Cafe Sapore : Great Drinks, Okay Food

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 friendJ 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!

Le Monet : Dinelli Gourmet and The Malt Room

Dinelli Gourmet

Just a few minutes after having lunch with my friend’s family in Seafood Island in John Hay, our two other friends came to join us fashionably late. Ms. W was looking for a “new” place to eat so I recommended Dinelli Gourmet in Le Monet.

I hold myself responsible for their unhappy experience with the food. .

Ms J and Ms D just got off from work and were both super hungry – -they decided to order beef caldereta and talbos (not sure what fancy name they gave it). I just had lunch so I just ordered their chocolate cake and Ms. W got buffalo wings.

Here goes:

• Caldereta – Ever heard of the line “tinimbang ka ngunit kulang” . That’s exactly how this was like. I can name 500 other places with better caldereta. Sure, the beef was soft and the potatoes and carrots were firm and fresh, but for a place that has “gourmet” in its name, there was nothing “gourmet” about this dish. Serving was pretty big though, so that’s a good thing

• Talbos ng Sayote – My favorite from everything we ordered. The sayote leaves were blanched perfectly and the tomatoes were fresh and complimented the sayote leaves perfectly. Just be careful not to add too much bagoong as I did

• Buffalo wings – Why oh why can’t anybody get this right? Why do the wings have to be hilariously tiny. We were warned that if they added the “chili sauce” in, it would be too spicy, so we opted that they serve it on the side. It was  DIY Buffalo wings dish and I wouldn’t recommend you eat it that way.

• Chocolate Cake – Dry, forgettable piece of pastry.

• Calamari – Oh boy. Where do I begin? Too much breading, very little squid.

Ms. W’s sister and her friends also came over to join us and had pretty much the same unhappy reaction with their orders. I wanted to hide when they asked whose idea was it to eat there. Haha.

On the upside, Dinelli gourmet in Le Monet is such a gorgeous place to dine. High ceiling with dramatic chandelier lighting, ultra comfy elegant seating and awesome staff make this dining experience not thaaat bad.

Ms W felt generous and took care of the bill. It’s surprisingly affordable to eat here ,given its elegant set-up. I just wish the food were just as “elegant”.

After this, the gang headed to Ketchup Community for more food. Yes, it’s embrassing – 3 restos in 1 day. And I complain why I gain weight.

The Malt Room

The Malt Room is another dining option in Le Monet. Now the first time, I was here was a press conference of sorts. This time, I had the opportunity to check out one of their specialties. Mr T ordered Filet Mignon and since I was once again full from an earlier meal — I settled for  hot chocolate.

The Filet Mignon came with hot, crisp, tasty fries. Beef was so so incredibly tender and flavorful!

Staff were very friendly, courteous and helpful. Well, when you’re the only ones left there, I suppose they’d give you the same undivided attention we were given.

Get ready to shell out a couple of 1000s for their steaks — really depends which one you get. Food, place and service is high quality, that’s for sure.