Rumor has it that Café Lidia?s cakes are the same cakes that a popular coffee chain serves. It?s either they supply the coffee chain or they source their cakes from the same supplier. The latest iteration of this rumor is that they share a connection with a certain bakeshop whose name recalls a certain Alice Walker novel.
I must admit that I first ate at Café Lidia years ago because of these rumors. At the time, coffee-chain-that-shall-not-be-named had not reached the boondocks of Marikina yet. And sometimes, a girl just needs a quick cake fix.
Whether there is some truth to them or not, the rumors do Café Lidia a disservice. While cakes form a big part of the menu, they serve more than just cakes and their menu gives an extensive offering of salads, pizzas, pastas and entrees.
Located in a nondescript street in an area of Marikina formerly known for its shoe factories and warehouses, Café Lidia is a welcoming oasis amidst the narrow one-way streets of Calumpang, Marikina. With its warm brick walls, it is spacious enough to accommodate hordes of lunch patrons from government offices near the area. I noticed that most of them had the heavier meat entrees like the grilled pork belly, porterhouse, and rib eye steak. The prices are very reasonable, too.

My friend and I decided to have a light meal because we wanted to gorge on desserts after. We ordered the buffalo wings (P190.00) which was a perfect combination of sweet and spicy. While I missed the tangy flavor of blu...