In the heart of Baguio, culinary and visual artists continue to weave local themes, materials, and ingredients into a vibrant feast of creativity at the Ibagiw GASTRO X ART Creative Crawl. This “sensorial” experience, as Creative Baguio City Council (CBCC) Co-Chairman Ms. Marie Venus Tan describes it, invites attendees to indulge in specially curated menus that celebrate the rich culture and agricultural bounty of the Cordilleras. An intricate restaurant in this culinary showcase is CHAYA Baguio, which has artfully blended Cordilleran and Japanese cuisines. Such presence is made even more distinct through the artworks of featured Ibagiw artists Leonard Aguinaldo and Perry Mamaril.
“I’d like to begin by thanking our host, Sonoko,” Ms. Venus Tan said as she welcomed those who attended the GASTRO x ART Creative Crawl at CHAYA, Legarda Road, Baguio City. “When I first brought this idea to Sonoko, she was interested in how it would happen. The idea was, really, something symbiotic.” Many restaurants in Baguio are driving significant interest, attracting visitors to the City of Pines through their unique offerings and media presence. “They’re driving interest to their establishments hence people come to Baguio, so I thought of the idea that will propel the artists and the crafters,” she said.
The restaurants became a platform for artists and crafters to be promoted. Traditionally, they exhibit in galleries and museums or participate in pop-up events, but the Ibagiw Gastro Art Crawl offers an unconventional avenue to raise awareness for cultural enthusiasts. “This now is something different. It is out of the box. It is something that we feel can be incorporated in a symbiotic manner,” Ms. Tan explained.
Each restaurant of the Creative Crawl was given the opportunity to select an artist whose work aligns with the restaurant’s identity, fostering a collaborative spirit. Then, in marrying art into the Ibagiw culinary landscape, participating restaurants introduce new menus and launch dishes infused with Cordilleran flavors. “A part of this promotion is really sensorial,” Ms. Tan emphasized. “You have taste, smell, sight, and feel. This is the whole idea. We have eleven restaurants that are participating, and I thank them all for collaborating and for providing us with this kind of platform not only for ourselves but for our artists as well. This is a collaboration. It is only through united collaboration that we can move forward as a creative city. So I thank all the restaurants’ I thank Sonoko for accepting the challenge,” she added.
Sonoko Taguchi’s fuses Cordilleran notes with CHAYA’s signature Contemporary Japanese flavor profile
For the Ibagiw GASTRO X ART Creative Crawl, culinary visionary and owner of CHAYA, Sonoko Taguchi, crafted a unique menu that featured Cordilleran notes while staying true to her signature contemporary Japanese flavor profile. Among CHAYA’s enticing array of Ibagiw dishes are Silk Tofu with Mulukiyah (saluyot) and Bonito ponzu sauce, Gunkan Sushi with Kinuday or smoked pork (that does not need additional salt whatsoever), White Bean and Japanese style Pork Curry, Pork Chashu Kinuday, Watercress Salad with a simple sesame dressing made of sesame oil and a touch of vinegar, and Cordillera Arabica Coffee Jelly.
Sonoko said that developing the menu took about a month of trial and error, especially in finding the best combination of Cordilleran ingredients to the subtlety of the Japanese palate. The mellow-spiced flavors of the Japanese-style pork curry, for example, worked well with the highland white beans with a gravy-based broth made rich by simmering some red wine, mirin, and cardamom. Then, for the Pork Chashu Kinuday — the best of both worlds — the meat is thoroughly cleaned before boiling it for about three to four hours to achieve its preferred texture or bite. After that, the Chashu Kinuday was cold-smoked for six hours to get that smokey flavor and briny aroma. Ultimately, you have a gourmand’s perfect bite: Smoked Chashu Kinuday with refreshing peppery notes from fresh watercress.
Leonard Aguinaldo: Printmaking that honors ethnography and community traditions
The works of award-winning Cordilleran artist Leonard Aguinaldo in printmaking, rubber cuts, and woodcuts capture local culture in vivid detail. Often, his pieces reflect the animist traditions and spiritual realms that quietly shape the lives of those he portrays. His art is recognized for its ethnographic perspective, honoring the stories of the communities he represents.
Aguinaldo’s intricate black-and-white compositions often resemble tattoos, exploring themes related to the Cordilleras. Each piece is crafted with care, meticulously carved and etched into wood, creating prints that are not only visually striking but also rich in narrative.
Leonard’s artwork also takes center stage, lending his artistic hand to crafting the art for the packaging of Kokomo’s limited edition artisan Cordillera Heritage Cacao products by chocolatier Angeleah Montilde of Kokomo Cordillera Chocolate, offering a delightful taste of Baguio’s creative spirit.
Perry Mamaril: Bamboo craft-making blends traditional and contemporary aesthetics
Perry Mamaril’s work resonates from bridging traditional and contemporary Philippine bamboo craft-making. His use of bamboo—a symbol of Filipino resilience—draws heavily from the indigenous cultures of Northern Luzon. His large-scale bamboo lamp sculptures, which are meant to be suspended from a ceiling, are delicate and visceral. The bare structural forms of overlapping bamboo strips are shaped delicately into rounded forms: a sting ray, a jellyfish, or, for the Ibagiw curation, the Cordilleran symbol of protection, a centipede. Handmade paper is then used to diffuse lighting.
Perry’s installations comment on the convergence of the traditional and contemporary, first and third-world, rural and urban environments.
At CHAYA Baguio, the Ibagiw GASTRO X ART Creative Crawl showcases artisanal crafts by award-winning Ibagiw artists. Another highlight is the book “Tiw-Tiwong,” a decade-long project by the Baguio art community that explores the stories of the Cordilleras’ people, art, and culture.
The Ibagiw initiative deepens connections to the region’s heritage, making the Festival a must-visit for anyone eager to immerse themselves in Baguio’s vibrant artistic and cultural heritage.
