VOCAS and Oh My Gulay!

Here’s another interesting place in Baguio City. You’ll be surprised to know that on top of an old commercial building along Session Road, hides a truly artistic place.

OMG!

I’m sure you already spotted a local television show feature of this food joint – Oh My Gulay! But did you know that it wasn’t situated somewhere in a farm of even the woods? Surprisingly, this vegetarian restaurant can be found along the busy street of Session Road, inside La Azotea Building.

Oh My Gulay trademark salad P95

My impression of OMG is “hale and hearty”. Imagine going up 5 flight of stairs to reach the penthouse where the restaurant is located, and being served nothing but meatless, organic vegetable dishes. Tell me, how healthy is that? Oh My Gulay is the best place for vegetarians, including the health conscious locals and tourists of Baguio. OMG’s menu is consist of salad, pasta, and sandwiches that are only cooked with Baguio’s freshest fruits and vegetables.

And did I say the interior is lovely artistic? Just take a look at my photographs and tell me what you think of this place.

VOCAS

Here’s the reason why OMG is beautifully interiored: it’s not only a restaurant but it’s also an artist café. Yes, it is sharing an art space with Victor Oteyza Community Art Space or VOCAS.

Like OMG, VOCAS is being run by Eric de Guia. For those who are not aware, de Guia is also known as Kidlat Tahimik. He was born in Baguio City and is a known Filipino filmmaker. He put up VOCAS to provide home for the local artists’ music, paintings and wood carvings, among other art works.

"To VOCAS, an energy centrum for the creative talents of the Cordilleras. Built in memory of Victor Oteyza – the Baguio artist who was one of the 13 modern group in the 1950s that pioneered in Philippine modern art. This movement in post-war Ermita included H. Ocampo, V. Edades, C. Legaspi, L. Tabuena, A. Magsaysay-Ho, among whom the only Baguio boy was Vic.

VOCAS was designed to host visual arts, exhibits,original music concerts, homegrown theater and literature, local films and traditional art from the Igorot culture. Hopefully, this will inspire more indio-genius creations from the north".

To be able to support the advocacy of this art space, de Guia put up Oh My Gulay restaurant, also inside the art space.

a Clemente "Enteng" Delim exhibit, a deaf-mute artist (medium: acrylic on paper, foot paint)

Really, more than the food, my husband and I mostly enjoyed looking at the place and checking the art gallery. Paul studied Fine Arts in college, and considered Painting as one of his hobbies up to this time, so I guess he could really relate to all the artsy thing going on with the place. Personally , I thought that the artworks inside do not really match individually, some may even looked trashy already but these artists gave them new form. To my astonishment, these pieces just looked perfect together forming a beautiful work of art. This place was indeed, an artist’s haven.

VOCAS and Oh My Gulay are both located inside the Penthouse of La Azotea Bldg, Session Road, Baguio City, Philippines. OMG opens 11:00 am and closes kitchen at 8:30 pm. Contact them at (+63) 918-6676025.