The Bacolod Foodie Scene (Part 3)

If you plan on touring some provinces of the Philippines, make it a point to come to Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. Why? Aside from their cultural and heritage gems, their food is excellent! These past few years has really made this city a gastro feast for very affordable prices.

I have already made two blog posts about the Bacolod food scene and this is the recent installment. Told ya there's quite a lot of choices! All cuisines.

Have a look at what we had! Share share..


1) BAR 21 RESTAURANT
Address: 21 Street, cor. Lacson Street, Bacolod City

This resto has long been in city but this is the first time that I dined here. And I loved everything! It was a long time coming but it was all worth the wait. 

PEPPER STEAK
With freshly ground pepper and cream sauce with mashed potato and fried caramelized onions. This I really LOVE among all! I will not go here if I won't be able to order this. 

BATCHOY
Who knew that one needn't go to Iloilo to experience the best Batchoy when you can have it in Bacolod also. 

TANGIGUE KINILAW
Look at that presentation! Everything was so fresh! The serving was a bit spicy, but lovely, so my mom requested for the level of spiciness to be dampened down and they accommodated that request. Very good! 

LENGUA
With mashed potatoes, abalone, shiitake, straw and golden mushrooms. My brother ordered it and he was happy with this. The lengua was tender and delicate.

Do not miss this place when you visit the city. It's a nice place for a date or intimate dinner with friends and loved ones. The ambiance is a bit casual formal. 

2) CAFE BOB'S

Address: Lacson St. corner 21st St., Bacolod City

JAVA CHEESECAKE

PISTACHIO DACQUOISE
It was like Sansrival. The taste is delicate and nutty and not overly sweet. 

They have so many cake and pastry choices to choose from. I kid you not! And have a couple of sugarfree options too. And the prices are below Php100

3) PENDY'S RESTAURANT

Address: Lacson St. Bacolod City

Considered an institution in Bacolod. My mom and dad used to have their dates here so that was way back in the late 70s. And now, me and my brother love it here too! 

HALF MOON
Pendy's is famouse for this and I have not seen, or tried, this from other restos. But truth be told, this is like a moist sponge cake with custard on top. I like how it is very light and is not heavy on the tummy. 

PAD THAI
My brother reallys digs this, amongst all that he has tried. Their version is a bit more sour than the usual but the taste, for me, is distinctly Pendy's.

This fully loaded burger with bacon strips is good and meaty! Really nothing out of the extraordinary but it was good. We shared this because it was big.

4) FELICIA'S PASTRY CAFE
Address: Several branches all over the city

Felicia's has been in the scene for a couple of years already and is gaining their own set of followers. Me, I have always been a Calea girl but this place gives Calea a run for its money. They have mucho choices and prices are competitive to others too. Meaning, a great tasting cake slice for less than Php100.

Been to two branches and these are what we got. I don't recall the names of the cakes because we've ordered a lot! Sorry.

Their own take on the famous macarons. Sweet and tasty!

SANSRIVAL
 One of my all-time favorite cakes. Chewy and the sweetness was just right. Love love!

BIG ENSAYMADA

5) SODAM KOREAN RESTAURANT
Address: Lacson St. Bacolod City

I was told this is one of the best Korean restos in the city. And it was! The place was packed and orders kept on pouring in.

Limited Banchan but its ok

BIBIMBAP
Really tasty and it was hard to stop eating it

JAPCHAE
My fave. Good thing this was complimentary. I loved it.

KOREAN ICE CREAM
Compliments of the owner. So sweet of her. 

JEYOK BOKUM
Spicy, salty, so good! Not really fond of spicy dishes but I'm slowly, yet surely, appreciating it more and more

KIMBOP
I've had several rolls and this is so filling! Stuff yourself with 2-3 rolls only so you can get to appreciate more of the other dishes 

SAM GYUPSAL
Best eaten wrapped in you leafy greens (below) and add some chili and garlic and the dip. Yum! Definitely getting your hands dirty a little bit

6) BASCON CAFE
Address: Lacson St. Bacolod City

This is an old place too but I just found out about this recently and it was a revelation. Food is great and the ambiance is very cozy. Nothing too noisy so it's a great place to hang out with people and have great conversations. Best of all, all orders below (all four of us ordered drinks too) are for, more or less, Php1,000 only!

Quaint.

ROOTBEER FLOAT
Something to beat the heat.

RISOTTO DEL CHORIZO
This is our second choice but no worries. Their attempt at risotto is passable but I liked the tomato taste. Nothing really fancy but delicious in its own right.

SIZZLING SISIG
A comfort food for me so we just had to order it. I have tasted better ones but this is not bad at all.

LENGUA
This was weird because it was sweet and have potatoes and banana. It was like Pochero for me so this is just so and so.

POLLO PESTO
This is so good! The creaminess of the pesto sauce on top of the chicken breast was so flavorful. I was told this was a  bestseller and I knew why. It was THAT good!

PIZZA MARGHERITA
Size of a regular plate and thin-crust, its simpleness was a delight. We finished all of it right away. Not too filling so its a good addition to your roster of orders.

WARM BUTTER CAKE AND BABA CAKE
The first one was superb! Warm butter cake with melting ice cream complimented each other. While the chocolate "Baba" cake was thick with chocolate and a hit for us chocolate lovers. One thing that we do is to order individual items then we share it all with each other, that way we get to taste more than we actually paid for.

