My Dining Experience at Baguio City's Café Yagam

How to go to Café Yagam

For “Baguio people” like my cousin, Jan and I, we don’t need to have a car to go around the city. Take it from us; we just rode the jeepney labeled with “Mines View Park” located in front of Danes Bakeshop along Mabini St. near Session road (Fare is just at Php8.50/person). Make sure to ask the barker if the route is passing by Gibraltar so you can drop off at Hotel Elizabeth and walk straight, you’ll see the signage.

What to Expect

My dining experience at Baguio City’s Cafe Yagam highlights the overall ambiance of the place which I find it very relaxing. Nothing posh and fancy, but it looks very “home-y” and welcoming as you enter the house-turned-restaurant porch. The interiors are really “Baguio feels,” by which I mean, it is laidback and the types of furniture are made out of wood.

Café Yagam’s Food

The restaurant features classic Cordilleran dishes and that’s what we ordered there. I ordered Pinikpikan then my cousin ordered Pinuneg. As for the drinks, we ordered an iced Bugnay (if I’m not mistaken) wine with a twist; it tastes sweet and it was refreshing, perfect to pair with our comforting hot food.

So how was the Pinikpikan?

Ordering Pinikpikan at Café Yagam added an amazing dining experience. The dish is somewhat similar with Filipino traditional dish, Chicken Tinola but what sets them apart is how the chicken was cooked and how the dish or soup itself was seasoned. The Pinikpikan, based on what I learned, it is flavored with “Etag,” which is a smoked slab of meat cured with salt.

How about the Pinuneg?

Pinuneg or blood sausage is a popular dish by the Kankanaey from Benguet province (where Baguio is within Cordillera Region). The sausage is not a typical sausage we’re used to but this one is best served with a red spicy sauce. This isn’t my favorite but it is something I would not eat too!