Are you planning an upcoming visit to the City of Smiles? In addition to exploring the beautiful sights and attractions Bacolod has to offer, you simply must take the time to explore the city’s robust food scene as well. In a city known for its delicious fare, the challenge won’t be where to find good food, but rather whether or not you have enough time to explore and taste them all.
Piaya
This popular sweet treat is not only a must-try when you are in Bacolod, but it is also favored by visitors as a souvenir to take back home. It is essentially a type of flat bread filled with muscovado sugar but many different versions of it have popped up in recent years in Pasalubong shops like BongBong’s.
Where to eat it: Baylon’s Piaya,
Chicken Inasal
A trip to Bacolod will not be complete until you have had a taste of the famous Chicken Inasal. ‘Inasal’ means ‘cooked over fire’ and while Inasal-style meats can be found all over the Philippines, the recipe that is used in Bacolod is definitely unique. Whether it is the pork or chicken version, the classic Bacolod inasal is cooked with red achuete or annatto seeds, which the reddish tinge of the dish is attributed to, and the meat is marinated with a combination of vinegar, sugar and calamansi. For the most delicious experience with Chicken Inasal in Bacolod, ready the special dipping sauce that is made of soy sauce, calamansi and spicy vinegar, and enjoy your meal!
Where to eat it:Manokan Country/Aida’s/Nena’s Beth
Fresh seafood
Fresh seafood is usually known to be pricey, but that is definitely not the case in Bacolod where you can feast on seafood and still avoid burning a hole in your wallet. In Bacolod, seafood is eaten “pala-pala”-style which is when customers select their fresh seafood and the way they want it to be cooked.
Some of the more popular restaurants you can visit to enjoy fresh seafood in Bacolod include Aboy’s, 18th Street and Diotay’s, which you can usually find teeming with visitors, both local and foreign, during the peak periods for lunch and dinner. If you find yourself spoiled for choice when faced with the huge array of fresh seafood at these establishments, the grilled fish, garlic butter shrimp and oysters are highly recommended.
Napoleones
Brought by the French to the Philippines, Napoleones became popular in Bacolod and it is a must-try for dessert lovers. They are made of multi-layered crust pastries stacked up to form one heavenly bite with custard cream in every layer, complete with a brush of white sugar glaze over the top. A chocolate version of Napoleones was invented by Roli’sCafe to cater to chocolate lovers, but if it is your first time trying one of these, then the original custard flavoredNapoleone is the go-to snack to pair with a cuppa Joe.
Where to eat it: Virgie’s/Roli’s Café
Lumpiang Bacolod
The version of lumpiang served in Bacolod is unique due to its very tasty sauce and is also commonly known in the city as Lumpiang Sariwa or Lumpiang Ubod. For those unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine, it is essentially a spring roll or popiah in that it is made of savory filling wrapped in a thin, translucent wrapper. The Bacolod version has a special peanut sauce that is drizzled inside the wrapper before it is closed up. Lumpiang is popular as a mid-day snack and can be easily found around Bacolod City.
