For our last night in Baguio, we were still at a loss on where to eat. The Manor was out of the question due to budget constraints so we set our sights a bit lower. Maybe next time. Turning to Google once again, we were given plenty of options and recommendations in Session Road alone. We actually wanted to look around and go where our feet takes us but since it was still raining, we had to choose fast and stick with it. I had a bit of hankering for Chinese so Baguio Mandarin Restaurant it was.
It’s supposedly one of the oldest restaurants in the area and they look the part. Everyone knows that in stepping inside a Chinese restaurant, one must suspend aesthetic expectations. You’re in there for the food, not to marvel at their choice of furniture.
Looking at the menu, the prices are categorized by serving size: Small, Medium, and Large. I like this because you’re given the flexibility of how much you want, whether you’re alone, on a date, or with a large group. What I don’t like with their menu however, is that some items are crossed out as not available in my copy, while they aren’t in Fi’s copy and vise-versa. It’s quite confusing and you don’t know which is which. In any case, we proceeded to order.
Chinese Steamed Squid P105
The Steamed Squid was straight-up and no-nonsense. It was topped with onion leeks and seasoned lightly with a hint of sweetness. It was a bit overcooked however, but not yet in a tough-like-rubber level. You’ll just have to soldier on chewing and it will be quite enjoyable.
Bamboo Shoots P135
When the Bamboo Shoots arrived, it looked nice enough. There was no shortage of other vegetables and the servings of the mushrooms were generous. But the moment I put a spoonful in my mouth, something wasn’t right. I couldn’t quite place it but something tasted like a wet sock. Really. I could swear it was the mushrooms while Fi voted for the shoots themselves. Either way, this was bad. I was really thankful that we didn’t get sick of food poisoning after eating it. We left the shoots alone for the remainder of the night. But since I am stubborn and pride myself on my intestinal fortitude, I tried a spoonful again before we left. Still tasted like a stinky, wet sock.
Tausi Spareribs P125
One of the really surprising things about Mandarin is that for some reason, they don’t serve dimsum. This is quite unheard of for a Chinese restaurant. I did spy written in their bestsellers list, an item named Tausi Spareribs so I assumed it would be of the dimsum variety. Apparently not. Yeah I really don’t like asking questions.
I think they overcomplicated this with the addition of the bell peppers and the onions. What could have been a simple, tasty combination of spareribs and tausi is diluted, overcrowded, and overpowered by the spices.
Stuffed Beancurd P115
From what I read in the testimonials from Google, the Stuffed Beancurd is one of the crowd favorites and thankfully it really was good. It’s basically moderately sized wedges of tofu stuffed with meat and deep-fried. The flavors were balanced and we couldn’t get enough of it.
Overall, the whole experience is one I would not like to repeat. Aside from the Stuffed Beancurd, the meals were a disaster. It’s not like I had over-expectations or anything. Overcooked squid, blah spareribs and worst of all, the sock-tasting bamboo shoots didn’t help their cause at all. I wanted to like them. I really did. But if you’re worried about getting food poisoning while eating, then there’s clearly something wrong. If you really want to try them out, I’d suggest sticking with the tofu, and something simple and nigh-impossible to mess up like fried chicken. Just to be on the safe side.
Baguio Mandarin Restaurant
Session Road, Baguio City, Benguet
Phone: (+6374)442-5819
Discount Dining 