Eating in Pangasinan

Last weekend has been a wonderful one for us, because we celebrate mom's birthday in her home province - Pangasinan. Initially, my sister and I were planning that us three girls would stay at a hotel somewhere and we would visit nearby interesting places... but while on the road two weeks before (Caramoan trip), our companion mentioned about us doing a Pangasinan trip and it sparked an idea between mom and I... that instead of staying at a hotel, might as well travel to Pangasinan and spend her birthday with Aunt Mary, one of her sisters. Good thing, Aunt Mary is scheduled to travel to Pangasinan as well, so a definite plan was set.

We traveled 11pm from Cubao and reached their hometown of Bolinao around 4am. Uncle Arthur met us and we took their boat going to the fish cage where there is a hut for us to stay at. We slept a little, got up at 6:30am and we then laid out our proposed plan so everything will be coordinated.


Our first destination (12 September) was in Tondol Beach, located in the town of Anda. It was our first time to see the place, and we were in awe of its beauty! I can actually compare it to Boracay - with its powdery whitish sand and clear waters that made us feel as if we were in a big swimming pool. The downside was that as time passed, the water of the beach subsides little by little, and that there weren't much water to swim on because there's a part in the beach with lots of seaweeds. We didn't wear any slippers, so we didn't dare walk on those parts in fear we might step on some sea urchins. My tip... if you want to go to this beach, be there as early as possible so you can fully enjoy the water, and I heard sunrise here is spectacular.


The next day, we traveled to Hundred Islands in the town of Alaminos. Coming from Bolinao, it was already near lunch time when we got there, so our island hopping was actually shorter than expected, because we opted to go for the "service" type of trip, which supposed to allow us to visit whatever island we wanted to visit (the regular trip will only allow visit to the three major islands in the area). Anyway, I am happy to see Hundred Islands again - it was refreshing to see the changes in the area, though part of me was sad as well, because I personally wanted to see the islands as is - and seeing a concrete kind of development sort of "ruins" the experience for me.


If there's one kind of concrete development I am grateful for, it would be this railing atop the Governor's Island. When I first traveled here in 2010, there was only a thick rope that acted as a fence, which was a little risky to put up.

Overall, I enjoyed the island hopping. We didn't get to set foot in Children's Island anymore because the rain started to fall, but we were able to enjoy the waters of Clave Island and we got to pass through Cuenco Tunnel as well. This place already earned a soft spot in our hearts, and we are sure to visit there again.

Okay, food. Hahahaha.

Prior to this trip, I got to see pictures posted by a friend on Facebook and I loved the way she chronicled all the food she ate while she was on her trip. I told myself I will do the same for this trip, but I guess I am still adjusting to owning a camera again, that I wasn't really able to do such. Still, here are some of the food I ate while I was in Pangasinan:

Merienda at Cafe Via Mare

Whenever I pass by Landmark Makati, I always get intrigued with Café Via Mare - not only because of its unusual location, but also because of how they managed to keep up with the times. It was a sad truth that despite the interest, I still haven't tried their food yet, but a few years ago, I personally got to attend a food demo by Ms. Glenda Barretto and Via Mare staff, and got to taste their food finally. At first taste, I knew then why Via Mare (the café and their catering service) has been that strong - their food definitely carried them all these years.

Literally meaning "the way of the sea," Via Mare started as a specialty seafood restaurant, and was known for their Oyster Bar. The business went through many changes, but one thing that never changed was their mission to innovate and upgrade the traditional Filipino cuisine. Although the company is very conservative and don't really compete head to head with other restaurants, Via Mare still wanted the younger generations to learn more about them and their food as has recently tied up with Kidzania Manila, a dedicate play and learning space for children.

There might not be a lot of Café Via Branches around Metro Manila, but they are very much well known in the catering business, having to serve six Philippine presidents and other big national events like the 1995 Miss Universe pageant in Manila, the papal visit of then Pope John Paul II, the gala of the Philippine-run West End’s Miss Saigon, and the 2007 ASEAN Summit in Cebu. Currently, they are working on dishes for the APEC Summit.


Last week, I was with my fellow bloggers as we tried the merienda at Café Via Mare at Landmark TriNoma. It was my first time to visit this branch, and even if the café is somewhat hidden and difficult to find, it was really interesting to see the café full of people. Dishes we tried include...

