Star Cafe: Four Snouts

A gaping hole where Mountain Studio once stood.

(Photo by PP)

Mountain Studio is gone -- another Baguio institution, gone. In the face of impending change, it's always good to eat comfort food, or to go back to something constant and familiar. We did both. As the demolition of the Mountain Studio building on the corner of Session Road and Upper Mabini carried on in the afternoon rain of May, we seestars repaired next door to Star Cafe for lechon rice.

The old Star Cafe.

(Photo of photo hanging in the new Star Cafe by FP)

Star Cafe still has that old Baguio charm to it, thanks to the presence of icons such as this Benguet cowboy. (Of course NOT the butterfly! Silly.)

(Photo by FP)

While waiting for our orders to come we couldn't help but wonder at the resilience of Star Cafe. It has survived the demolition of its original home, overcome the fengshui-related challenges of moving across Session Road, and withstood visits from the likes of Imelda Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Perhaps this is why Star Cafe is recognized as one of Baguio's "Builders."

Fritson admires the Baguio Builders Award of Star Cafe.

(Photo by FP)

There is no need to mince words over Star Cafe's lechon rice. It's stellar. We are in complete agreement with our dear friend, Martin Masadao.

Four snouts!
(Photos by: FP and PP)

The rice was steaming hot. The vegetables (celery, petchay, mustasa and tomato) were not overcooked. They were fresh and crisp, swimming in a light yet tasty sauce, and cradling five sizable pieces of crunchy, meaty, scrumptious, deep-fried baboy. It may not be as large a serving as you get in other lechon rice joints but for the taste alone it's well worth your P90. Beer is P47. Calamansi juice (with the standard question, Hot or cold?) is P37.

(Photo by FP)

All of this with the smug yet warm service of Star Cafe's mysteriously well-preserved waiters. We were automatically given calamansi, vinegar with chili peppers, and soy sauce just before our lechon rice arrived and this kind of service always makes for plus points in our books.

(Photo by FP)

Fritson thinks it's highly probable that Star Cafe's lechon rice is the Elixir of Youth. The waiters are still the same waiters from across the street some thirty odd years ago -- perhaps longer -- and they haven't aged one single bit!