Baguio history Arts and Foods

Baguio history Arts and Foods

BAGUIO CITY, BENGUET- Of the many restaurants in downtown Baguio, Cafe by the Ruins – or simply referred to as “Ruins” by locals and visitors alike – still stands out today because of its artistic and laid-back appeal.

Any given day, especially on weekends, 23 year-old Tann can be spotted sipping her hot cup of tea at the café’s entrance.

Tann is the daughter of Christine Arvisu, the “mother of the cafe” who established the cafe in 1988 along with Laida Perez, Ben Cabrera (BenCab, for short), Boy Yuchengco, David Baradas, Robert Villanueva, Louie and Su Llamado and Baboo Mandoñedo.

Five years after her mother passed away, Tann has now taken over management of Cafe by the Ruins.

With help from fellow second generation owners Feliz Perez, Liliana Llamado and Jasmine Cabrera, Tann says they are trying their best to maintain what literally is the ruins of a war-torn garden theater.

Majority of what was left of the original structure, including the gunshot-ridden walls, were once part of the house that belonged to Phelps Whitmarsh, who converted the theater into his home when he was then the first American civil governor of Benguet.

To this day, portions of the original walls remain, leaning a little further to the side giving the entire place that authentic feel of the past before it was torn down in World War II.

Even with a cluster of young artists picking up from the already creative output of their parents, Tann says it took them 20 years to standardize operations of the café.

“There’s always room for improvement because we really want to show visitors and locals alike, what Baguio looks like, what it’s all about,” she says.

Tann gives full emphasis on the authenticity of the entire dining experience, which she says does not end with the food.

“Every now and then we also conduct art exhibits, even indigenous rituals to show guests something extra to appreciate and learn,” she said.

The menu at the Café by the Ruins is very flexible with new specialties shuffled or added to their usual food selections. One of the more frequently requested dishes is their Chicken Palawan. Desserts and beverages here are just as popular as their main entrees.

Tann says the café is all for local produce and supporting locally made products, from the café’s interiors and artworks to the ingredients of their food. Their dairy products for example are sourced all the way from Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan. Their jams and pastries are also homemade.

Café by the Ruins also afford visitors a glimpse of the Igorot culture.

Interestingly, nestled in one part of the café is a dap-ay, a place where Ifugaos gather in their villages for counsel meetings or rituals. Tann tells me that to this day, they still use the dap-ay to practice this tradition.

“They can expect to experience what they hear from other people about this place. After all, it’s thru word of mouth that made this café the perfect hang out for everyone,” Tann says.