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What’s good to eat in Sagada?

Nana Ozaeta

<p>First off, let’s get one thing straight, you don’t drive 10-plus hours from Manila to Sagada, through zigzags and steep inclines, just to eat. You travel to this small town in the Mountain Province for the alpine views, sunrise and sunset, caves and waterfalls, and glimpses of its indigenous culture. Stay a couple of nights, check out the restaurants in town, and you’ll notice that the culinary offerings are fairly slim, without the frills, reflecting the varied tastes of its visitors, mostly European backpackers, Pinoy millennials, eco-adventure enthusiasts. So make sure to enjoy Sagada’s many sights and scenery, and in between, you can check out the following spots for some pretty good grub: </p><div> </div><h3>All-day breakfast: Coffee Heritage House</h3><p>There’s really nothing better than breakfast in Sagada, especially when you’re up early as the sun is about to rise and the nighttime chill still hangs in the air. At Coffee Heritage House where we happened to be staying, a simple yet fortifying continental breakfast is included in the board: two slices of country bread toast, two fried eggs sunny side up, butter, and a side of pesto.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats1.jpg"/><figcaption><i>Continental breakfast, coffee, plus the view</i></figcaption></figure></div><p>For something more substantial, the all-day breakfast menu offers crispy Danggit-Lamayo, an intriguing Inadobo sa Kape or pork adobo with coffee, and Homemade Chicken Tocino, among other breakfast standards. They come with two eggs, a side of pesto salad, and black mountain rice. Of course, breakfast isn’t complete without Coffee Heritage House’s signature 100% Sagada blend by SGD Coffee (which operates the hostel) to awaken the senses.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats17.jpg"/><figcaption>Danggit-Lamayo with eggs, pesto salad, and mountain rice</figcaption></figure></div><p>While breakfast is served all day long, the Coffee Heritage House menu also offers pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches, with the Etag Carbonara, flavored with Sagada’s local salted pork, as the definite standout.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats3.jpg"/><figcaption>The Coffee Heritage House menu is also available at SGD Coffee in Quezon City</figcaption></figure></div><div> </div><h3>Local fare: 7J’s Diner</h3><p>For a taste of what the locals eat, we ventured to the basement of the Centrum Building in the heart of town. Among the row of <em>turo-turo</em> stalls, we chose 7J’s Diner, well known among locals for its traditional pork and black beans stew bubbling in one of the big pots at the counter.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats4.jpg"/><figcaption>7J’s Diner is also popular among visitors looking for a less pricey meal in the center of town</figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats5.jpg"/><figcaption>Pork and beans stew</figcaption></figure></div><p>We also ordered a bowlful of <em>pinikpikan</em>, another local dish of native chicken that’s softly beaten to death, then cooked, head and talons included, in a broth rendered salty with <em>etag</em>. By the way, the <em>dinuguan</em> is a winner, too.  </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats6.jpg"/><figcaption>Pinikpikan</figcaption></figure></div><h3> </h3><h3>Top of the lists: Yoghurt House and Sagada Lemon Pie House</h3><p>Search Google for best places to eat in Sagada and you’ll likely find these two establishments at the top of most travel bloggers’ and travel guides’ lists. Interestingly enough, both don’t really offer traditional local fare, but rather a smattering of Western and Filipino dishes that appeal to the tourist set.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats7.jpg"/><figcaption>Yoghurt House is one of the more popular spots in the center of town</figcaption></figure></div><p>Yoghurt House is obviously known for its homemade yoghurt, most likely catering to the many European visitors who flock to Sagada. The yoghurt can be enjoyed as lassi shakes flavored with whatever fresh fruits are available, or as yoghurt bowls topped with banana, granola, strawberry preserves, chocolate chip cookies, or other fruits in season. However, when we were there, the fruit offerings were sparse and so we settled instead for creamy yoghurt with a drizzle of Sagada honey to balance out the tartness. For something heftier, Yoghurt House offers a full complement of sandwiches, pastas, salads, and meat dishes.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats8.jpg"/><figcaption>Yoghurt with Sagada honey</figcaption></figure></div><p>Further down the road is the famous Sagada Lemon Pie House. The place is charming with low wooden tables and festive wall hangings. The lemon pie, of course, is what people come for, and it doesn’t disappoint. Using local lemons, the filling is just a tad sweeter than tart, sitting on a crust with just the right flakiness, and topped with a thin layer of meringue. We enjoyed our slice of pie with a cup of zesty mountain tea, a blend of tea leaves and various herbs. The eatery also has a limited menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats9.jpg"/><figcaption>The famous lemon pie, available whole or by the slice</figcaption></figure></div><div> </div><h3>Vegetarian haven: Gaia Café and Crafts</h3><p>Before this charming café was featured in the indie blockbuster <em>That Thing Called Tadhana</em> in 2014, it appealed to a mostly foreigner crowd who came for the hearty vegetarian fare and eco-friendly mindset. But since the movie, young Filipinos have been flocking here as well, enjoying the homey comforts prepared by owner and Kankanaey poet Gawani Domogo Gaongen. Along with a breathtaking view of rice terraces and mountains, the café lives up to its zero-waste policy, with no disposable plastics in sight. Even old shoes and a used rice cooker are recycled into planters and flower pots.