The title says it all. I’m done here.
Well, maybe a few more details won’t hurt :).
Cafe Sapore is a really pretty place to hang out. And they’re very smoker friendly. I think this is why my smoker friends love meeting up here. Haha!
Here’s a pretty picture from their Facebook Page:
We sat at the smoker’s area, I think, where windows are wide open. The place is bright, wide and spacious. It’s like sitting in a sun room in the middle of a garden. This is definitely Cafe Sapore’s strongest point, which is not good, since it is a cafe, not a sun room. 🙂
Since one of my friends was buddies with the owner, we had the privilege to chat with him a little. Cafe Sapore is a Japanese restaurant , I’m guessing contemporary Japanese restaurant? But the menu says otherwise — beef tapa, clubhouse sandwich, baked mac mixed in with some Japanese meals. I know Chaya is a contemporary Japanese restaurant but I’m pretty sure they don’t have baked mac in their menu. I was a little confused.
They have an extensive selection of drinks — from Italian soda to espresso to all sorts of chilled coffee and tea. Here’s what friend J had — I think it’s called green tea frappe? She highly recommends it!
Here’s what I had– the chicken sandwich. I — well, we, actually loved my fries the most! The sandwich was forgettable, the bread was cheap.
We didn’t want to judge them on our first order, so J had carbonara
X had Oyakudon to fill in her rice craving. She added salt, pepper and prayed over it but still wasn’t happy with the outcome.
And then A had the Sapore salad.
Go to Sapore for the drinks and the ambiance but do not expect to be amazed by their food. Me? I go to Sapore for friends. 🙂
(All food pics except for the Sandwich (which is mine) are from Aguinaya. Thanks for the photos)
More Info from their Facebook Page:
Café Sapore is located at 36 Legarda Road, Baguio City (near Baguio Palace Hotel.) Invite your friends and relatives, and we would be happy to serve you with various beverages, savory snacks and meals. You will definitely enjoy our Italian coffee beverages. We also serve different non-coffee beverages and flavored teas and colorful sodas. We have a spacious parking lot, and a Wi-Fi zone! It’s the perfect place for business meetings, hanging out with friends and internet surfing! Enjoy Baguio! Come to Café Sapore!
As to the food? leave that an expert chef for judgment, i guess your comment does not have a bearing no matter how you’d put it :)) . I still love Sapore, and everything about it.. good food, cozy place and clean and green.. compared to others..:)
Of course. We always defend our favorites no matter what.
Well, in food stuff, health consideration is very important. I can see that Sapore is particular on that. What matters most to me is clean kitchen, toilet, and clean place.
As a common person who loves eating, I don’t really mind eating non-expensive food as long as it’s edible and clean. Just try to visit the kitchen and toilets of your favourite restaurants too, sometime… and you’ll be surprised to find out that what you see and eat would sting your taste forever.
Anyhow, I think it’s bad to make unprofessional comments on these establishments since they have and are still investing so much on their businesses (especially when their just beginning). It would be fair enough if you just choose what establishment you would like to promote and leave those what you don’t like… otherwise you might be suspected of being in the payroll of other establishments released like a mad dog to destroy others. I believe your food critiquing maybe good at some points but still an amateur. It’s quite unacceptable considering that you’re NOT really a Chef (learned, trained and certified) in the first place, but you just Love taking Pictures, I guess… The reality is your kinda taste may not appeal to others.
I’m sorry but your manner of Blogging destroys our City’s tourism image and business growth. Just Eat wil yah? – Smile or frown would be the best thing for you to do… Hevenu shalom Aleichem!
🙂
http://eatsinbaguio.wordpress.com/about/
Krish I think I know who this is 😀
People are subjected to their own opinion. One does not need to be a chef to appreciate food. As for me, I still have to find this out for myself. 🙂
Thanks, Surviving Sagada. I agree. Besides, chefs cook for paying customers, not for fellow chefs :). I truly think a customer’s review counts.
I agree that we are all entitled to our own opinion. But of course, we have to be responsible in delivering our message. Blogging might be an informal media, but still a media nonetheless. You don’t know what effect your words can bring to an establishment. In fairness to Cafe Sapore, they just started around November last year, and they are open for improvement, and from we’ve seen so far, their menus are constantly improving. (I believe you posted something on your blog post that doesn’t exist on their menu anymore.) That’s the reason we had our Blog Conference so that we want other people to realize the importance of Ethical Blogging, but I guess you missed that part.
