Ilocos in a plate.... Lampong and Saramsam

It has been some time since I have last blogged....November 2013 in fact! Life was just hectic and a bit busier than the usual that I did not have time to write about what has been happening during my food trips. Anyway I hope this gets me back on track!

Jump shot with Belfry in the background

May 2014 is convention time for most medical societies, and where I belong to is not an exception. So with the whole entourage of my kids and their yayas, we opted for the cheaper alternative of doing land travel . Departing at the holy hour (coz the kids are blissfully asleep) of 3 am, we started our journey.

One of the drug companies sponsored an amazing race contest where several tasks had to be performed and documented with pictures. Out of the 5 categories we won 2 (best jump shot and most relaxing shot). Not bad, eh?

Sign outside Island souvenir shop

First significant menu after jolibee breakfast was at Vigan. Cafe Leona was our first choice but we came in the resto at the height of the holiday lunch crowd and there was a queue.
With grumbling stomachs we trooped to the nearby rest: Lampong's. It was a blessing in disguise! Its a very small rest along Calle Crisologo near Island souvenir shop.

Sotanghon soup good for 2: 50php

 The food was simply great! I had poqui-poqui before in a manila resto and did not like it but Lampong's version of the dish was the best I have tasted during the whole 3 day ilocos sojourn .The grilled eggplant taste was very strong (which I love!).

Poqui-poqui: grilled eggplant with egg, tomato and onion php 140

1 doz vigan longganisa : php 240

 Of course we just have to have Vigan longganisa and for our bagnet fix , their dinakdakan bagnet is the best!

Dinakdakan Bagnet: shredded bagnet with onion and sukang ilocos php 180

The best part was the price: for 5 adults and 2 kids (rice and soft drinks included) the bill came down to just Php 940!
















Before we got to Laoag, we did some sight seeing in Batac and Paoay.

A visit to Apo in Batac

Dragon fruit ice cream from a vendor outside Marcos museum

Paoay Church

After the convention , there were still a few sights and activities to do....

Bangui windmills

Kapurpurawan rock formations

Cape Bojeador

Pagudpod beach

Pagudpod beach may be the Boracay of the north but its definitely not Boracay. Up to this point nothing still beats that island paradise. I recommend skipping this as the trip was too long and not worth it if you are not planning an overnight stay.

Patapat bridge

Paoay Sand dunes

Sand boarding at Paoay

The highlight of the sightseeing for me was the Paoay Sand Dunes. This was the place where Da King (FPJ) shot his Panday movies. For 2500php (good for max 5 people) you get to ride the sand dunes in a 4x4 buggy that is akin to a roller coaster ride standing up! 

There is also 30 mins of sand boarding trial where yours truly ungracefully dismounted via her but and arms 3x!

Our Last evening in the North left us looking for a place to dine. Saramsam came highly recommended via blogs , websites and the locals. We were told that it would be almost impossible to get a table but we decided to take our chances. And true enough we were turned down as they are full. But our persistence and patience paid off. Within 30 mins of persistent waiting a table was free!

Basil iced tea. Good if you like the taste of basil

Sampaloc ice tea. We love this!

dinardaran pizza. 

Bagoong and chili oil for pizza? it works!

We wanted to try the pakbet pizza but it was out of stock. So we decided to go for the dinardaran pizza which is just dinuguan topping for a regular pizza. The fun part is adding bagoong and chili oil to the pizza and finding out how good it taste! 

Bagnet with KBL 

How can you go wrong with Baget! crispy fatty deep fried version of lechon kawali up north.

poqui poque

Our third Poqui poqui or poque poque.... this comes close as a close second to lampong's. the grilled eggplant taste is stronger with Lampon's version.

saramsam pasta

Saramsam pasta is just their pasta salad with raw mango, tomato, onion, steamed shrimp. After the reviews I have read about the dish , I was expecting more but this dish fell short.

longanissa pasta

Longanissa pasta. The tomato sauce overpowered whatever longganisa taste it was supposed to have. 

insarabasab

Insarabasab is grilled pork with sukang ilocos and onions. Its like sisig and kilawin combined. This version is tastier than the catered version by La Preciosa.

Overall,  the wait and the reputation of the place is well deserved. With the exception of the pasta dishes, its worth revisiting should we find ourselves in apo country. The price is like Manila. For 5 adults the bill came to almost 1600 php.

Five Guys Burger in Phoenix, Arizona

I have not blogged for a long time due to a multitude of reasons. But now with some time in my hands here in the US, I have found reason to resume my blog.

Hamburgers are undoubtedly American and there are a multitude of hamburger joints without even mentioning the worldwide known brands. While strolling along the deserted streets of Biltmore, Phoenix, Arizona, We saw a Five guys burger joint. The walls are decorated with news clippings proclaiming it to be one of the worlds best, and is Ziggat rated. At first my companion was skeptical as the joint is near empty. But our stomachs were grumbling and we decided to have dinner.

I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger (7.59 USD) with everything on it except ketchup (mayo, lettuce, grilled onions, pickles.) . The regular fries (2.59 USD)were told were good for two and so wear just ordered one. Drinks are refillable and we just got the regular sized glass (2. 59USD) .  

Free peanuts!

While waiting, you can get as much peanuts from crates placed in the middle of the room. It is lightly salted and roasted with the shells on.

The burgers are thick and juicy but can be requested to be well done. There was really no additive taste as their claim says. The seasoning is simple as it should be if you have good meat. No need to go double as you can see in the picture. It was more than enough to fill our hungry bellies.

