A Taste of S.O.U.L. in La Union

While some of you are probably preparing to bid goodbye to your uber fun summer vacation at the country's Summer Capital, here I am sharing one more food spot that I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy and will leave a smile on your faces just before you go back to your normal lives.

Going down via the long and sometimes skull racking zigzag road of the Mountain Province  to the flatland of La Union is one of the many challenges every traveler has to face just before reaching the flat and straight road of North Luzon Express (NLEX). I, myself, is not a fan of those zigzag roads, especially if I am coming from Baguio City. Other than the fact that it's so hard to say goodbye to the Pine City, the zigzag road from Baguio to La Union is just so hard to tolerate. It sickening and deafening at the same time.

But did you know that there's a better way to deal with this not-so-good experience? Let's just say that there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and in this case, the pot of gold is represented by S.O.U.L Cafe or the Spice of Urban Life at Camp One, Rosario, La Union.

Located at Rosario, La Union-Kennon Road Junction, S.O.U.L Cafe offers this inviting, relaxing and close-to-nature ambiance that I think will let you regain your lost consciousness, which was lost after taking that crazy road from the mountains.

The facade of this place may look ordinary and modern, but once you stepped in, it is like being in a different realm once again - most specially when you see what they have at the back. Try looking outside the window! Oh, yes, you are looking at the real one! It's not a painting! Hahaha!

If you think that's it, wait til you see what's inside the wash room! You'll love this place more! (I intentionally didn't include the photo from the washroom for you to personally check out what's inside it. Yeah, you're welcome! :-)

Okay, now, for the food, S.O.U.L Cafe is actually famous for its bangus (milk fish) and longganisa (Filipino Sausage). Being the passage through the colorful and exciting provinces of Ilocos (if you are coming from Manila) and Pangasinan (if you are coming from the Ilocos Region and Mountain Province), S.O.U.L Cafe possess a really appetizing menu that anyone could enjoy. 

From pasta, rice meals, snacks and even desserts and coffee, S.O.U.L Cafe offers a great array of good food suited for big eaters and even to those who are on a veggie diet.

Since I'm always up for something good and popular, I had their Longganisa, which comes with scrambled egg and garlic rice. As for my companions, they ordered the Beef Salpicao and Carbonara Pasta.

Longganisa Meal

Beef Salpicao Meal

Carbonara Pasta

If you like Ilocos' Longganisa, you will love their Longganisa too. It is garlicky too and compliments well with the garlic rice and scrambled egg. Just don't forget to ask for the vinegar dip to fully enjoy its exquisite flavor. For the Beef Salpicao, though I haven't tasted it that much, I had a good bite of it and it was nice too. The meat was tender and tasted wonderfully. But I find it a little heavy, so if you are not that hungry or you're feeling some butterflies in your stomach, it is not a good idea to have this one.  Hence, I'm suggesting that you have their Carbonara Pasta. It's light but can fill you in the right way.

What I like about their meals too are the messages/quotes that are place on top of them. I find it touching and cute. It simply made everything personal, something that a visitor would love. It's like having your Fortune Cookies in a very Pinoy way.

So, just in case you are not yet ready to go back to your "slave" life or maybe feeling sick right after taking the serpentine Kenon Road of Baguio or the long and never-ending road of Ilocos, S.O.U.L. Cafe is a great place to be conscious again and gain back all the positive energies you've lost on the road!

Stay safe, everyone and advance happy Easter!

Happy eating!