The Ilokano Food Thread

[diesoline]

this is an offshoot of the genuine ilocanos thread. the following is lifted from the kotse.com's ilocano thread. apay kasta aya? the ilocano threads inevitably go bonkers over food.

QUOTE(nuts * Sep 6 2005, 08:30 AM)
Manipod Pangasinan aginggana diyay Ilocos Norte wenno Baguio, ayanda dagidiay peborit yo nga pag stopover-an for rest or eats?

Umpisa ako:
Sison - Rosario Junction. Tuto turo, lutong ilokano
San Fernando - Oasis. Tinuno wenno Sinigang nga ikan, medyo adda la nginngina na.
Tagudin - bus stop
Candon (outskirts) - kaldingan
Sta Maria - Suso bus stop






sison-rosario junction -- am not a big fan of the junction stuff. i skip the carinderias and junction resto and go straight ahead to kennon road for tinoyan's restaurant several kilometers after the toll booth. their tinuno (liempo) and silet (fried to perfection) is to die for. they have a branch on marcos highway but the i prefer the kennon road place. fermented sili / calamansi sawsawan is standard. if you are feeling a little bit more sossy, go to soul cafe beside the shell rosario station at nightime and soak in the atmosphere.

sflu/bauang -- go to bali hai. international cuisine anytime of day. and i mean anytime. you can order anything off the menu even at 4am and they will serve it! for cheap ilocano food go to hilaria's, just after the caltex station in the town's center. they serve cheap kalding and tinuno and stuff in small portions. there is also a carinderia food court near the center of town. dinakdakan rules the roost here. oasis has the most expensive lugaw i've ever had. very unilokano. the term tubong lugaw is very much alive here, i kid you not.

candon -- you must be referring to the kambingan just after the town arch just after sta. lucia. the name is valdez carinderia. they serve a mean kilawen there, ask for the "for the boys special" that they reserve for their suking drivers. twinkle's near the dominion terminal is also okay. i dunno if they still serve azucena there. i go there for their dinakdakan. candon's hidden jewel is CAFE BOSSA. highly recommended for the food, atmosphere, the music they play and the iced tea. just ask the trike drivers how to get there. it is very near the dominion terminal too but it is located parallel to the highway. look for owen, the longish-haired character who runs the place, and tell him "sabi ni tad pwede na pagtiyagaan pagkain dito"

vigan -- what can i say? STREET FOOD HEAVEN! countless versions of sinanglao (try every vendor for their take on this dish, pero not all on the same day, ha?), miki (served conveniently beside the bell tower on mornings), empanada (the best is not in the town plaza -- that's tourist stuff) look for heritage on salcedo street near gov. chavit's house. pipian, a chicken stew with the "pasotes" herb that can only be had in vigan. ask the townsfolk where to get this stuff as it is quite rare. lomo-lomo near the palengke early in the morning. there are also mini fresh lumpias that disappear in thirty minutes at a sari-sari store near tejano clinic every 2pm. there is also the bibingka paskua in liberation boulevard but ask them to put in an extra egg in the batter. in the palengke, you can have your fill of the quintessential vigan standards, bagnet and longanisa (they call it langonisa over there). the lesser known stuff here but equally cholesterol heavy are the okilas (large sheets of chicharon), the thick dinardaraan and ladek. the rule here is to be adventurous and to keep an eye on the stands in the side streets.

currimao -- lazo's restaurant just off the bridge and shell station. the best fried fish this side of ilocos.

san nicolas -- DAWANG'S. the essential ilocano food place in ilocos norte. try to catch their crispy dinardaraan. usually it is gone before 10am. nuff said.

laoag -- the restaurant of hotel tiffany along bacarra road has a delicious version of pinakbet that was unanimously loved by our group. it is an american diner type resto with ilocano food within its menu. it is a bit unnerving to be wolfing down pinakbet and dinakdakan with elvis peering down at you from the walls.

baguio -- aling ester's off the basketball court in the slaughterhouse compound. don't stray to the tourist traps near the barangay hall. aling ester's has steaming mega bulalo servings, the famous "half-half": half a liempo tinuno serving with your choice of half serving kilawen kalding or baka. the dinardaraan sawsawan is a happy addition to the liempo. also go to tuno-tuno near the lto office. aling cecile on palma street. chia's off legarda road. good taste, a 24-hour restaurant at the back of center mall near the dangwa terminal. good stuff can also be found in pnky's in leonard wood and little john's in john hay commissary.

calasiao -- broadway kambingan, located in a side street off the church. they serve excellent kalding dishes. their kinigtot among the best i've ever tasted and their kaldereta is meaty and tasty.

this is all for now. pangaldawen ket masapul a manganen. i will make pahabol other places i have gone to pag di na ako gutom.