And plus, whenever there is something that we don’t like in the menu of any business establishments that we visit, we make it a point to talk to the owner and let them know what they can improve on their menus, instead of bashing them online and leaving them in the dark as to what they did “wrong”. I hope everyone understands the importance of responsible social media.
Hi Samantha,
I appreciate the time you took to look for my blog and leave a review to my review. In each review I post, I always seek to provide a very personal and honest account. I owe this to myself and to readers who appreciate candid reviews.
By the way, my friend, J, who happens to be a friend of the owner did tell him of our dissatisfaction with the food. It would be great to hear from him directly if he finds my review unfair.
that’s the thing though. You were the one who wrote about it, not your friend 😉 Being the blogger who wrote about it, I think it would have been courteous at least to let them know first-hand what your opinion was on their food, instead of that opinion coming from your friend. (which he also mentioned to us when we went there today.)
Sure you probably owe it to yourself and other readers who appreciate “candid” reviews. If you’re for that, go ahead. After all, it’s your content, not mine or anyone else’s. But I voiced out my opinion in the HOPES that you would… or at least might be aware of the effect of those “candied reviews” to a business establishment. That’s why I mentioned social media vs. responsible social media and ethical blogging. Because whether you like it or not, the words you throw out there, will affect (which it had) their business. It’s not wrong to criticize, but you can also criticize them constructively.
But thank you for explaining your side. I guess now I have an understanding of those who blog for their own, versus blogs who have an advocacy.
(FYI, this was the only blog post that you made that I commented on. Since it’s the first time for me to see your blog. So I’m not sure when you mentioned about me leaving a comment or review on EACH review you posted. If you’re referring to a commenter who is named “sam” let me assure you that that is not me.)
My reviews are candid, not sugarcoated or “candied” . I also do not have an advocacy nor feel I need one to put up a blog.
“Sure you probably owe it to yourself and other readers who appreciate “candid” reviews. If you’re for that, go ahead.”
I do not need anybody’s go signal, certainly not yours, to continue to go the direction I’m heading.
PS. It had never occurred to me that you were the first “Sam” who left a comment. But thanks for bringing that up.
Happy Blogging!
Dear Samantha Justine Zamora,
It is unfortunate that it had come to this: (I also have screen shots of the unedited post) http://psychochicklessons.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-be-quote-food-blogger-unquote-oo.html
In my first response, I thanked you for your review of my review. Because, for me, that’s what it is. I wrote a review and you reviewed it. It appears you do not like my review. I get that and I’m totally cool with it. However, I rejected your suggestion for me to adapt a particular style or tone of writing. I hope you’re cool with that too.
Before you brought it up, never did it occur to me that you were the first “Sam”. It was unnecessary to be defensive about it. I also never mentioned nor implied you have read EACH of my reviews. You might have not seen the period in between these two sentences?
I appreciate the time you took to look for my blog and leave a review to my review. In each review I post, I always seek to provide a very personal and honest account.
As a blogger,I think that I am NOT responsible for my readers’ comments.I moderate, but I do not censure. After all, they too are entitled to their own opinions and assumptions.
You have a good heart, Samantha. You empathize with the owner and those who work behind the scenes. I think that’s wonderful.
However I disagree that a blogger is powerful enough to make or break a business. I think a business’ products or services, not any kind of review or critique, no words, certainly not from a “zero-rank, zero web presence” blog can put down any business that consistently give the best to their customers.
All the best to you and to Cafe Sapore.
Hmn..never tried sapore but i got curious…yes chefs never cook fir fellow chefs. They cook for customers, i like the idea of an honest blog and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But this blog will definitely encourage me to try them out. There is always room for improvement and who knows next time sapore will get the great drinks great food title by then.
Methinks a review on food ought to be just that. This piece shouldn’t have anything to do with tourism nor ethical blogging. I can’t eat either of them. As a matter of fact, being vegetarian, I can’t chew on most of what’s being written about here, but I appreciate the articles.
