Beyond inasal bliss: A guide to foodie spots around Bacolod

Being a pure bred Manileña, I am hurt every time a new acquaintance asks “Saan ang province mo?” and watch as the person’s face falls as I answer, “Wala e.”

 

I have always dreamt of hailing from another part of the country, in any region, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, anywhere but Manila, really.

 

A recent trip to the “City of Smiles” had me convinced that if I were to be adopted in a province, then I will gladly squeeze into and frolic in the sugarcane fields of Bacolod City.

 

Who would not want to live in a progressive city (it was voted the #1 Place to Live in the Philippines by “MoneySense” magazine) brimming with people, whose Ilonggo accent makes them seem like they never get angry and are the sweetest creatures on the face of the earth?

 

Most of all, I can imagine myself smiling and whistling every day with all the glorious eats here.

 

I was able to hop to some popular food destinations, but because of lack of time and tummy space, a return ticket to Bacolod City is in order very soon. But for now, I shall smack my lips as I relish my memories of the foodie haven in Negros Occidental.

 

Aida’s in Manokan Country

 

Pray you don’t have allergies, my friend, for nothing compares with the original chicken inasal in Bacolod. The restaurants here in Manila do not even come close.

 

So popular is this dish that a whole strip called “Manokan Country” was created just for chicken inasal, and Aida’s is said to be the one of the best.

 

The chickens are marinated overnight with vinegar, garlic, lemon grass, soy sauce and brown sugar, though each restaurant has its secret ingredient they will never reveal.

 

After marinating, the chicken is roasted over coal or fire. The result? A fat and juicy, yellowish grilled chicken with a crunchy, charcoaled finish on the outside. Dip it in soy sauce with calamansi and pair it with garlic rice and you’re good to go.

 

Find Aida’s in: Manokan Country, at the back of SM Bacolod. You can go there via taxi (P40 flag rate and P3.50 per meter) or ride a Taytay Market jeep.

 

Price range: P100-110 per meal

 

Caffeine fix at Café Bob’s

 

Have you ever noticed how living in a province makes you wake up earlier than when you are in Manila?

 

So as early as seven in the morning, I found my groggy self hailing a cab and asking the driver to take me to the nearest coffee shop. He almost dropped me off in Starbucks, to my vehement protest. Thank God, Café Bob’s was just a few blocks away.

 

Inside, it is cozy, and the menu is overflowing. You can take a pick among the lattes, espressos, frapps and if you’re a coffee addict like me, buy two cups and it’d cost you just P150, the price of a small designer coffee in Manila.

 

By the end of my indulgent meal of Chicken Waldorf sandwich, a huge plate of Linguine with Chorizo Bilbao, café latte, and sweet fluffy Mariana’s for dessert, I was rubbing my tummy with contentment.

 

Find Café Bob’s on: Lacson St. Take a cab or ask people how to commute there (a jeepney ride costs a minimum of P8). The locals are honest and approachable.

 

Price range: Coffees range from P70- P85; sandwiches from P100- P165; desserts vary, from P25 up to P100.

 

Fine dining and Pinoy cuisine at 21

 

Do not be intimidated by 21’s hotel-like interiors and fine dining ambiance. I was told this was the restaurant of choice among Bacolodian families for sumptuous servings of authentic Filipino food.

 

Our contact was right: the place was packed with families when we went there, most of them sipping and slurping bowls of 21’s bestseller batchoy.

 

A popular Iloilo dish, batchoy is a sinful broth of pork and beef innards, crunchy chicharon, egg, chopped scallions, noodles, and its deadly ingredient – bone marrow. It’s best to finish it off while steaming hot to prevent the dish from looking greasy.

 

The batchoy is soul-soothing to the last drop, making me forget that it’s actually of a nape-throbbing, heart attack-inducing kind. But just like any delicious thing, it’s worth the risk.

 

Find 21: right across Café Bob’s on Lacson St.

 

Price range: Dishes are priced between P100- P500. Best for sharing.

 

Sinigang na Bulalo at Sharyn’s Cansi House

 

If you want to recover from a nasty hangover, then head to Sharyn’s Cansi House, which is known to have the best cansi in town.

 

Cansi is basically bone marrow soup, a bulalo made sour with “batwan,” a local fruit found only in Negros. The dish also has atsuete, jackfruit, and lemon grass.

 

Imagine melt-in-your-mouth soft pieces of beef shank that fall off the bone and swim around the steaming bowl. Slowly chew as you down spoonfuls of the sour marrow-broiled soup. Tip: don’t ask for a menu at Sharyn’s. They only serve cansi, rice and drinks.

 

Find Sharyn’s: on Narra Ave., Capitol Shopping Center

 

Price range: A bowl of cansi is worth P240, good for sharing among 3- 4 persons

 

Sugar Rush at Calea

 

In Calea, it’s hard not to gush. Rows upon rows of cakes in various sizes and flavors seemingly twinkle in the counter display. Immediately, the gushing is followed by my eyeballs almost falling off, reading the prices. For the size and the volume of the cakes, the prices are cheap!

 

Watching my weight, I only ordered two slices (which I regret until now): the imported chocolate cake and white chocolate cake, and of course, brewed coffee to wash it down.

 

Dip the white chocolate cake in the strawberry sauce on the side and you’d utter a silent prayer in delight. The imported chocolate cake, a large slice as you can see in the picture, is divinely soft. Fork it together with the caramel and the chocolate sauce. Take your time and close your eyes. Remember this blissful moment forever.

 

Besides cakes, they also serve sandwiches and several types of coffee in Calea.

 

Find Calea: in two branches. One is on Lacson St. and the other in Lourdes Center.

 

Price range: A slice of cake ranges from P80- P100. Sandwiches are at P115- P155. – KDM/KG, GMA News