Food Shopping in Laguna

Last Saturday, we joined fellow parishioners in visiting four Catholic Churches - two in Rizal Province and two in Laguna. It was a very good way to visit something new at the same time spending time with people from our neighborhood. We visited...


St. Jerome Church
Morong, Rizal


St. Joseph Church
Baras. Rizal


St. Peter of Alcantara Parish Church
Pakil, Laguna


St. John the Baptist Church
Liliw, Laguna

Our breakfast, lunch, and dinner were served on the bus, so no food trips for this pilgrimage, but, when we arrived in Liliw, we were given ample time to explore the Gat Tayaw street. It was there that we spent a lot of time checking different shops, but we also got to buy a few food items in Pakil. Some of the foods we took home are:

A Quick Trip to Tartland Baguio Pasarabo Factory

When one say "Baguio City," the first three food items that would come to mind would be -- Peanut Brittle, Strawberry (anything strawberry), and Lengua de Gato. Though Lengua de Gato is not my favorite Baguio City food item, it has been our usual pasalubong for family and friends.

On my last trip to the City of Pines, thanks to Azalea Residences Baguio, I was blessed to see how these delectable goodies are made.


Entering the Tartland Baguio Pasarabo factory, this electric mixer set and piping tube would be the first that would capture one's attention. This has been the family's source of inspiration, because back when they started the business, this was their tool in making their Lengua de Gato. Now that their business is constantly upgrading, this set of tools is a good reminder of their humble beginnings, that great things often start with a simple idea.

But how did Tartland Baguio Pasarabo start?

In the early 90s, Angie dela Cruz started making cheese tarts and offered them to fellow mothers at her children's schools. The product clicked, and she would then make more and more cheese tarts, but doing so caused her to throw away big amounts of egg whites, as the tarts would only use egg yolks. She was able to find a way to use the egg whites - by baking Lengua de Gato.

This new product was such a hit, that it even penetrated the Baguio pasalubong stores. Soon, they upgraded their tools to accommodate the growing demand for their products. They now employ about 25 employees, producing about 1,200 jars of their very delectable Lengua de Gato.


This was taken from a window before we entered the factory. As a food business, the need to make sure of the quality of their goods, so we were asked to wear hairnets and were asked not to touch any of the equipment and food product.


A good Lengua de Gato starts with the mixing of the ingredients. Ms. Angie dela Cruz told us there are a lot of recipes available online, but should we decide to try it out in our own kitchen, we have to make sure we use fresh ingredients.


After the batter is mixed, it is then loaded to this machine that pipes out 12 Lengua de Gato at one time. Cool!


They didn't divulge the temperature and the cooking time for their Lengua de Gato, but obviously, the next step is to bake them.


Trying not to break any of the delicate cookies, next step is to cool them and separate them according to their color. They might be cooked in the same temperature and time, but not all of them come out of the oven looking the same. They do have their standard color, but those dark ones are not completely discarded - they still pack them for other use.


Final step is to pack the cookies in their respective containers.


We truly enjoyed the short time we spent inside the factory, but aside from savoring the wonderful smell and buying the freshest Lengua de Gato, it was the story behind the success that was the biggest blessing I received from this trip. At this point, I am still trying to learn how to bake and I still don't have the strength to sell the baked goods I have tried, but I will keep this success story in my heart and hope that in time I will be successful in my own little way as well.

*** Jenn ***

Balajadia Restaurant (Baguio City)

Though I travel to Baguio City at least once a year since my father passed away in 2007 (Baguio is our usual place to do side trips, as it is near to our place in La Union), I admit I still haven't fully explored the city as far as food is concerned. Call it a habit, but there were times that even if I am miles away from Metro Manila, my choice of food would often be those from fast food chains or those that I have already tried from previous food trips.

For our After Summer Group Getaway organized by Azalea Residences Baguio, I had no idea where we will eat for lunch. I heard someone said "Slaughter House," and some crazy thoughts run through my head, but when I saw the rows of eateries, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.



Of the many eateries in the area, the Balajadia Restaurant seemed to be the most popular. People seem to check this place first before checking the other eateries. From what I gather, this area is used to be where the Slaughter House of Baguio City is located, hence the name of the place.

