Legazpi, Foods

BICOLANO SPECIALTIES

When you think of foods! Bicolandia has variety of hot and spicy foods that great to offer. Spicy and cooked with coconut milk, sauteed to a native special herbs and added with vegetables, a basic ingredients that they have usually used. One of their dishes is a well known "Bicol Express" a spicy hot viand that we often see in some carenderyas any where in the Philippines, a spicy pork with coconut milk cooked with chili. Another is the "Pinangat" a multiple layered of Dahon ng gabi (Taro leaves- I've been hardly searching the correct term of this vegetable in english LOL...) layered with grated young coconut meat and mixed with coconut milk sauce. "Laing" a grated or sliced taro leaves, well cooked in a coconut milk, mixed with paste of fermented shrimp, chili (Siling labuyo) and pork.

If you are in Legazpi, you don't have to search anywhere along the streets for this authentic foods, inside the malls you can already find some fast foods that also serves great foods of Bicol  specialties. During my stay here first thing in mind is to try special delicacies, it's not my first time to try this foods, we even cooked this in our house occasionally, but the original is still the best... Budget wise? You can get it in just a less price yet satisfied of good taste...

BICOL HALO-HALO

This is their version of halo-halo... My friend ordered a halo-halo for the three of us, i thought it is also spicy (LOL), since i have already seen an ice cream with chili but i forgot to try it, maybe in my next time trip one of must to try is their chili ice cream... 

 FAST FOOD

If you are in Manila, you may find several of fast foods selling, Burgers, Fries, Chicken and etc. Here in legazpi this fast food offers you specialties of Bicol, i don't know where was the origin of this but I'm pretty sure that they are selling authentic foods of Bicolanos. Here you can also buy raw items ready to cook for pasalubong (Present or a token) if you want to bring it, a must to try also are their breads. I remember the time when my office mates were also here in legazpi, before they go home, they buy lots of pasalubong from this store.

TURO-TURO

It means you are to choose viand by pointing finger and order what you want, a Filipino restaurant version of fast food where all viands are already cooked and ready to serve... This kind of dish is a bicolano version of "HUMBA" a well cooked pork thigh part or leg, sometimes referred as like adobo flavor.

 BICOL EXPRESS

An authentic Bicol express...Very hot and spicy courtesy of Mrs.Shirley Bertes and Mrs. Emelinda Limpin of Anchorage food court located in the terminal of Van transportation. A new friends whom i met in the terminal on my way to Naga City to attend festivity of Penafrancia. 

I was on my Itinerary travel to Naga City  it was late in the mid-noon already i felt hungry and i found this food court serving local dishes, we had some short talk with the owner, they are very accommodating... Their cafeteria is just an adjacent to the terminal to Naga City where I am scheduled to ride after my lunch. If you happen to go here look for Anchorage Food Court decent yet affordable, i spent just P80.00 for a complete set of lunch, I really Enjoyed Bicolano hospitality.

HOW MUCH?

From Legazpi going to Naga i prefered to ride a van, a non-stop and direct trip, since I am in a hurry to catch the fluvial parade of Penafrancia. It cost me P180.00. Based on my conversation with the locals ordinary bus fare is just P100.00 and P150.00 for the aircon bus, but as of them it will drop off to "Bayan-Bayan" means every station will have to stop... Runningtime? for the Van i timed it just 2hrs travel time maybe same if you are into a private car if you prefer to bring one.

Must Do! from the hotel be careful to negotiate for the tricycle ride make sure ask first how much will be the fare and it must have to be agreed, others charge you too much, basic fare is just P8.00, others might charge you P50.00 to P100.00. twenty pesos is acceptable to the nearest destinations since there's no taxi available here. From embarcadero to the airport I usually paid P50.00.

RICE CAKE

You know what? i was not able to try it when I was in Legazpi, this is also their version of "Puto" filled with sweetened "Macapuno" (Sticky coconut meat) hahaha, don't know yet the correct term of it... Ask me where  did i get it? Well my new friends seat mate from the airplane gave it to me, a courtesy of Lily Ramos and Mariz Perez i forgot the name of thier other friend, by the way thank you! We had some conversation of thier travel experiences in Bicolandia, They are also a travel mania.