MANILA, Philippines - There's a wealth of places to go to in the Philippines for good food. One of them is the province of Pampanga in central Luzon.
Known as foodie haven, Pampanga boasts of special delicacies. For instance, sisig, which is made with chopped parts of pig's head and ears served on a sizzling platter, was said to have been concocted first in Angeles City by Aling Lucing beside the railroad tracks. Tocino, sweetened pork, was also "born" here.
The show "Living the Golden Life" on ANC recently went to Pampanga for a food trip and zeroed in on 3 places worth visiting.
Everybody's Cafe
This homey cafe is famous for its stuffed frogs, the best-seller, said owner Pette Santos-Jorolan. Its stuffing is made from ground pork which makes it tastier.
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| Stuffed frogs (left) and crispy frog legs (right) |
Another must-try dish here is the crispy frog legs.
But for those who are a bit queasy about eating exotic food, there are traditional family dishes on the menu cherished by generations of Kapampangans.
Galang's Sweets
People go to Galang's Sweets not only to order local desserts but to learn how to make sweets as well.
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| Ningnang Mais, meringue stuffed with custard cream |
One of its specialties is the Ningnang Mais, meringue stuffed with custard cream. It looks like grilled corn, but is more like brazo de mercedes.
Bale Dutung
For those who want to experience good food and view art pieces at the same time, head on over to Bale Dutung, the art gallery-cafe of artist, chef and food columnist Claude Tayag.
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| The interiors of Bale Dutung, an art gallery-cafe |
One of Tayag's delicious dishes is the lechon flakes roll which is made of real meat from the lechon belly.
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| Artist-chef Claude Tayag demonstrates how to make the lechon flakes roll. |
Pampanga is less than 2 hours away from Manila and is easily accessible via the many public buses plying the Manila-Dau route. Travel through the North Luzon Expressway is smooth and easy.
Everybody's Cafe is on Del Pilar, MacArthur Highway, San Fernando (tel. nos. (045) 860-1121 and 961-7121). Galang's Sweets is at Emelita W. Galang Culinary Arts Studio Inc., Galang-Wong Bldg., 110 MacArthur Highway, Balibago, Angeles City (tel. nos. 045-322-5361; 045-625-8207). Bale Dutung is at Villa Gloria Subdivision, Angeles City (tel. nos. 09175359198, (02) 6684038, and (02) 5024527).