The fries are freshly made from locally sourced farms, cut thick and fried with the skins on. Aside from ketchup, malt vinegar is available as an additional condiment.

Over all bill for two came up to 25USD inclusive of 8% tax. We were so full that we felt sleepy post prandial. If you pass by on e of their stores, go try their burger. Its worth the trip.

One hour waiting in line for Tian-Tian Chicken Rice!

 Second day at Singapore and we were looking for a place to eat. We went window shopping at Marina Bay shops and for a while was tempted to try their food court but I remembered Anthony Bourdain's feature on a Chicken rice place in SG. After a few google clicks, we headed to Maxwell food center near Chinatown.

Tian-Tian Chicken rice stall.

What else can I say except the damn line was long. It was extending outside of the food court! People patiently waiting in line while other stalls barely had customers.

I found myself outside of the food court just to reach the end of the line. After 40 mins, i have reached the order counter then another line more for another 15 mins to get your order. This better be worth it!

The looong line! it extended outside the food center!

The star of the show: Chicken Rice

Anthony Bourdain got something right: rice was so tasty and fragrant that it can be eaten on its own! The chicken was succulently soft but it was a bit bland. The chicken I had at Albert food court was tastier. But really, the star was the rice.

Bean sprouts and cuttle fish

For veggies, I got an order of bean sprouts with cuttlefish and boiled bok choi with oyster sauce. Both veggie dishes were cooked just right: crispy veggies with typical starch thickened sauce. The bean sporouts had the tiniest hint of spiciness which added to its taste.
All in all, the cost of two chicken rice , 2 veggie dishes added up to 16SGD. Drinks are a bit more expensive and costs approx 1-1.5 SGD. while waiting in the line, I managed to buy a soursop (guyabano) drink at 1.50 SGD. It was really good!

Bok Choi with oyster sauce

Tian tian proudly displays Anthony Boudain's article

behind me is the oyster cake stall

There is a stall inside Maxwell food center that sells only oyster cakes. Though we were so full of the chicken rice, we ordered a piece to taste.

Oyster cake

The oyster cake is deep fried and inside contains oysters, unrecognizable veggies, and chopped shrimp. It was really artery wrenching good!

Oily yummy goodness filled with oyster, shrimp and veggies

Lau Pa Sat in SG

Cycling around SG and on the F1 race track!

After cycling our way around downtown Singapore, we needed to recharge and eat! Hawker Food in SG has always fascinated me and during this trip, we decided to try several of them.

Lau Pa Sat

Lau Pa Sat which literally means old market is located at the city center. From Bugis, we rode the East-west line (green line) and went down to Raffles. From there is was a 5 minute walk to Lau Pa Sat.

Satay : Beef, Chicken, Mutton or Shrimp

There was a lot of food stalls inside the food center but people go there for the Satay located at the street behind Lau Pa Sat. We were at a loss on what or where to eat. There were no lines just people approaching you to try their food.








 We met a Cebuana named Cely who has been working everyday for 4 hrs for the past 12 years in Lau Pa sat. She recommended their fried rice (no shrimp) and Sambal Stingray. I have never been a fan of sting ray as food so we opted for crispy squid in sweet and sour sauce. We also ordered kailan with oyster sauce as well as 10 sticks of satay (beef and chicken).

Milk tea and Red lemonade

While waiting, Paul trooped to the stall selling drinks. He got Milk tea and Red lemonade. The Milk tea was in bad need of sugar (but Paul liked it as it was) and the red lemonade tasted like kalamansi juice.










The food came after 10 mins sans the satay. Pay as food is delivered. Total cost was 25 SGD. The squid was delightfully crispy and the sauce was not overpowering the squid. The rice well, is just fried rice. The veggie was cooked perfectly and very tasty.





The Satay came after a few minutes more (0.60 SGD each). it was served with peanut dipping sauce. The pinoy in me still love the sweet salty barbeque we have back home. The peanut dip was just Ok, nothing spectacular.

Beef and Chicken satay

Total SGD 35 (including drinks) pretty pricy for hawker food but the amount was good enough to feed three people.

Food court and Hawker stalls in SG 1

Its August and barely had the waters receeded from Maring's onslaught , we boarded a Tiger Airways red-eye flight to Singapore. The three hour trip was not long but the non-reclining seat of the budget airline was a bit difficult on my neck muscles!

Anyway, first lunch in the Fine City (puro fines) of Singapore was at Albert Center which was near Bugis station and our hotel. It is composed of approx 30 food stalls. We decided to follow what Anthony Bourdain said: go for the food stalls with a long line.

So we ended up with Misua soup at 4SGD. There is a stall that seems to be family owned and only serves this dish. The line never ceases and after 12 mins or so, I finally got served this. The misua is not like what we have at home. The noodles are firm, the soup clean and clear, the dimsum that floats are a mixture of shrimp balls, stuffed tofu and fish cakes. A side sauce of thick sweet soy and spicy red sauce comes on a plastic shallow container.

Misua 4SGD

Next we looked for Chicken rice. There is not much line so I just went for whatever seemed to be the busiest. The chicken rice at meat at 4SGD is served with soup, boiled bok choi and very tasty boneless Hainanese chicken. No sauce needed as the meat was perfectly seasoned , not very oily and just the tiniest hot sauce made it complete.

Chicken Rice Set meal 4SGD

We split the meal and it was good enough for two. We downed our meal with grass jelly drink at 0.80 SGD each. Less than 10SGD for two is definitely within the budget and hits just the right spot!