Kim Buenafe
Must-Try Asian Flavors in Angeles City Pampanga
It never dawned on me that I can taste a wide variety of cuisines while staying in one place until I came to visit Angeles City in Pampanga. True, the city’s pride is its local cuisines and exotic dishes. But if you’re craving for some Asian flavors, you can sure have your fill right in this bustling city without having to travel long distances from one resto to another.
Spotting a promising Asian resto isn’t hard. There’s a lot of new and tried-and-tested culinary establishments scattered around Angeles – many are lining up the streets and alleyways of Balibago strip, while others are privately tucked up inside subdivisions and villages. Lucky us, we got to try some of the best Asian food dining spots located in Angeles city.
Genghis Mongolian Grill
make your own Mongolian bowl
This up-and-coming restaurant quietly sits inside a private residential subdivision, which makes the dining experience more exclusive. Genghis Mongolian Grill features a wide selection of Mongolian grill options – from various meats like beef, chicken and pork, down to seafood, veggies, spices and homemade sauces. You can choose what will go into your bowl or take the suggestions of their hands-on chefs (and owners) if you want a certified Mongolian bowl combo.
modern industrial style
live cooking feature behind the Mongolian bar
Genghis Mongolian Grill also offers other Asian-inspired dishes that are worth trying. I particularly loved their Pork Buns, Genghis Chops, Cereal Prawns, Honey Cashew Fish Fillet and the heavenly Khan’s Conquest. Other than the food, what makes this restaurant extra special is the aesthetically designed interiors. Chef Ryan made most of the light fixtures and design arrangements inside the resto by himself for a personal and artistic touch.
pork buns, cereal shrimps, genghis chops, khan’s conquest
korean beef stew, char kway teow, honey cashew fish fillet, my DIY mongolian bowl
Address: 25-1 Sarita st., Diamond subd., Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga
Contact No.: 0922.854.7354
Operating Hours: 3pm – 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday
Nyaman Na Pho’ Vietnamese Restaurant
let’s eat!
You have all the reasons to visit Nyaman Na Pho’ if you love Vietnamese food. This humble eatery features authentic Vietnamese cuisine made from the finest ingredients bought from Vietnam. It couldn’t get more authentic than that.
beef pho
Goi
Cha Gio
The resto’s interiors doesn’t impress much, but its food easily made up for it. Their menu selection includes the famous Pho (beef noodle soup), Cha Gio (fried spring rolls), Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls), Goi (pork and shrimp salad), Vietnamese Coffee and the refreshing Che (halo-halo). I didn’t like the Goi Cuon that much, though I felt like being transporated back to Vietnam while slurping on Pho, munching on Cha Gio and sipping Viet coffee – my personal favorites on that dining trip.
sweet x bitter refreshing drinks
Address: 643 M.L.Q. st., Lourdes Sur East, Angeles City, Pampanga
Contact No.: 0923.201.0995
Operating Hours: 11am – 9pm
Jiro Izakaya Sushi Ramen
it’s a ramen-kind-of-day
Did you know that you can also get your fair share of satisfying Japanese food in Angeles city? That is if you visit Jiro Izakaya restaurant. Another up-and-coming dining place, Jiro Izakaya stands along the Friendship hi-way, which makes it pretty accessible via public transpo. The resto, though quite small, exudes a modern Japanese vibe.
this volcano roll is exploding with flavor
dragon maki
Jiro Izakaya’s varied menu is impressive, too. They have several choices of sashimi, sushi, maki, salad, soup, ramen, teppanyaki and agemono. Almost every dish was a delight to my tastebuds but a select few managed to stand out and make my palate crave for more, such as the Volcano Roll, Salmon Aburi Sushi, Spicy Seaafood Overload Ramen and the Jiro Beef Ramen. Dining at Jiro Izakaya will surely leave you full and content.
can’t get enough of ramen
jo maki
Address: L2&3 EG Building, Friendship Hi-way, Angeles City, Pampanga
Contact No.: 0998.540.1107
Email: [email protected]
Operating Hours: 11am – 11pm
Patcharawan’s Thai Restaurant
when in doubt, order tom yum soup
I’m a sucker for Thai food, so I was really delighted to try Patcharawan’s Thai resto – an unassuming abode turned into a dining place serving homemade Thai food. Seeing some of my personal favorites fired up my tummy. We were served Tom Yum Seafood Soup, Green Papaya Salad, Fresh Spring Rolls, Seafood Pad Thai, Sticky Rice with Mango and Thai Iced Tea all prepared and cooked by the Thai owner.
fresh spring rolls
refreshing salad with a twist
While it’s true that their pad thai isn’t the best one I’ve had, their other dishes like the Tom Yum soup and Green Papaya Salad were pretty impressive. The Sticky Rice with Mango also came as a surprise for me. Considering the food and its price, Patcharawan’s Thai resto offers a value-for-money dining experience.
pad thai
sticky rice with mango
Address: 26B Malabianas st., Angeles City, Pampanga
Contact No.: 0947.329.8291
Operating Hours: 11am – 11pm, Tuesday to Sunday
Rasoi Indian Restaurant
Indian food staples
Little is known about Indian food compared to other Asian cuisines. To be honest, I haven’t had a chance to try this particular cuisine and so all this time, my perception on it was all curry until my visit to Rasoi Indian restaurant. Nestled inside Hensonville, this small yet cozy eatery serves authentic and delicious Indian food prepared and cooked by its owner, Chef Richard, an Indian national.
chicken buna
fish jalfrezi with cheese
Looking at the dishes served on the table didn’t excite me. The presentation and appearance of the food weren’t impressive enough. But looks can be deceiving. As I started tasting each food staple, I couldn’t help but admire how rich and flavorful it was. The Chapati and Cheese Naan dipped in Chicken Buna and Fish Jalfrezi with cheese were addicting. We capped it all off with a piece of Poori dipped in a sauce specially prepared by Chef Richard. My visit to Rasoi was one of the highlights of my Angeles trip.
vegetable samosa
poori
Address: Zeppelin st., Hensonville, Angeles city, Pampanga
Contact no.: 0916.644.2063 | 0928.625.5973
Trying out different Asian cuisines in Angeles city is always a good idea, especially when the food choices are this good. These Asian flavors not only stand out on their own, they also exist as living proofs to why Angeles city is the Culinary Capital of the Philippines.
