It appears that new restaurants, coffee shops or food kiosks/stalls spring up around Baguio City, and the central business district (CBD) area is not an exception. Every time I find myself walking up or down Session Road, I only have to lift my gaze up and see a new sign advertising the fact. On one of those walks, I spotted a sign that said RECESS, and so I made it a point to check it out, by myself at first, then with company the next couple of times.
Let’s check it out together, shall we?
Location
Recess Resto/Cafe is located at Tan Building, Lower Session Road, on the second floor of the building several steps from the Chow King Restaurant. It’s directly above the photo studio beside the My Shoes outlet.
Really, if you keep your eyes peeled, you won’t miss the sign, pointing the way up the stairs.
The Interior
I was quite dumbstruck when I went up and surfaced on a relatively spacious restaurant with a dim yet cozy feel to it. Leather seats in dark upholstery were neatly lined up in rows, and I can totally picture the place packed and hopping as a bar in the late afternoons or evenings. If you go further in, there are lamps providing faint illumination, which is perfect for those looking for an intimate feel to their dining experience, even if it’s the middle of the day.
Here’s the downside, though. If you decide to occupy the tables at the far end of the resto/cafe, further in, be prepared to contend with the smell of cigarette smoke. It does not seem like the exhaust system if working adequately inside. If you’re not sensitive to that, then you’d be fine.
Personally, I’d prefer the seats on the outer area, a bit nearer to the entrance. Of course the trade-off would be that people coming in and out will not go unnoticed. Again, if you’re fine with that, then choose those outer seats.
On my first visit, the long counter by the window was empty, so I was able to occupy it. The next couple of times I was there, there were already groups occupying it.
Here, on this spot, you’d have a bit of a view of lower Session Road.
The Menu (Offerings/Prices)
I’d say the price is around a notch below midrange. It’s quite affordable, which explains why majority of the clientele are in their late teens and 20s.
But don’t quote me on that, because I’ve been to Recess only for breakfast, brunch and lunch, but never dinner.
For their prices and offerings, check out their menu. Click on the thumbnails below to view larger image.
The Food
First things first, I gotta give them propz for the presentation. Instead of plates, the dishes were served on what looked like chopping boards/blocks made of granite-like material. I don’t think it’s a tile or ceramic material, because it definitely gave the feel of a rock, but then I could be wrong.
This is their Omelette Rice (Php105), which I really liked. Normally, I don’t like ketchup, especially NOT on my rice, but I think the blend they used was tolerable and.. I actually kinda like it.
The sight of this knife stuck through the burger amused me at first. XDD
This is the Miss Daisy (Php 130), which is essentially herb bun with chicken patty. I think the herb bun is their own, and I liked how compact and filling the bread is.
Their FusionSilog (Php 95) is pork tepanyaki with poached egg and garlic nori rice. This was my companion’s order, and I only got a couple of bites to taste. So far, I liked how it tasted, and she also really liked it as well.
At first, I thought that white dollop in the middle was cream, and I was like, “whuttttt, why d’ya have mayo/cream in there”, then it turns out it’s the poached egg, haha!
I think this was their Seafood Pesto (Php 140). I didn’t get to taste it, though. Personally, however, I’ve been burnt by pesto using penne pasta. Just… yeah.
I actually really liked this. This is their Herb Chicken (Php 160), which is ciabatta bread with breaded chicken breast and eggplant with tomato basil sauce, mozzarella and pesto butter.
A word of advice, however. This is good for at least two people. I had a bit of trouble finishing one slice. And I loved the ciabatta~~
Their beverages range from your basic hot drinks (coffee, chocolate, and hot teas) and sodas and juices to several types/brands of beers. I don’t really drink soda, and I avoid caffeine when I can, and I’m not a fan of juices (gawd, this makes me sound so high-maintenance!!) and beer is a no-no, so I usually go for their milk shakes instead.
This is their Oreo Macha Milkshake (Php 120) which is, surprisingly, more Oreo than Matcha. In fact, I don’t really get much of a macha taste from it. But it still tastes goood~
Their Blueberry Cheesecake Milkshake, I was kinda apprehensive at first, thinking it’d probably turn out to be too sweet. But I think it wasn’t that sweet. I mean, I was able to finish the entire glass, so….
I would just like to say something about their service.
The servers were very courteous and welcoming, and they’d help you out with your inquiries about the menu. Here’s the thing, tho…. both times I was there with friends, it took forever for them to serve our orders.
Like, more than 30 minutes we waited. And if this type of service caught you at a particularly bad time (like, say, when you’re really starving), then prepare for a potential mental breakdown. 🙂
I hope those were just isolated situations, but it happened twice to us, so… Yeah.
In Conclusion…
Overall, this is definitely a place I won’t mind visiting again and again. Except for that bit about the long waiting time for them to serve my orders, that is. And maybe I’ll stick to the tables with more natural lighting and more ventilation. (Oh, wait, that means there’s going to be a longer walk to the washroom. Hmmm…)
For more information, check out Recess Resto/Cafe and their Facebook page.
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