Go there for drinks but don’t expect to be amazed by the food, I think, is fair. The merciful put-down I read here is self-inflicted. Look, if you want to impress, be impressive. That’s the way I see it.
Hahaha I love reading this blog. Honest and substantial. I can tell the one who wrote this is a well travelled and experienced individual about food and etc. Just can’t help not to comment about the person who’s very much in favor of the Sapore cafe you should be thankful somebody gave an honest opinion about their food use it as a challenge and inspiration to improve! Don’t attack the bloggers opinion bec. That’s her honest opinion came from her experience eating at Sapore. Hello! 🙂
Ethical blogging? Sure, we’re all for that, as long as it does’nt interfere with the free speech idea. But I failed to see where our food blogger miss Krish crossed the line. What people wt to read are honest reviews, not a promotional write-up. Otherwise, Krish might as well be in the pay-roll of those eating establishments who wish to promote their business here. But I guess Sam missed that point altogether because this blog is a personal review and is free of sugar coatings.
But Krish, perhaps to have a more across-the-board review, maybe you can also take note of how clean toilets and kitchens are. I think that’s a fair suggestion.
However, clean as the toilets may be, the whole food issue is a separate thing. It’s a grey area. How clean the place is may tell us that it’s the same with the food and food preparations. But this doesn’t mean that the food will be as beautiful and fantabulous. Some menus walk the talk and some don’t. And you gotta be honest with that as a blogger, right?
I may have to create a new blog for toilet reviews — pissinbaguio — hehe.
Yeah sure, clean kitchen and bathrooms in restaurants are a plus…but I also have that in my house and might as well stay at home and enjoy my home cooked meal. I eat out to enjoy the food and the experience it gives. If I did not enjoy the food, why would I even pay attention to their gloriously clean kitchen and bathroom. I mean. COME ON NOW! This is an honest opinion of a PAYING customer. 😉
Si Samantha/Sam kasi kunga nu-ano pang sinasabi, are you being paid to bash another blogger? Ikaw ang walang ethics. Naka-attend ka lang ng isang blogging conference, nag-lecture ka na dito. And the thing is, Krish paid for her food, therefore she has every right to critique without the need to impress anyone. Like what Rico Gutierrez said, it was merciful let-down. It wasn’t a mad dog-ish kind of destructive rant. Pinagmumukha mo tuloy pathetic ang Saporo. And I hope they have nothing to do with your rant. Saporo can do so many things and one of them is to constantly improve their cooking and menu. Sa drinks and naman bumawi and that was well emphasized in this review. So anong problema? Naglaho ba ang customers nila? Nabawasan ba ang turista ng Baguio? If there is one thing this review is doing for Saporo is that it made or it is making people curious about the place. I’ll definitely go there myself, if only I was not living overseas. Suggestion ko sa ‘yo, improve the content and substance of your own blog so you can contribute something worthy to humanity, if not, your own image.Nuff said.
Naku ate, ang dami mo nang nasabi na walang basehan. Unang una, IBA yung sinasabi nung SAM (unang comment) at nung SAMANTHA. Napag-oobviousan tuloy na di ka muna nagbabasa, tapos kung umariba ka sa generalized bashing mo nung Sam AND Samantha, parang professional basher ka rin.
Mali rin naman si Sam basher sa pagcomment. Laging may mas mainam na paraan para sabihin ang isang bagay.
Ms. Krish, this applies to you rin. May pagkakaiba ang pagiging candid sa pagiging BASTOS. Wala ka na ngang nasabing maganda; binawi mo na yung sabi mong maganda about the drinks at ambiance sa sinabi mong “Me? I go to Sapore for friends”
To make matters worse, iniwan mo pa sa ere yung Sapore. Di lang turista ang nagbabasa ng blog, pati mayari ng business. Wala manlang suggestion dun kung pano sila magiimprove.. Alanganaman palitan nila menu nila nang dahil lang ayaw MO. Pano kung sira pala panlasa mo, pano na yung ibang customer nila?
