A few months ago, my family and I tried to make plans for our dad's 60th birthday celebration. I use the word "tried" because my dad isn't a fan of surprises; he's really one of the most low-key people I've ever met. What we eventually decided on was surprising him with a trip to Baguio, but we had yet to iron out all the details (including making sure that each of us in the family would be available on the weekend that we chose).
Well, surprise, surprise; he was the one who ended up saying, "Can we go to Baguio on *this* weekend?" As if he read our minds.
This meant that we had to come up with another plan within that upcoming Baguio trip instead.
Fast forward to weeks later. Through the suggestion of my sister-in-law's aunt, my mom made a reservation for all 7.25 (the 0.25 being my one-year-old nephew, who didn't need his own place setting; haha!) of us at Mama's Table.
On the day of our reservation, we left Baguio City proper around 10:15am so we could arrive much earlier than our 11am slot. We were surprised to find that we made it in less than 30 minutes.
There was no actual sign outside/near the restaurant, so we had to look for this marker along Ambuklao Road.
We drove up the driveway and this charming, bright red home greeted us.
There was only one long table on the left side of this floor area, and it was already elegantly set for our family. Chef Vicky Tinio-Clemente, the restaurant's owner, explained that while she normally caters to lunch or dinner reservations, she does accommodate bigger parties and even events such as weddings, and she would be more than glad to rearrange things to meet the requirements of different events.
We headed outside to the garden, where we breathed in the cool mountain air (the temperature was around 14ºC when we were there) as the restaurant staff prepared our lunch.
But first, a shot of my nephew, because he's that cute.
Several minutes later, a really long tray was brought out to their living room area. Out of curiosity, we entered the house and saw this appetizer platter. On one end was her take on a chili con carne; towards the middle, an artichoke dip with mozzarella and parmesan; and on the other end, a smoked bangus spread. In between were different kinds of bread (all Baguio-made), crackers, chips, chicharon, and vegetables that we could try with the different dips/sauces.
My favorite was the artichoke dip paired with the softer kinds of bread.
Needless to say, within minutes, we had demolished this board. My nephew, who had just recently learned to express that he wanted food, kept on saying "ahm-ahm" (his version of "yum-yum)", because he wanted more.
But Chef Vicky cautioned us to slow down because there were eight courses on the way!
The first one was soon brought to us by Chef Vicky herself (she would personally walk us through each course of her menu, which can vary depending on what she feels like preparing, as well as what ingredients are available at different times of the year).
It was a uniquely plated quiche inside an egg shell, with accompanying pieces of toast. The quiche itself consisted of caramelized onions, gruyère cheese and mushrooms. The toast had an anchovy butter spread over it. I loved the quiche because the gruyère stood out, and this happens to be one of my favorite kinds (if not my absolute favorite) of cheese.
Soon after, soup was served: a creamy squash whose saltiness was balanced out with bacon and maple syrup, topped with the crunchiness of sunflower seeds.
The first of the proteins comprised the third course: chicken cut to about two inches in width, with a sweet-acidic cilantro-esque glaze, over a bed of zucchini.
Fish came next: gindara (cod) over roasted vegetables and a creamy, herbacious broth, with a hint of smokiness from sausages.
"We'll take a ten-minute break before I serve this next intermezzo?" Chef Vicky said. We were partially stuffed at this point, but happily so, and we welcomed the break to just stretch our legs, visit the garden and walk around, and humor a very well-behaved one-year-old who ate bites from each course like a fine dining connoiseur in the making.
After several minutes, Chef Vicky was back, this time with an Asian-inspired dish: a pork and vegetable dumpling served in a spoon, with a creamy ginger sauce. Since xiao long bao happens to be one of my favorite dishes, I loved Chef Vicky's take on this single-bite delight.
Carnivores would definitely enjoy the next course: tenderloin with a red wine-reduced sauce, green beans, and her own sweet potato fusion mash. The tenderloin was also served medium rare; the best kind of temp!
The penultimate course was a salad, which, she explained, "helps cleanse the palate. It's very French to serve salads towards the end of the meal and not in the beginning. That's what you call a digestif (dee-juhz-teef)." This one had cranberries, dates, figs, and a sweet balsamic (for some reason, though the two previous words sound like oxymorons of each another, this salad somehow achieved that flavor profile) vinaigrette.
And finally, Chef Vicky surprised my dad first, then my sister, sister-in-law, and me respectively (four of us in the family happen to be "Februarians") with her take on a baklava. Later on, she brought out plates for the rest of the family, sans candles.
Why does chocolate paired with fruits make so much sense?
We'd like to thank Chef Vicky and her staff for such a wonderful lunch, spread over two hours. It felt like eating at one's own home with its homey ambiance, and with the way she'd personally come over and talk to us throughout each and every course. She would even squat down to the ground and play with my nephew, telling him to call her "Lola", because he reminded her of her own granddaughter.
It's not every day that one gets to celebrate a 60th birthday, and I'm really glad that we were able to do this for our dad. Thank You, Lord, for this milestone!
888-A Ambuklao Road, Baguio City
(+6374) 442 1794
Walk-ins are not allowed; only reservations will be entertained.
