Nina Fuentes
Where to Eat in La Union and Pangasinan
Lakbay Norte is all about discovering the hidden gems of Northern Luzon, and as with all Filipino outings, it involves a lot of food! Here are some of the places we enjoyed during our 5-day trip.
Where to eat in La Union
Kambak Resto and Grill
Address: Namboongan Barangay Road, Santo Tomas, 2505 La Union
Kambak is a play on the English word “come back” and a portmanteau of the Filipino words for goat (kambing) and cow (baka). They specialize in beef and goat dishes, and they do it perfectly, as evidenced by the steady stream of locals dropping by for lunch.
You have to order their kinigtot, their take on the Ilokano dish, papaitan. It’s made with very fresh beef, cooked with onions and bile. It doesn’t sound appetizing when described, but it has a rich flavor reminiscent to bistek and pairs wonderfully with rice. Do also try their pinakbet, bulalo, and grilled hito (catfish).
Uvas Cafe / Lomboy Farm
Address: 68 MacArthur Highway, Bauang, La Union
There’s no better way to savor and sample wines than to spend it looking at the vineyard while nibbling treats from on an artfully plated charcuterie board. Uvas Cafe offers both red and white wines made from the harvest of their vineyards, as well as tropical fruit wines like guapple (a hybrid fruit of large guava and apple), duhat (java plum), pitaya (dragon fruit), and wild blackberry. They also have a small souvenir section, where you can buy wines to take home, as well as jellies, jams, and products made of inabel (local Iloko weaved fabric).
Kahuna Resort
Address: National Highway, Urbiztondo, San Juan, 2514 La Union
Kahuna Resort is right on the beach and we were treated to a dinner on the shore hosted by the DOT Region 1. It was a lovely dinner under the stars, with the sand ticking our feet and the sound of the gently lapping waves. We had squash soup, baked macaroni, breaded fish fillets, roast chicken, pork steak, and steamed vegetables.
Little Surfmaid Resort
Address: National Highway, Urbiztondo, San Juan, 2514 La Union
Also on the beachfront of La Union, Little Surfmaid has its restaurant facing the sea as well. Little Surfmaid Resort was the venue for the surfing competition of the 2019 SEA Games. It’s near the Mona Lisa Point, where there is deeper water and higher waves.
They offer delicious local fare like crispy pata, grilled fish, pinakbet, lechon kawali, and seafood medley. You can enjoy these yummy dishes while enjoying the fresh sea breeze and watching jaw-dropping surfing videos on their TV.
Ciano Umok
Address: Palugsi-Limmansangan, Bauang, La Union
This gallery cafe offers not just inspiring artworks from local artists, but also very inspiring “ice cream” halo-halo. It’s a one-of-a-kind take on the local treat, that you must try if you ever find yourself in La Union. The creamy ice treat is unlike any halo-halo you’ve ever tasted. It’s very rich tasting, without being cloyingly sweet.
Where to eat in Pangasinan
Kabaleyan Eatery
Address: Old Devenecia Highway, Dagupan, Pangasinan
If you want to try authentic Pangasinense cuisine with a modern twist, try out Kabaleyan Eatery. Chef Ruben Ignacio gives you the true blue Pangasinan experience when eating his culinary creations. You can try their pigar-pigar, pinakbet, tempura squash blossom, bagoong roasted chicken, sizzling balut, champorado cooked in bamboo, and sizzling patupat ala mode.
Lingayen Cafes and Restaurants
Our Pangasinan itinerary was so packed, so the local government of Lingayen hosted a lunch for our group, catered by different purveyors, restaurants, and cafes in Lingayen. The lunch highlights the different cuisine and specialties of each and shows us that there is a great variety of food to enjoy in the town.
Papa Dong’s Restaurant showcased their seafood paella, baked lukan (a shellfish only found in Pangasinan), and of course, their baked bangus. Jas Thai-Fil Fastfood introduced some Thai flavors with their tom yum soup, chicken satay, and pad thai. B&T Restaurant offered Pinoy favorites with a Pangasinan twist, like lumpiag shanghai with alamang and seafood crispy pancit. Chatanoga Grill and Restaurant served some true blue Ilokano pinakbet with grilled tuna panga. Cafe Sentiments have some eclectic selections with their bagoong pizza, kare-kareng mermaid, and tamarind juice. Che-Tsarap Sisig House and Grill Restaurant brought some really amazing Lingayen bagoong longganisa, which comes in both skinless and with skin versions, as well as packets of Lingayen tulapo. Antoninos Cafe brought refreshments like Italian soda and brewed coffee, as well as blueberry cheesecake for dessert. The star of the lunch was Mang Emil’s Original lechon bagoong.
Prima Vista
Address: Alaminos – Bani Rd, Bani, Pangasinan
The town of Bani is known for their watermelon, and we arrived on the last day of the Pakwan festival. We capped the evening with a dinner infused with watermelon at Prima Vista Restaurant. We had dinuguan with pakwan, Fish fillet, a vegetable dish called baridibud, tinolang manok with pakwan, balbalolang, ar-arusep, pechay salad, pakwan gulaman, and yema palitaw.
Lakbay Norte is an annual media familiarization tour made possible by the NLEX Corporation in cooperation with the North Philippines Visitors Bureau and sponsored by the Department of Tourism – Region 1, Victory Liner, Belo Medical Group, PTT Corporation, Café Amazon, UNILAB, Locally, and Klean Kanteen.
Watch: NLEX Lakbay Norte 9: Best Things to do in La Union, Philippines
Searching for the best hotels and affordable flights? Check out our complete list of affordable hotels and resorts via Agoda or you may also see available Airbnb properties in the city.
Want more updates about new tourist attractions in Pangasinan and La Union? Please follow #TeamOutofTown, on Facebook, and Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more travel ideas.
Also read:
- Lakbay Norte 9: What to do in La Union and Pangasinan
- Ultimate List Of The Best Hotels And Beach Resorts In La Union, Philippines
- Lakbay Norte 9: Where To Stay In La Union And Pangasinan