Tungkol dun sa sandwich mo, may tinatawag sa business na “price point” Kung nagbayad ka ng 50 -100 pesos para sa sandwich, i-assume mo na na Valley bread yung ginamit or pwede pang Gardenia yun. Kung nagbayad ka ng 500–1000 pesos, dun mo pwedeng i-expect na gawa pa yung tinapay ng baker na naggraduate sa kataastaasang culinary school sa France.
Ang nirereview mo, business. Hello. Kung gusto nilang magpamigay ng libreng pagkain,magpapatayo sila ng charity.
Tandaan mo rin, Ms. Krish na parte ka ng media. Lahat ng sinabi mo at sasabihin mo, tama man o mali, may epekto sa masa yan. Madaming di nagiisip– at di nagbabasa sa mundo ngayon-“Of course. We always defend our favorites no matter what” Sali na rin dyan kaibigan natin. Sa normal na pagiisip, ang nasa utak nila matapos basahin ang blog mo: Bakit ko gagastosin yung perang pinaghirapan ko sa alanganin?
In the end, di mo rin masisisi si Sam basher sa klase ng comment na iniwan nya sa blog mo. Tipong bastos begets bastos ba.
“Bastos” is a strong word. But I respect your opinion — both for me and Sam 🙂
Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment, RES.
relax po.. ang blood pressure nyo 😛
Makakain nga sa Sapore.. I wonder if Samantha can hook me up with a discount. 🙂
CAFE SAPORE IS THE PLACE TO BE!!! I would seriously try their drinks and give the menu a chance. Sending much love from Utah, Cafe Sapore!
“I do not need anybody’s go signal, certainly not yours, to continue to go the direction I’m heading…”
Well said Ate, your blog, your rules 🙂
Looking forward to another review 🙂
wow,.. sam check your grammar its got amateur written all over it.
Interesting review – and a much more interesting discussion going on. I can’t help not comment.
I do not understand why it would be an issue if Krish blogged the way she did. The way I see it, she is not blogging to present a scientific food review but about her own personal experience, from her own perspective. Who are we to say otherwise if that’s what she had actually experienced?
If Sam wants to blog, she can by all means blog about the clean toilets and clean floors.
Krish’s blog actually made me realize that if I want to go to Sapore, I would have to manage my expectations. I am an ordinary person who loves great food and the company of friends, but I also have this expectation that if the restaurant is branding itself as a Japanese resto, I would expect authentic (or at least a myriad options of) Japanese cuisine. That being not the case with Sapore, I would feel disappointed. But that’s me. Other people may not even care what goes on into the menu as long as it’s a nice place with clean toilets.
But still, I would give Sapore a try.
I would have to agree with Samantha on this.
NOT… haha
ironic that she called someone out with “ETHICAL BLOGGING” while she her self found time to BASH and create a hate blog. Samantha, sayang ganda mo(ahem), you should’ve kept and quiet or just remained civil with your words. Anyway i enjoyed your videos, see you around.
To whom it may concern,
1 – If someone is leaving negative comments about your company, respond. (good or bad.. at derecho po sa tao wag sa ibang blogger… at ung ikaw, wag fake account o ano2)
2 – Be thankful and polite. (wag O.A…kung sa tingin mo ang ibang tao bastos edi wag mo nalang patulan–maliban nalang kung ikaw si annabelle rama. umayos ka at ipakita mo na isa kang nagsisikap na negoshante )
3 – If commenters are jumping to the wrong conclusion about your company, kindly correct them with the proper information. (basahin ng paulit ulit ang review ng matauhan…read between the lines ika nga. kung hindi sang-ayon sa nabasa, balik sa #1)
4 – Thank them for their feedback. (masakit man sa loob pero ito ang unang hakbang sa pagpapaganda at pagpapalago ng isang negosho)
5 – Take negative feedback into an opportunity. (opportunity to improve of course, hindi para mapikon)
Maraming salamat po.
by the way… I’ve been to Cafe Sapore twice.. and probably a third, this week (bakit 2x lang kamo?… edi bigyan mo ako pang gastos para kahit araw arawin ko yan)… I have actually been recommending it to others.
I publish valid, negative feedback/comments! 🙂 That way people see my side and theirs.To those who left negative and positive comments on my blog, my heartfelt thanks. Salamat sa time at sa effort mag-type at mag-isip. All the best to you, folks! 🙂 Kain naaaaaa!!!