Just an hour and a half from Manila, Pampanga is considered the culinary capital of the Philippines due to its wide array of unique dishes and a lot of restaurants scattered all over its towns. I will focus in the City of San Fernando with 3 places known for its affordable prices and distinct character.
Aling Lucing’s Sisig
The birthplace of sisig, a popular Pinoy dish made from pork’s
head and internal organs. I first heard of this venue from Anthony Bourdain’s
tv show. It is located at the heart of Angeles City, near the railroad tracks
and along a busy street. Menu consists of Ihaw-Ihaw or charbroiled pork
intestines, liver, hotdog and rellenong bangus among others. The original sisig
didn’t have egg on top as compared to other sisig recipes. It was flavorful and
the serving was more than enough for two people. Affordable meals range from
P75 to P150 per order. It’s worth visiting this foodie place.
Glaciano Valdez St. Angeles City, Pampanga
Lelut Baculud
Lelut is a Kapampangan term for goto or porridge. Baculud
is the Kapampangan name of Bacolor based from online research. Now that you
know the origins of the food outlet’s name, let’s get right down to the menu.
Lelut is P50 filled with 2 pieces of chicken and 1 egg. It’s filling,
comforting and my ultimate soul food. Side dishes include tokwa’t baboy – crispy
tofu and pork bits with some awesome vinegar concoction. They also have
Filipino staple viands with rice but I haven’t tried those yet. Lelut Baculud
has two branches, one near downtown and one in San Agustin.
Old Public Market, Consunji Street Poblacion San Fernando
City
San Isidro along McArthur Highway, San Fernando City
Choco-late de Batirol
For chocolate lovers like me, this hits our sweet spot.
According to a Bisayan dictionary, “Batirol” is a small pot used for cooking
chocolate drink, shaped like an urn, with a stirring rod that can be rotated
using your palms. The regular blend is P90 per cup of pure traditional chocolatey yumminess.
Other flavors include almond, mint, raspberry and more. My son ordered
champorado which includes 2 pieces of tuyo at P100. The atmosphere is very
fresh with vines and trellis inside the small restaurant. They also offer rice
meals and traditional snacks like bibingka.
Northwalk 2 JASA Road, Olongapo-Gapan Road, City of San
Fernando, Pampanga
