If there were a haven for vegetarians, Baguio should be it. When I lived in Manila a couple of years ago, one of my greatest frustrations was not having enough veggies in my diet. In Baguio turo-turos , there’s a whole lot of veg dishes to choose from. In the food places where I worked, all the veggie they served with the meat is — achara. Oh and one time, I packed salad as my baon for work — was eating it at the pantry and someone exclaimed– vegetarian ka? Haha. Couldn’t help but give that person a ” are you dumb?” kind of look. What a hasty conclusion.
So, no, I’m not vegetarian. And you don’t have to be when you go to La Azotea Greens! Located in the quirky and very artsy, La Azotea at Session Road, it’s one of the most accessible vegetarian restos in Baguio. Oh My Gulay is in the same building, but you have to climb a couple of flight of stairs to get there. La Azotea greens is at the basement.
Azotea Greens.Vegetarian Resto and Cafe.
So I came and asked for the specialty and was recommended the “Drumsticks” (or something like that) — which I think is a breaded ball of shredded cabbage, bean sprouts and other vegs served with camote fries , achara and some coleslaw looking side dish. (I’m really am not– or are trying to sound like a food connoisseur. Pardon me for my very lay man descriptions. 🙂 ). It was savory and filling. Although I don’t think it should’ve been served with rice anymore. I can eat most of my veggies without rice– except for pinakbet. hehe.
The Drumstick Meal
For dessert, which I , of course, had served first — was very unique for my taste. I’ve had blue berry cheesecakes all over, and this is different — in a good way. It wasn’t as rich and “in-your-face-im-a-cheesecake” kind of cake. Not sure what kind of ingredients they used but it sort of tasted pastillasy to me and I appreciated that.
Blueberry Cheescake
Where I sat , I saw a tattoo parlor and watched a tattoo session in action while I waited for my order. I didn’t wait too long, maybe 10-15 minutes. The free wifi kept me busy too as I was sending work emails and such while at lunch. The staff were courteous and polite and made you feel welcome. The overall feel of the basement area was very artsy/quirky but unpretentious. And this is what I like about Baguio food establishments. They don’t have to pretend to be hipster. They just are :).
The Daily Tattoo Show
I’ll definitely be back to try their salads and other things on the menu. Plus, it’s an cool place to hang out enjoy Session Road without the usual road views. I mean c’mon — how often do you see a guy being tattooed while eating lunch?