Luisa’s Cafe: A Baguio City Institution Along Session Road Famous for Their Mami and Siopao (Is it Worth the Hype?)

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This article is part of the Baguio City Food Trip 2024 series. Check out the installments: Canto Bogchi Joint (Ribs) | Grumpy Joe (American and Italian Comfort Food) | Hatch Coffee (Burgers, Grilled Cheese, and Coffee) | Hill Station (International Food) | Rebel Bakehouse (Pastries and Coffee)

I’ve been to Baguio City several times as an adult. Every time I’m there, I would walk through Session Road, the heart of the City of Pines. It’s full of business establishments and people.

While I’ve dine in several places along Session Road, I’ve not tried a familiar name only until recently. That spot is Luisa’s Cafe.

An institution in the city since 1957, Luisa’s Cafe is a Chinese-Filipino restaurant that’s famous for their mami (noodle soup) and siopao (steamed bun). It’s also a haven for journalists.

While Luisa’s Cafe is known to Baguio locals, it recently became more popular among non-locals because of content creator Erwan Heussaff. After Erwan's feature, other food vloggers follow suit, such as Carl Chuadian (a.k.a. Paps Chui) of The Chui Show and Kuya Dex. Since I trust Erwan, I decided to pay Luisa’s Cafe a visit for merienda (afternoon snack).

Stepping into Luisa’s Cafe feels like a blast in the past, with its retro interior and lazy Susans:

In their second floor, there are artworks hanging. I think they’re for sale:

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Let’s now talk about their bestselling Luisa’s Special Mami. Its broth is like a taster version of Ma Mon Luk’s broth. The noodles (which are handmade) are soft (wished it’s chewier), the bokchoy is crisp, and there are different kinds of proteins, including asado (barbecued pork) and beef brisket.

We paired the mami with Siopao Bola-Bola (steamed bun with “meatball” filling). The bun is soft but I find it on the dry side. The meat is tasty but a bit sweet for me.

Finally, we tried the Luisa’s Rice. It has asado, fried chicken, chopsuey (stir-fried mixed veggies), and a fried egg.

While the asado is on the dry side, the chicken is good and the veggies are crisp. Actually, this is my favorite in our visit. In fact, I would recommend it than having a fastfood meal since it’s only P185!

So how do I find the mami and siopao of Luisa’s Cafe? Is it worth the hype? Honestly, there’s really nothing spectacular about it, as some food vloggers claim, and leaves more to be desired.

But I understand that this is comforting for those who grew up eating it. It’s like the case of Ma Mon Luk mami. While some find it mediocre, others find it delicious, especially for those who grew up eating it, including me. I guess it’s true that nostalgia is a powerful ingredient!

So will I recommend Luisa’s Cafe? Yes, for experience. I will also come back to try other dishes so I can make a better judgment of the restaurant.

Have you tried Luisa’s Cafe’s mami and siopao? What do you think of it? Comment below!

Address: 53 Session Rd., Baguio City, Benguet, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 7AM-10:30PM | Contact No.: (074) 442-2412

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