How A Quiet Chef In Baguio Accidentally Built A Cult Following

The winding roads of Baguio have a way of luring lost souls toward rediscovery. This is the story of Marianito “Chef Babes” Reyes—once a corporate man, now an unlikely chef tucked away in the mountains of Baguio. He wasn’t trained in the kitchen, but what began as a quiet second act turned into Foggy Mountain Cookhouse, a cult favorite private dining space built on faith, instinct, and a touch of enchantment. In his ancestral home in the mountains, he found a new life—one dish at a time.

Foggy Mountain Cookhouse, a food sanctuary in the highlands of Baguio City | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse

A hidden gem, Foggy Mountain Cookhouse is where you go for the kind of meal that borders on magical realism, set against a backdrop of misty mountain views.

A sense of coziness and place is part of its charm. Coming in from the crisp Baguio air, where the scent of pine lingers and the chill sharpens your senses, you're enveloped by warmth—both from the kitchen and the quiet comfort of the space. Then you’re greeted not with a flourish, but with a deceptively simple dish that speaks of place and care. The Caprese Salad is a simple mixture of fresh and juicy cherry tomatoes, balsamic dressing, shredded basil, and cubed aged cheddar instead of the usual mozzarella. It’s the chef’s take on the classic Italian antipasto, and the salty and sour combination gives it a better, well-rounded taste.

Imagine a feast framed by mountains, mist, and the quiet of dusk | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse

The Salmon Crudo is a great dish for sashimi lovers. It is made with prime slab Norwegian fatty salmon in lime, lemon, orange juice, spices, and herbs. But my personal favorite was the Salmon Tartare marinated in lemon and cilantro, served on layers of cubed avocado and succulent, ripe mangoes. The tenderness of the fish, the sweetness of the fruits, the tangy and salty sauce, with the bright, citrusy, and slightly peppery flavor of cilantro, is a superb combination. I just wish the avocado were fully ripe, as it added a bitter taste to the otherwise perfect dish. 

A selection of delectable starters made only with the freshest ingredients | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse

The Prawn Cocktail was a simple salad but made with the freshest ingredients—the prawns were plump, juicy, and slightly sweet, with the perfect snap on the bite, placed on a bed of shredded crispy romaine lettuce in rich creamy lemon dressing. My ultimate favorite among all the appetizers is the White Clams. Served with herbed sauce, crispy baguettes, and some butter over fire, it’s so comforting. It’s a good, warming companion as the Baguio’s chilly breeze cradle you while you eat. I’d dip a clam in sizzling butter, slurp straight from the shell, then follow it with bread soaked in the clams’ runny sauce. It was heavenly. 

Mains range from the Italian Herbed Chicken marinated in rosemary, thyme, crushed garlic, and olive oil, then roasted to golden, crackling perfection, to the indulgent Hokkaido Steak—a premium cut with rich marbling, simply seasoned, seared then finished with balsamic glaze. Each bite melted like butter. 

An unexpected standout was the Squid Frites—bite-sized cuts of Norwegian giant squid, lightly battered and fried until crisp, evoking the texture of crispy scallops. Paired with herbed potato fries and a bright dill tartar sauce, it’s a far cry from your usual calamari. It is elevated, hearty, and deeply satisfying. Match it with warm, fragrant, gently-spiced Moroccan rice.

The popular mains: Hokkaido Steak, Squid Frites, and Italian Herbed Chicken | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse 

For dessert, I recommend the Strawberry Vinaigrette Ice Cream which dances between sweet and tart with notes of balsamic. Made from Baguio-grown berries, this is the chef’s frozen love letter to his hometown. 

A bolder option would be the crowd favorite, the Bacon Cheese Ice Cream, savory-sweet scoops with crisp bacon bits topped onto regular vanilla ice cream. It’s smoky, salty, and creamy all at once—a quirky surprise that somehow works.

Strawberry Vinaigrette for something light and tangy. Bacon Cheese for the bold and curious | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse

Every course is best enjoyed with a glass of their house-blended Porta wine, a smooth, medium-bodied pour with subtle fruit and strong earth tones designed to complement the meal’s richness. “I use bottled cabernet, rosé, and chardonnay as my base to create red, pink, and white port-style blends,” shares the chef. “I age the blends in a Sherry oak barrel I brought home from Spain during my corporate shipping days. That little touch gives it depth and character. I liked it so much that I made it a regular on the Cookhouse bar list.”

“I’ve always been drawn to complex flavors—dishes with several layers that unfold as you eat,” Chef Babes reflects. “I love combining herbs and spices that aren’t usually paired together. But you’ll never know what works unless you try.”

