Chaya — Restaurant in Baguio

This restaurant was highly recommended by a church friend and I had read the reviews. Both those factors helped me decide to try to get a reservation at Chaya for dinner while we were in Baguio. Thankfully, as we were driving from Manila, I had already called to check for availability and it was helpful that we were planning to go earlier in the week where they were likely less busy and full.

Last night, my parents, my husband and I went to Chaya after a day for touring around the city. Chaya is a cozy home to have an authentic Japanese meal. I know the security guard was doing his job of securing the place but he didn't initially make it easy for us to go in and park, despite letting him know we have reservations and giving him my name.

One unique aspect was the quilt hangings on the different walls of the home. They were beautifully done.

I asked the server if they have a specialty dish and she recommended the Japanese seafood hotpot and had told us it's for sharing. My Mom liked the idea of having some soup and something hot for dinner so we ordered this and she shared it with my husband. My Mom ordered steamed rice to eat with this and enjoyed the meal very much. We had the salmon sashimi as an appetizer - the small came with 5 slices. It was pretty fresh and also came with a piece of tamago. My Dad and I ordered the tempura soba dish both with cold soba. He had mistakenly ordered the cold soba so we asked if they could provide the hot soup and we would put the soba in. The servers checked and told us that it would cost an additional Php 175 ($3.50, more than half of the cost of the dish) to provide the hot soup. I was a bit shocked and told them we'll just take the cold soba back but my Dad would not likely eat. Thankfully, Vera saved the day, listened to what happened and had the hot soup made with the soba without extra charge. Honestly, the soba portion was very generous that I couldn't finish everything. We finished the meal with a complimentary green tea ice cream.

The one downside was the choice of music and the loudness of the volume, which didn't fit the ambiance of the place. This can be easily remedied and adjusted.

I would highly recommend a stop here while you visit Baguio. Authentic food worth having!

Cost of our meal was around Php 1,300 ($26) for 4 people including senior...

Finding Chaya might require some Google Maps assistance, but trust me, it's worth it. Parking is tight (think 4-6 cars), but that's part of the charm of this hidden gem. Nestled in a converted old home, Chaya offers a warm, inviting atmosphere perfect for a chill dining experience.

The real star of the show here is the yakitori momo. Imagine melt-in-your-mouth tender grilled chicken skewers bursting with flavor –  like, insanely good. Don't sleep on the gyoza either – crispy perfection filled with savory goodness. The gyudon was another winner, with perfectly cooked rice and savory beef that hits the spot.

The California roll wasn't as firm as I would've liked and kind of fell apart when I picked it up, but still tasty despite the slight crumble factor.

My family raved about the chaya salad, but I was too busy devouring the yakitori momo to try it myself. The ramen with paitan broth is okay.

Service at Chaya? Top-notch! Friendly and attentive staff added to the relaxed vibe. Overall, Chaya's a fantastic choice for anyone seeking delicious Japanese comfort food with awesome service. Just be prepared for a little adventure finding it and keep in mind the California roll might be a...

Chaya is our go-to Japanese restaurant whenever we're in Baguio, but they sent us to their SM location today; extremely disappointing! Horrible service!! It takes one hour for them to fulfill any of your requests! They did not provide complimentary snacks on the grounds that they had run out! We requested additional karaage, which took an additional hour. When we inquired with each crew we encountered, we received contradictory information; one said it would be ready in 15 minutes, while the other said it would be ready in less than a minute. Then another crew came out to say they neglected to notice our additional order!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!! And they’re asking if we should just cancel after an hour of waiting??!!! Worse, we bought sushi variations that included salmon for a price of 1,000 pesos, but we were afterwards informed that instead of salmon, tuna was substituted because we could only choose one! Seriously????? How come the main branch serves all varieties!!! As a concerned citizen, if d guard directs you to their branch here at SM, DO NOT!!! It is blatant deceit! Oh and by the way their ice cream here doesn’t have d same quality with their main branch...