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats10.jpg"/><figcaption>Eco-friendly Gaia Café with a view</figcaption></figure></div><p>The vegetarian dishes are mostly organic, local, and all natural, from the smoothies we tried blended with strawberries and bananas, to the Homemade Vegetable Chips with cashew sour cream dip, and the lovely Salad Mix tossed with tangy sesame honey mustard dressing.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats11.jpg"/><figcaption>Strawberry and banana smoothies</figcaption></figure></div><p>Our favorite was the Crispy Tofu Steak with homemade cashew sauce, and served with unpolished rice. To accommodate the meat eaters among her clientele, Gawani has introduced one meat dish, Spring Rolls filled with organic ground pork and deep fried.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats12.jpg"/><figcaption>Spring Rolls, Vegetarian Adobo, and Crispy Tofu Steak, each with a side of Salad Mix with sesame honey mustard dressing and unpolished rice</figcaption></figure></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats13.jpg"/><figcaption>The Gaia Sandwich features a veggie burger patty with homemade ketchup and mayonnaise in a wheat bun, with a bottle of local Cerveza Sagada beer</figcaption></figure></div><div> </div><h3>Happy hour: Sagada Cellar Door</h3><p>What better way to ease into the evening than with a glass of Cerveza Sagada craft beer on tap while sitting by a bonfire, under the stars, surrounded by pine trees. Home brew enthusiast Andrew Chinalpan and his wife Binggirl Clemente have created quite a cozy sanctuary in their “retirement” property called Sagada Cellar Door.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats14.jpg"/><figcaption>Happy hour amidst the pine trees</figcaption></figure></div><p>From inside a small outdoor kiosk, Andrew dispenses his home brews distinctly infused with the flavors of his hometown. Violet Ale exudes a purplish color from <em>balatinao</em> black rice. The Wheat is flavored with Sagada orange peel and wild sunflower honey, while the Pine Pale Ale carries a distinct pine cone flavor. You can order beer or wine, enjoy them with grilled sausages, as you sit by the fire and chat it up with fellow drinkers. Both beer and wine can be purchased by the bottle to take home.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats15.jpg"/><figcaption>Andrew Chinalpan with his flight of craft beers on tap</figcaption></figure></div><p> Sagada Cellar Door also hosts group lunches or dinners that can be booked in advance. You can choose a traditional Igorot menu, an Ilonggo meal courtesy of Binggirl who is Visayan, or a special French dinner care of Sagada’s renowned French chef Aklay (who is also back doing the Saturday buffets at Log Cabin).</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/ancx/food-n-drink/2019/06/sagadaeats16.jpg"/><figcaption>Select Cerveza Sagada beers are available at Gaia Café and Crafts, as well as in Manila, at Alamat and Panaginip in Tambai, both in Poblacion, Makati</figcaption></figure></div><p>If you’re looking for a “gastronomic” Sagada, you may come away disappointed. But that’s not really the point. Rather, for a food experience that truly satisfies, all it takes are clear skies, cool air, fun company, and good honest food, preferably with alcohol. On our last night in Sagada, after a light dinner, we gathered around a bonfire just outside the hostel with a bottle of red wine, some local brandy, potato chips and <em>chicharron</em>, for a chance to chat, gaze at the stars, and think about the next time we’ll be back.</p><div> </div><div><em>Coffee Heritage House, Sitio Nadatngan, Barangay Madongo, www.coffeeheritagehouse.com</em></div><div><em>7J’s Diner, Eduardo Gaudan Longid Centrum Building, Staunton Road</em></div><div><em>Yoghurt House, South Road, FB: Yoghurt House</em></div><div><em>Sagada Lemon Pie House, South Road</em></div><div><em>Gaia Café and Crafts, South Road, FB: Gaia Cafe</em></div><div><em>Sagada Cellar Door, Lallal-ay, Patay, FB: Sagada Cellar Door</em></div><div> </div><div><em>Photos by Andre Drilon</em></div><div><em>7J’s Diner photos by Nana Ozaeta</em></div><div> </div><div><em>You may also be interested in:</em></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/03/04/19/in-search-of-heritage-arabica-coffee-in-the-highlands-of-sagada">In search of heritage Arabica coffee in the highlands of Sagada</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/video/03/09/19/video-the-philippines-best-quality-arabica-is-thriving-in-this-coffee-farm-in-sagada">VIDEO: The Philippines’ best quality Arabica is thriving in this coffee farm in Sagada</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/food-drink/features/video/03/12/19/video-sagadas-100-year-old-coffee-trees">VIDEO: Sagada&#x27;s 100-year old coffee trees</a></li></ul>

<p><em>Etag</em> and <em>pinikpikan</em>, yoghurt and lemon pie, coffee and craft beer. This mountain town may not be well known for its food, but there’s still lots of good, hearty fare to enjoy in between the hiking and touring</p>

Etag and pinikpikan , yoghurt and lemon pie, coffee and craft beer. This mountain town may not be well known for its food, but there’s still lots of good, hearty fare to enjoy in between the hiking and touring