Summer Eats: 6 PH Foodie Haunts to Check Out this Sunny Season
Planning a food trip with friends and family this summer? Read up!
by Andy Flores | April 05, 2017
Planning a food trip with friends and family this summer? Read up! From picture-perfect restos, to super chill bars, we took the liberty of listing down six foodie spots across the country that are worth traveling to. (Excuse us, as we potentially sabotage your beach body diet plan through this mouth-watering post.)
Original Digman Halo Halo – Bacoor, Cavite
82 Rubio St. Digman Bacoor City, Bacoor, Cavite
Barangay Digman in Bacoor, Cavite is every halo halo lover’s heaven. With food stalls and eateries littered across the district offering their own take on the Pinoy summer favorite, picking one place to enjoy the sweet cold treat can be an overwhelming task. But, if you’re looking for the first and authentic Digman halo halo, search no further than Original Digman Halo Halo and Home Made Siopao, the barangay’s dear halo halo place.
While there are a few other places in Digman that claims to serve the “original” halo halo, pick the humble brick carinderia along Rubio Street with the signage that says “Original Digman Halo Halo and Home Made Siopao.” It is the locals’ go-to halo halo spot that boasts a history that dates back to the 1930s, when Mrs. Raymunda Ugalde-Toledo concocted the very first Digman halo halo, using discarded evaporated milk cans as containers. Needless to say, her creation of ice and milk topped with various confections became a hit, making her a halo halo legend in the area.
Today, Original Digman Halo Halo and Home Made Siopao draws customers not just for their delightfully colorful shaved ice dessert, but also for their pancit Malabon, siopao, and mais con yelo — another mustn’t miss summer specialty.
Rekado – Davao City, Davao Del Sur
1050 Emilio Jacinto Ext, Barangay. 11-B, Poblacion District, Davao City, 8000 Davao del Sur
The taste of home away from home goes by the guise of Rekado in Davao City, Davao Del Sur. A modern Filipino kitchen that gives classic Filipino favorites a twist, this restaurant makes your gustatory experience as unforgettable and as comforting as your fondest memories of dining with your loved ones in your childhood home.
One of their most popular dishes is the “Kalderadob,” a smart gastronomic creation by Rekado’s Chef Pauline Benedicto that combines everything you love about kaldereta and adobo. Their Grilled Tuna Belly is also an absolute winner, earning a nod of approval (through an Instagram post) from renowned chef Fernando Aracama.
When capping off your visit at this resto, don’t forget to give their Durian-Langka Turon a try. After all, its main ingredient is the province’s most prized fruit.
Bohol Bee Farm – Panglao Island, Bohol
Dao, Dauis, Panglao Island, 6339 Bohol
There’s more to Bohol Bee Farm than what its name suggests.
This 4.8-hectare that’s home to some 60 colonies of bees is also a sanctuary for anybody who wishes to commune with nature that features cool inviting pools, sunny lounging area, and comfy lodging spaces. Moreover, Bohol Bee Farm is known in Panglao Island as the best place to get organic food.
With ingredients directly sourced from their vast gardens, you can say that they take the term “farm-to-table” seriously, and serve only the finest dishes derived from the freshest produce.
While they have a pretty varied menu that will suit anybody’s taste and dietary requirements, vegetarians will especially love their offerings. During your visit, have your fill of their squash muffins, organic farm salad, and vegetable lasagna. Then for dessert, enjoy a scoop or two of their famous malunggay ice cream.
Yellowfin Bar & Grill – Baler, Aurora
Sabang Beach, Baler, Aurora
What’s a night by the beach without a couple of drinks over some sumptuous grilled seafood?
Located on Sabang Beach in Baler is the ever-bustling Yellowfin Bar & Grill, arguably one of the best places to gorge on seafood while downing ice-cold beers in the area. A favorite of locals and tourists alike, the place gets packed on most days, so it’s highly suggested that you order in advance or place a reservation.
Their house specialties include Grilled Yellowfin, Liempo and Sisig, and Grilled Squid. For your side dish, try their Pako Salad, which goes really well with their grilled seafood. Dining in Yellowfin Bar & Grill easily puts you in the mood of pigging out, so don’t hesitate to ask for extra rice. You can burn the calories later when you give surfing a try… or not.
Baguio Craft Brewery – Baguio City, Benguet
KC Building, 120 Marcos Highway, Km 4 (Ben Palispis Highway), Baguio City, Benguet
For an easy night out in the Summer Capital of the Philippines, how about enjoying a good pint of ice-cold craft beer at Baguio Craft Brewery?
A laid-back bar along Marcos Highway (roughly 15 minutes away from Upper Session Road), it is the first craft beer brewery in the city that serves handcrafted beers inspired by Cordilleran mythology and culture.
Among their best-sellers is the Lagud or strawberry beer. Its name is drawn from a supernatural place in the Ifugao’s story of creation, which means “eastern world.”
Their other featured brews are just as interestingly named as the Lagud: Pugaw India Pale Ale (“Pugaw,” meaning earth world, from which the name “Ifugao” was derived), Dalom Brown Ale (“Dalom,” the underworld), Daya Lager (“Daya,” the western world, opposite of Lagud), and Kabunyan Wheat Beer (“Kabunyan,” the sky world) to name a few.
For accompaniments, order Baguio Craft Brewery’s Yakitori and Chicken Skin or their sausage platter.
La Vie Parisienne – Cebu City, Cebu
371 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City, Cebu
Dine al fresco in a fairy tale-like setting at La Vie Parisienne, a French bakery, deli, and wine library in Cebu City that won’t break your budget.
This eye-catching restaurant, also tagged as “The Pink Restaurant,” is best known in the area for its whimsical installations that look picture-perfect during the day, but even more so in the evening, when the dining space’s furniture glow and faux cherry blossom trees that dot the garden light up.
The place’s aesthetics aside, the true star of La Vie Parisienne is their food. They have a wide selection of freshly-baked French breads and delicacies (their macarons are worth a try!), imported French products (liquors, preserves, chocolates — you name it!), and a menu heavily influenced by European cuisine.
Self-proclaimed wine connoisseurs will also fall in love with La Vie Parisienne’s watering hole, a bar room that resembles a tunnel, where an impressive collection of wines is displayed.
Got more recommendations from around the Philippines? Post them in the comments!
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