{More after the jump...}

Café Yagam (Baguio City)

The day we arrived in Baguio City for the After Summer Group Getaway organized by Azalea Residences, the afternoon was actually a little humid despite the rainshowers. I didn't actually pack any jackets and sweatshirts, and it felt okay that way... but when we were called for dinner, spending time at Azalea Residences Baguio's lobby made me feel the very cold Baguio weather. It made me crave for something warm.




Thankfully, the Azalea Baguio team took us to Café Yagam. By the time we disembarked the vans, the rain was pouring hard so I wasn't able to capture some needed images, but entering the café, I instantly fell in love. I don't have the pictures to back it up, but it felt homey inside, and I just love the overall aesthetics and of course, the books! Oh man, the books!

For this dinner, we were served traditional Cordilleran dishes:


Rice
If I am correct, this is called pirurutong rice; I remember a family friend once gave us this kind of rice and we would mix a handful of this to our usual rice upon cooking. Anyway, this rice is soft and a pleasure to eat; cooked just right.


Binungor
A mix of different vegetables such as string beans, eggplants, legumes, mushrooms, shellfish, and banana blossoms, this dish is delicious but very... and I mean very spicy! Unlike other vegetable dishes that are usually half-cooked, the veggies in this dish are very soft and tender, and it felt like eating "Laing." I actually liked this dish, but I just couldn't take its heat. I'd either eat more rice or drink more water if I eat this.


Pinikpikan
Of all the Cordilleran dishes, this should be the most popular dish, and yes, this is a soup dish - kinda like the tinola, but for this dinner, they served the broth separately - we just had to get a bowl and fill it with broth, chicken, and vegetables.

Pinikpikan is chicken prepared by beating a live chicken with stick before properly dressing it for cooking. This process bruises the chicken meat, hence the blackish tones on its skin, and such process makes the meat more flavorful.

It tasted like Tinola, but this one is richer, and more flavorful. The broth calms the body, but I suggest you add tapuy (rice wine) on the broth for additional flavor.


Kini-ing
The Pinikpikan in Café Yagam is served with "Etag," which is how they called their cured meat. Although Kini-ing is also a form of cured meat, this is definitely different from Etag. Preparing this dish is quite complicated, and the process gave the meat its very distinct flavor and smell.

This has been the richest (flavor-wise) dish I ate that night. It paired well with tomatoes and onions, but even if I am a big fatty pork lover (I love pork fat, I won't deny it), each meat piece was so flavorful and so strong that I could only take a few pieces.


Pinuneg
Pinuneg is the Cordilleran Blood Sausage, but this is not made entirely of blood - it also has minced meat. Dinuguan is my top most favorite Filipino dish, so of all the dishes for this dinner, this was my favorite. I loved it with the spicy vinegar dip, but as is, it is still delicious!


Kiniwar
Our dessert. "Kiniwar" in Ilocano dialect means "stir," which was the main process in making the sticky rice dessert. Not too sweet, but it provided a much needed change of feel in the mouth after eating the very spicy Binungor.

Café Yagam takes pride of their coffee. In partnership with the CGN or the Cordillera Green Network, a non-profit organization, they source their coffee from the highlands of the Cordillera region. To ensure freshness of coffee, they only grind beans upon order and is available in different variations:

Brew - Paper drip or French press
Roast - Light, Medium, or Dark
Strength - Light, Medium, or Strong


Coffee in French Press
I wasn't able to ask the components of this coffee, but I kinda liked it as is - black. One thing we noticed, coffee served in this French press tend to retain its heat longer.


Tapuy (Rice Wine)
Made from fermented rice, this alcoholic drink is often served at many Cordilleran celebrations. I first learned about this wine through my late father, who used to stock this wine when I was younger, but it was my first time to taste Tapuy here in Café Yagam (I am not really wine drinker actually). At first I was a little hesitant, but... I am in Baguio, I am served authentic Cordilleran drink, would I still decline?

The taste? It was a little sour, but it was smooth. It instantly warmed my throat and tummy, but despite the sour flavor, there is something in this wine that would make you want to take another shot.

The traditional Cordilleran dishes are good, but I admit it was an acquired taste. Still, I highly recommend this place if you are in Baguio City. Like they say, "When in Rome, do or eat as they eat," in the same principle, when in Baguio, might as well try their traditional dishes. It's not only a about having a food trip, each dish and drink has history and culture to offer.

