Something Local: My Bicol Food Trip!

It is not only the tourist spots that make Bicol famous but also its delicacies and specialties. Bicol is known for spicy foods and dishes with coconut milk (gata). I really love spicy foods though that makes me sweat bigtime! Aside from these, there are still best food-finds at Bicol. Mga pagkain na binabalik-balikan ko (namin)!

First one, Toasted Siopao.

This is different from the usual steamed and fried siopao that can be found here in the Metro. The best one can be find at Naga Restaurant (Naga Garden at SM City Naga). Though I’m not a fan of siopao, my relatives found it really good. Whenever we visit Bicol, toasted siopao lagi ang gusto nila! Natikman ko na din naman sya and I must admit, masarap nga! The toasted siopao is best to partner with Lomi or Mami. So where else to find, but Naga Restaurant and Ice Blink.
I have tasted Naga Restaurant’s Mami couple of years ago. But compared to Ice Blink (which I just tried last month), Naga Restaurant’s Mami was still the best. If you want other option to partner with your mami, there’s also Empanada!

When we toured Legazpi, I asked my cousin if we can have our lunch at Bigg’s Diner and good thing they have a branch at Embarcadero. The first Bigg’s Diner I ever saw was in Pili. I thought they do only have 3 – 5 branches but I was wrong, this fast food chain is bigger than Jollibee and McDonalds. Bigg’s Diner is the biggest fast food chain in the Bicol Region. I was amazed of the fact that a fast food chain from Bicol becoming progressive and taking the lead among its competitor. And the price? Get prepare to spend at least PHP 150.00

I wanted to try something local so I ordered Bigg’s Bicol Special (porkchop and laing combo meal).

As expected, a true Bicol Specialty. Ang sarap! Bigg’s Diner offers a wide array of foods from sandwich, meals, pasta, pizza to salad. My two cousins ordered chicken meal and we ordered New York Roast Beef Pizza for the three of us.

There’s nothing spectacular about the chicken meal and the pizza but the hot sauce? Come on it was the hottest hot sauce I ever tasted! Indeed, it was a good dining experience at Bigg’s Diner.

The next day, before we went to the airport (and went back home), we dropped off at Pili Market and bought some Pili Nuts (for pasalubong) and two of my favorite food for snacks (merienda), sinapot (maruya) and halo-halo.

Wow sinapot (also known as Maruya in tagalog)! I liked it when it was newly fried and only coated with less flour (or none at all). Ayoko ng punong puno ng harina!

Moving on, we went inside the market and looked for the best halo-halo in town (according to the locals), the Pontilla’s Halo-Halo.

I found it good, and of course cheap and affordable. If I were to choose between this Halo Halo and Chowking’s? I chose this one, this is better than Chowking’s halo-halo (na puro beans – ayoko ng beans!). We left Bicol satisfied with all our cravings.

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14 Responses

  1. korek! we love spicy foods ayt? =) Actually dumating sa point na I can't eat without chili sauce (yung pang siomai) whenever I eat sa bahay. Dati rati toyo ang kinaadikan ko. Pati sa office nagdadala ako ng bote. hahaha! Ok lumalayo na sa topic. hahah!

    Diet ako ngayon. bakit ba puro pagkain ang nakapost. Tuksooo layuan ako please. hahaha!

  2. korek! we love spicy foods ayt? =) Actually dumating sa point na I can't eat without chili sauce (yung pang siomai) whenever I eat sa bahay. Dati rati toyo ang kinaadikan ko. Pati sa office nagdadala ako ng bote. hahaha! Ok lumalayo na sa topic. hahah!

    Diet ako ngayon. bakit ba puro pagkain ang nakapost. Tuksooo layuan ako please. hahaha!

  3. marxtermind says:

    @Kura, hmmm di sya familiar sa akin! favorite ko din ung bicol express lalo na pag puro sili. hehehe!

  4. marxtermind says:

    @Kura, hmmm di sya familiar sa akin! favorite ko din ung bicol express lalo na pag puro sili. hehehe!

  5. ang natikman kong naging favorite ko na rin is yung Jeryk bicol express yung nakabote.. May nagbigay lang sakin nun na taga bicol. Super sarap, pinapahanap sakin ng nanay ko kung san meron. Sikat ba yun sa inyo? Iba talaga ang lutong bicol. Pati yung ever favorite kong dessert na Pili bar. ahlavet!

    First time ko lang atang nakakita ng siopao na fried. =) pampataba.

  6. ang natikman kong naging favorite ko na rin is yung Jeryk bicol express yung nakabote.. May nagbigay lang sakin nun na taga bicol. Super sarap, pinapahanap sakin ng nanay ko kung san meron. Sikat ba yun sa inyo? Iba talaga ang lutong bicol. Pati yung ever favorite kong dessert na Pili bar. ahlavet!

    First time ko lang atang nakakita ng siopao na fried. =) pampataba.

  7. marxtermind says:

    @Jeffz, hahaha, walang batchoy!

    @poot, natry ko na sa graceland couple of years ago pero di ko na-try ung laing.

    @pinkc00kies, i love mochi, sige ma try nga ang angko, mahilig ako sa mga kakanin eh and made of glutinous rice. 🙂

  8. marxtermind says:

    @Jeffz, hahaha, walang batchoy!

    @poot, natry ko na sa graceland couple of years ago pero di ko na-try ung laing.

    @pinkc00kies, i love mochi, sige ma try nga ang angko, mahilig ako sa mga kakanin eh and made of glutinous rice. 🙂

  9. wow, love the maruya. you should have tried the angko (somewhat like mochi.. made of glutinous rice & peaut paste filling), pandecillos (buscuit/ tart with pili filling) and pianono (cake rolls w/ ground pili filling) 😀

  10. poot says:

    OMG. Lomi and toasted siopao are also my favorites. Perfect merienda yun for me.

    I never dined in sa Biggs so I never tasted their laing. Masarap din laing sa Graceland. I was told (taga-Manila pa nagsabi sakin, hahaha).

    Meron yatang 7 branches ang Biggs. Not sure tho.

  11. poot says:

    OMG. Lomi and toasted siopao are also my favorites. Perfect merienda yun for me.

    I never dined in sa Biggs so I never tasted their laing. Masarap din laing sa Graceland. I was told (taga-Manila pa nagsabi sakin, hahaha).

    Meron yatang 7 branches ang Biggs. Not sure tho.

  12. JeffZ says:

    toasted siopao + lomi = nom*nom*nom*

    sana may batchoy pa rin.. haha 😛

  13. marxtermind says:

    Di ko pa natry ung ribs ng Bigg's! Pero masarap talaga yung laing 😉

  14. Chyng says:

    we never fail to visit Bigg's. panalo ang ribs!
    and of course, ang laing! the finest =)

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