea and that was it. 

Though pretty to look at, it didn’t really pleased my tastebuds. I had a taste of milk, tea and honey but the flavors didn’t exactly blend together. Also, the wild honey used gave a bit of weird taste to the drink which I didn’t like.  

The Crispy Lemon-Orange Chicken and Stir-fried Vegetables with Squid and Mushroom were served last and both were quite delicious as well. 

The crunchy chicken had this addicting delectable tangy citrusy taste pushing one to eat more rice than planned. Serving size of the chicken was pretty generous too as four of us were able to share it. 

The veggies were undeniably fresh as it gave off a sweet taste. The squid and mushroom slices added texture to the dish and made it a bit more interesting to munch on. 

Overall, it was a good meal far away from the bustling city noise. Though the dishes were nothing special, its reasonable prices and the ambiance were worth the drive.

 

Arca’s Yard is located at Tiptop City Limit, 777 Ambuklao Road, Baguio City.