There are many reasons why people enjoy Baguio City so much. The weather, food, breathtaking views, and a chance to get to know the locals and their culture. Every now and then, tourists from all over the country and the world, plan their trip to the City of Pines hoping to get that full Baguio experience.
Let us introduce you to this restaurant located in the heart of Burnham Park – Solibao Restaurant.
This original Baguio restaurant owned by Moises Cating has been serving the best of all-Filipino fine dining for locals and tourists alike since 1972. The word, “Solibao,” comes from a percussion instrument used by the Igorot in the Cordilleras. Here are three reasons why SolibaoRestaurant is a go-to place.
1. Solibao Restaurant is located right in the heart of Baguio City in Burnham Park.
Now anyone who would search Baguio City would know that Burnham Park is one of the most famous tourist spots in the City, so you won’t miss it.
After strolling in the park, going on that boat ride, and renting that bicycle ride with your family, go ahead and head out to Solibao Restaurant found right across that bike ground. If you smell puto bumbong being freshly steamed, you know you’re in the right place.
Once inside, you’ll have this vibe of eating from your uncle’s home in a cottage right outside a huge garden just somewhere in Baguio. The setup is laid back and the place is surrounded by wide glass windows to give you that great view of Melvin Jones and the park, of course. They even have tables set up outside if you would like to catch that cold breeze while enjoying the food.
2. Perfect for a Pinoy salo salo, great food with family!
Aside from the fact that the place is so comfortable, the various choices of food and its serving is perfect for a Pinoy salo salo. By merely looking at the menu and reading longganisa, red egg, daing na bangus and hot pandesal, the word home comes to mind.
When the K-Lite crew went for a visit on the second day of the K-Lite food crawl, we were served with the best on their menu. We had lechon (yes, they have lechon, crispy lechon!), and a platter of their best inihaw like pork and squid (perfectly grilled by the way) which were served with red eggs and sayote tops on the side! The fun part was that you had the traditional bagoong as a choice of sauce. You can never go any more Pinoy with that!
The choice of merienda we had was on a different level. Solibao Restaurant gave us a taste of their empanada and famous Puto Bumbong. This is a must-try. It’s one of their specialties and we would say you are missing half of your Baguio experience if you haven’t tasted it. Puto Bumbong is made fresh out of a bamboo steamer and when served, it comes with muscovado sugar and butter. The heat of the Puto Bumbong melts the butter and sugar together and goes really well with that coconut shavings on the top!
As soon as the food was served, the K-lite crew picked their choices and we found ourselves enjoying every bite while sharing stories of how our day went right in the heart of the City. Just like a family. A perfect salo salo indeed.
3. The culture. Sure you could dine in any fancy restaurant in Baguio City and try any delicacy the city has to offer. But the mere fact that you are enjoying local food in a place that has been there since 1972 is something that you could add to that list of go-to places! That’s around 45 years of service!
Who wouldn’t want to share that experience with anyone? The next time you’re in Baguio with your family, try Solibao Restaurant located in Burnham Park. They also have branches in Session Road, and General Luna, corner Mabini Street.