Café Yagam
25 J. Felipe Street, corner Gibraltar Road, Baguio City
+63 948 958 5157, +63 921 256 5677, +63 946 455 0364
Business hours: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Facebook Page


*** Jenn ***

Things You Can Do in Baguio City After Summer (Part 2)

to continue with my Baguio after-summer series, here are more things you can do in the City of Pines during the rainy season.




Eat to your heart's content.

Oh yes, let's start this post with food... because food is that fuel that allows us to enjoy many things. As one chocolate brand says, "you're not you when you're hungry." Anyway, with so many food establishments scattered around Baguio City, one recommended place to eat home-cooked meal is the Balajadia Restaurant, located at the city's Slaughter House. Here, you and your family and friends can feast on different meat dishes. Chilly gloomy weather you say? Enjoy a bowl of Bulalo then. Yumminess to the max!  (More about this restaurant on a separate post, including a very interesting dish called B and B).




Learn more about the Cordillera's culture.

Sure, one can learn more about the rich Cordilleran culture anywhere you go in Baguio and the nearby province of Benguet, but if you want to learn, have fun, and satisfy the tummy, you can head to Tam-Awan Village. The place is best to visit when the sun is up as the eco-trail might be slippery during the rainy season, but you can still roam around - check different traditional Ifugao / Igorot houses, and if the rain is too much to bear, you can just stay near the cafe where you can watch different traditional dances.


In this area is where you can also have your portrait sketched. Prices depends on the artist you choose, but each sketch won't really take too much of your time, a perfect activity to do while waiting for the rain to pass.

If the chilly weather is giving you goosebumps, the cafe serves hot drinks - coffee, chocolate, and tea - as well as pastries and snacks.



Find inspiration.

Not the romantic kind of inspiration, but something that would boost the morale. In this group getaway, we were blessed to have entered the Tartland Baguio Pasarabo factory. Known for their buttery Lenguas de Gato, Tartland's story is very inspirational. They are a testament that good things start from small beginnings, and by staying true to their passion, they were able to make Lenguas de Gato a Baguio City pasalubong staple.

At the moment, I am not sure if they allow tourists to drop by and see how the Lenguas de Gato are made because they are currently doing some expansions, but if you find ways to visit their factory, please do. Their story will definitely inspire you.




Test your strength and courage.

Baguio may be a small city, but it definitely has a very rich and deep history. While some of those are about triumphs, the city also has a very dark history, making the city known for its haunted places. Part of our getaway was to visit these haunted places - starting with the Baguio Cathedral, then to Teacher's Camp, followed by the Laperal White House. I am definitely a scaredy cat, but I still gave it a go, because the Fright Tour is not just for frights, I got to learn so many things as well. Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit two more places in the tour - the site of the Hyatt Hotel and the Loakan Road, but the things I experienced was okay enough to scare the living daylights out of me. I actually went home sleeping with the lights on because I still couldn't get over the tour.


Help sustain the local industry.

There are so many places to buy souvenirs and Baguio-made food products to take home, but if the weather is unfavorable, I suggest you do your shopping at the Baguio City Market. Here you can buy everything you need under one roof! Haggling is welcome, but don't haggle too much, because their goods are definitely lower than those you can buy at the malls and other commercial places.




Be awed by nature.

I do agree, Baguio is very urbanized now, but you have to agree, the city still boasts a very beautiful nature range. Enjoy taking pictures just about anywhere (I once stopped by a residential area to take pictures of wild dandelions), and even if it rains, it sometimes bring the fog that adds more drama to the surroundings. Rain or shine, the nature will surely feed your cameras with different subjects to take pictures of.

My three-day after summer group getaway with fellow bloggers was a success, thanks to Azalea Residences Baguio. I may have traveled to Baguio at least once a year since 2009, but I was still able to experience so many first on this getaway. My heartfelt thanks to the whole Azalea team for making this getaway one for the books.

Regardless of the season, Baguio City is a wonderful destination. Please don't think you can only enjoy the city during summer. Actually, I find it a little better to travel after summer as the roads are less congested and places aren't peppered with tourists. I fell in love with Baguio City more, and as early as now, I'm itching to travel back and enjoy these again and more.

*** Jenn ***