One of the newer restaurants that entered the culinary scene in Baguio is Hardin Resto and Cafe. True to its name, this garden restaurant sits on top of The Camp Building, situated along Leonard Wood Road, opposite Teacher’s Camp. As you climb the stairs from first floor, you pass by several restaurants in the building and a night club. As you enter Hardin, you are immediately enveloped by the restaurant’s fresh and cool ambiance.
The floors are covered with a green carpet that simulates grass, and the chairs also have green cushions that reflect the garden vibe. The restaurant has an area for open-air dining, where there are also two pocket gardens on both ends. While it is best to experience Hardin under the stars, it also has a roofed dining area when it’s raining.
Fresh Food, Good Food
Hardin stands for fresh food, and therefore good food. Starting with its salads, they make use of fresh fruits and vegetables that Baguio has to offer. Their Grilled Pineapple and Papaya Salad With Crispy Corn Fritters may sound a bit strange, but when you taste it, it will change your mind. The sweetness of the caramelized pineapple offers a good contrast to the crunch of the green papaya, the fresh lettuce. And all of this is enveloped in a vinaigrette that is a perfect mix of sweet and tart.
After the salad, venture into the Appetizers menu with their version of Dinakdakan, an Ilocano dish made of different pork parts that is boiled and grilled and flavored with a calamansi dressing, chilis and onions. The Hardin version had a homemade twist – it is served with their own pickled papaya floss. This dish is perfect with a beer or a cocktail, while you are waiting for your main dishes.
New, Different And Tasty Takes
If you have ever heard of a chirashi bowl served mainly by Japanese restaurants, you may find it weird to find a Chirashi Bowl in Hardin’s menu. As one of its starters, it will really start off and tickle your taste buds. Traditionally, chirashi bowls are made of fresh fish on top of sticky Japanese rice. Hardin’s take on the dish features chunks of grilled pink salmon on a bed of Japanese fried rice and sauteed vegetables, and despite it’s deviation from tradition, it was a knockout dish.
Among the main entrees on offer is another take on a traditional Filipino dish. Their Pork Crackling Kare Kare is topped with crispy pork crackling which is somewhat similar in texture and flavor with bagnet. Unlike the usual pork cooked in the creamy peanut sauce, the crackling’s flavor goes well with the sauce and the bagoong. It is truly a must-try.
The last among the savory dishes, but not the least is the Carnivore Pizza. This delicately-thin pizza is topped with all things meat: longganisa, Hungarian sausage, pepperoni, ham, bacon and sauteed beef. At first, you would think that all of that would be too much. But when you take a bite, you will not stop at one slice. It is that good.
One Of A Kind Sweet Ending
Don’t leave Hardin without dessert. Their dessert menu only has one item on it: Apple Struddel and for good reason. It is probably the only dessert they need to serve. This apple-filled pastry is sweet and tart at the same time. It is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which goes well with the warm pastry. Best of all, it is possibly one of the prettiest desserts you will see, with its handmade sugar caramel lace topping.
Hardin Resto and Cafe is open daily for dinner, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.