Foggy Mountain’s house-blended Porta wine is smoky and smooth | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse 

That sense of wonder—part instinct, part fearless curiosity—has been central to Chef Babes’s quiet success. It’s what allowed him to leap from one life into another, and it infuses every dish he creates. His cooking follows no rules, no trends—only memory, feeling, and the soul of what the dish is meant to be. “We experimented freely, but always made sure not to lose the soul of the original dish,” he says. “There were no measurements, no recipes—just memory and instinct.”

That same instinct would guide him through one of the most unexpected chapters of his life.

"I retired in 2012. I was 60 years old and had just sold off all my business concerns—importing Australian meats and American heavy equipment parts," says Chef Babes. ”After a life of constant movement and achievement, I found myself suddenly with nothing to look forward to.”

A series of accidental yet divinely timed pivots followed. He took up woodworking until a sinusitis diagnosis forced him to stop. Then came the quiet revelation: “It dawned on me that I really loved food—not just eating, but recreating dishes I remembered from my travels.”

Having spent years abroad for business in Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia, he had collected an invisible cookbook in his head full of flavors and textures of dishes long gone but not forgotten. Still, opening a restaurant felt too bold. He envisioned a humble setup. "Five tables. If I could feed 15 people a week, I’d be happy."

Marianito Reyes, also known as “Chef Babes” | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse 

Before taking the leap, he turned to prayer. “I went into a week of fasting at Victory Church in Baguio. On the fifth day, I was starving and went out for a European dinner. The food was disappointing. The next morning, I opened my Bible, and the restaurant receipt fell out. I took it as a sign. I said, ‘Yes, Lord.’”

With no formal culinary training, he began cooking entirely from instinct. Each dish was built from memory—how he thought it should feel on the palate. Some recipes took days, even weeks, of trial and error. “Sleepless nights, second-guessing, waking up bothered because something still felt off,” he recalls. “But once we got it right, I had to ask myself: Will Filipinos go for this?”

Lamb, for example, was a bold offering—most Filipinos don’t eat it. But Chef Babes believed in its place on the menu. “One chef who really inspired me is Michael Smith. I used to watch his no-frills, no-drama freestyle cooking show. That resonated with me.”

Eventually, a small church gathering in Baguio became his unofficial test audience. “They were my guinea pigs,” he laughs. “They loved it and encouraged me to take the leap. So I did.”

A cozier corner—this antique eight-seater invites quiet, private moments | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse 

What began as a quiet, homegrown experiment soon evolved into something more permanent. The restaurant—housed in his ancestral home—feels like visiting a long-lost uncle who knows exactly what your soul needs. Antique chairs, classic chandeliers, warm wood tones, retro floors, and a balcony looking out over pine-draped ridges set the tone. "I just wanted something to look forward to again," the chef says. "And maybe give others something to come home to."

There was no PR team, no social media playbook, no TikTok choreography designed to chase virality. Just a man cooking in his home, serving strangers like old friends. For a while, it was quiet—peacefully so. Then one evening, a couple came to dine. By dessert, the man was down on one knee. “They loved the food so much, they asked me to cater their wedding,” the chef recalls with a smile. “I declined. I said I didn’t want to ruin it.”

From that small beginning, word began to travel—softly at first, then like wildfire through the pines. BPO groups found their way up the mountain, and soon, the little cookhouse was humming with life. Chef Babes and his trusted cook did it all—they were chef, server, dishwasher, hosts of a home that fed both body and spirit. “It was fun,” he says, eyes bright with memory. “One of the best times of my life.”

When asked what truly made the difference, he pauses for a moment, the weight of memory settling in. “If you have an idea—something you believe in—go for it,” he says. “Don’t overanalyze. That can paralyze you. Trust your gut. Our cookhouse tables were even designed to be dismantled and stored in the bodega… just in case it didn’t work out.”

He smiles, then adds, “Whatever you do, do it with passion. No shortcuts. That’s always been my guiding principle. The rest will follow. If you're only in it for the profit, chances are it won’t last. But if you’re doing something you love—something that feeds your soul—you’ll find a way to make it work. That’s just my humble take.”

Reserve a table at golden hour for sweeping views of fog-kissed Baguio | Photo: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse 

Today, Foggy Mountain Cookhouse is a quiet legend among those who know. It remains unpretentious, intimate, and deeply personal. Bookings fill up weeks in advance. The food hasn’t changed much—and that, as it turns out, is the whole point.

“God has been good to us,” the chef says, simply.

In a world spinning faster by the day—chasing trends, chasing numbers—Foggy Mountain Cookhouse stands still. It is proof that heart still matters, that simplicity still sings, and that sometimes, all it takes is faith, fire, and a table set in the mountains to bring people home.

Foggy Mountain Cookhouse is tucked away on San Carlos Heights Road, Baguio City, Benguet. Follow the journey: @chefscookhouse on Facebook or email chefbabes@gmail.com.