Blissfully Curious at Baguio's Bliss Cafe

Bliss Cafe is probably one of the most interesting restaurants I've eaten in. This fine dining vegetarian restaurant is run on Buddhist principles and has an intriguing set up.

Located inside Hotel Elizabeth, Bliss Cafe has been a food-spot wonder for the youth and the mature.

Bliss Cafe Baguio

The place is inspired by the Buddhist principle of relaxation, serenity and inner peace. Bliss was established in July 2004 and had become quite a home for the vegetarian and yoga-enthusiasts.

We arrived at the place around noon. We were the only customers around that time and the place took me by surprise. For something promoting and inspired by 'serenity' and 'calmness,' the place looked cluttered and playful. Not in an untidy way, but there were a lot of things happening everywhere that it was hard to focus. But still the place was fascinating. There were little figurine dolls on shelves; books customers can read; paintings which, I think, they sell if you're interested enough; a World Peace stage; a Balinese gong which you can 'hit' three times to show your love for Bliss; and a huge CD collection which customers can choose from and play using the CD player.

There was a separate Chinese room but we were not able to take a look at it.

Balinese Gong

"Craziness is like heaven." - Jimmi Hendrix

After a while of browsing
through the stacks of CD,
I found this gem!

They serve Asian fusion, Indian, Filipino, Italian, and Korean dishes. We had a hard time browsing their very colorful menu because Borgy and I are not used to vegetarian food. Honestly, due to lack of research on my part, I was not even aware the place was a vegetarian cafe until we were already there. Yeah, you could imagine my boyfriend's frustration when we found out. (I'm really sorry, dear! I felt like I've tortured you.)

Finally, I settled for the "No-oink sisig" with Blissmix rice (P180) and Dalandan Citrus Juice (P65) while Borgy, ordered the Leaning Tower (P180) and Calamansi Citrus Juice (P65). We also ordered the Haiku chicharon (P75).

"No-oink" sisig
("Even Kapampangans will be fooled...")

The No-oink sisig was okay. Despite the absence of meat, it was still flavorful.

Leaning Tower
("Classic Carbonara with fakin' bacon')

The Leaning Tower closely resembled the taste of bacon which was what Bliss was after. The noodles were a little tough, though.

Haiku
(Vegetarian Chicharon)

The chicharon was definitely not my favorite. According to the server, instead of meat, they use a special flour mixture for it. Of course for meat lovers like us, the taste was lacking. The absence of meat was very apparent.

Truthfully speaking, the place was mostly interesting than satisfying for me. Vegetarians and people who don't mind meat-less meals would most definitely love the place and menu. But for meat-lovers like my boyfriend and I, we really missed the punch of savory good ole' grubs. It probably took us by surprise. Like I said, we weren't expecting a vegetarian menu. Maybe next time when we visit the place again, we'll try the other dishes now that we know what to expect.

Despite my not so helpful review, I'd still recommend it. Haha! Sure, it does cater to a different crowd but the cafe's intriguing ambiance is worth a visit. ;)