7) L'SEA DIMSUM AND NOODLE HOUSE
Address: Lopues East Centre, Villamonte, Bacolod City

CHICKEN INASAL
During this trip, I did not go to my usual chicken inasal joints but I had to before I leave so we dropped by L'Sea, which is near where we live, and had one. Taste was close enough to the ones of my fave places so that's good enough.

HAKAW
This is not so good because the shrimps were scrimped.

PORK SIOMAI
The meat was good but nothing exceptional. 

8) My tita's home cooking!

Of course, family hospitality is very normal for all Filipinos so we had Korean fare at our tita's house and it was so good! And you don't have to worry about prices because it's for free. Yes! 

The feast!

Again and again, Bacolod never fails to impress when its comes the restaurant scene, competing with other big cities in the country and for me, topping it because they offer great food at reasonable prices. That's why when I eat at places there, I can't help but mutter a not-too-noisy comparison between the Metro Manila prices.

I have friends who wants me to take them in Bacolod, how I wish I can, but given the mutual time and budget, I would love to do so. Already did it to a group of close friends already. =)


~Lovelee~


Check out my previous Bacolod food trips:

BACOLOD FOODIE SCENE PART 1
http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2012/07/bacolod-foodie-scene.html

BACOLOD FOODIE SCENE PART 1
http://thisislovelee.blogspot.com/2013/01/BacolodFoodieScenePart2.html

Negros Occidental Revisited

Negros Occidental is a province full of promise to tourists, both new and recurring ones such as me. Not really a tourist because this is my province but I admit, I have not explored the place yet to the hilt. Slowly but surely, that's what I want to achieve.

So for this particular short visit, I said to myself I'm going to visit some places that are a bit near the city. Or in the city itself.

Sharing my photoblog:
VICTORIAS CITY
About 34kms away from Bacolod City, going Northward, about 40mins travel time on a private car and 50mins to 1hr on public transportation. Home of the once glorious Victorias Milling Company (VMC) that was the biggest integrated sugar mill and refinery in the world. And inside the VMC compound is the St.Joseph the Worker Church or more famously known as the Church of the Angry Christ.

The quiet Victorias City Hall on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Looks old and abandoned but not

Scorching sun is draining the life out of these pretty yellow flowers

You will be surrounded by this scenery anywhere you go.

There it is! Finally! The Church of  the Angry Christ

The facade is very simple and unassuming.

There is the famous mural of the Angry Christ painted by international artist Alfonso Ossorio who was an abstract expressionist who was born in Manila but his affluent parents hail from Negros Occidental also.

I did not find it 'angry' enough, instead I just admired the colorful mural. It was my first time here so I said a short prayer and asked for 3 wishes. That was taught to me by my mom who was also with me here. This trip by the way is our short adventure as a mom & daughter tandem.

The church is surrounded by greenery so it was a bit cool when we were there. Nice.

Of course, a trip here in Victorias City is not complete if you don't visit this antique VMC Locomotive otherwise called the "Iron Dinosaur'. It's a landmark in itself. Another check in my checklist! =)

BAGO CITY
About 20kms away from the provincial capitol of Bacolod City or 30mins travel time. We took a contracted taxi ride going here for P500 coming from the city. They have a twin falls here called Kipot Twin falls that I need to visit next time I will be here in Bacolod.

St. John the Baptist Church. From the outside you might think it small but wait until you get inside. The church was constructed in 1891. This trip here was a special one as my uncle will officiate the fiesta mass, this will formally mark his transfer here at Bago City as their parish priest. 

Happy Fiesta! 

Holy Water basin. Looked so old already. 

BACOLOD CITY
A revisit to these places that I have just passed quickly before.

Cathedral of San Sebastian located at the city center. It was built from 1876-1885.

According to http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com/2006/07/27/bacolod-cathedral/, The coral stone church, now covered with a thin layer of cement, is classical in temper. The slender bell towers flanking the façade give an eastern European look to the church. The entrance to the church is through a portico composed of three arches of equal dimensions. Flanking the main door is a statue of the church builder Fr. Ferrero. The church interior is simple and chaste, its pleasing appearance comes about because of the pleasing modulation of arches and pillars rather than ornamentation. This feeling is accentuated by the unadorned gray faux vault, minus the figures painted by Lago.

The Centennial Bells

Just across the cathedral is the Bacolod Plaza Bandstand and Gazebo. A must visit and going here is nothing to worry about. Located at the heart of the downtown area, public transpo is very easy to get by.

The Bandstand that has the names of the famous composers inscribed in the circle at the sides of the roofing: Beethoven, Wagner, Haydn and Mozart. It is a clear attestment to the early Bacolodnons familiarity with European culture. This is a place where activities of all sorts are being held. I remember before that I attended an event here for Maxipeel, way back in my GMA 7 days. It was constructed in 1927 to complement the weekend cultural activities of the early Bacolodnons.

Per Wikipedia, The plaza is a trapezoidal park with a belt of trees around the periphery and a gazebo at the center. Scattered within the trees are four circular fountains.

There! These are the places that I visited during my short trip here. Of course, done already with the food trip part. Visit it here again, Bacolod Foodie Scene .