Sang Sarap Food!!

Culture can be experienced through a country’s culinary offerings and when travelling through Baguio and Sagada, that was what we did. Eat our way through! Balut was one of the more exotic and weird food that we tried. A half formed duck embryo still in the egg, it turned out to be quite a surprise as it was delicious!

For those who love the yolk, this is the dish for you as it is rich and bursting with the taste of chicken broth and a strong yolky taste. One has to first peel of a small section of egg shell then suck the juicy liquid and finally attack the foetus. Yum!


Lovers of fried goodies should try the “one-day old chicks” sold by roadside vendors. These chicks are marinated and deep fried into a golden crunchy goodness and its taste and texture is equivalent to deep fried burung puyuh (pigeon). There are a variety of sauces to dip your bird into, ranging from sweet and salty, to sour and spicy. Besides that, there are also fish balls, chicken balls, pig’s innards and cuttlefish to choose from.

Mc Jolly Bee is a stall that sells delicious barbequed meat ranging from a variety of fish, chicken, and pork. The meats are excellently marinated and tender, leaving one yearning for more. This stall is situated near the wet market and the hawkers nearby sell top notch burgers that taste a lot better than most fast food chains. One can choose from a variety of fillings such as ham, sausages, eggs, homemade burger patty and this is all topped off with a sauce that taste like thousand island dressing, and fresh veggies. The buns are extremely soft and fluffy and are different from the buns found in Malaysia.

When the night is cold and one has growling tummy but on a shoestring budget, head to the roadside vendor crowded with youths digging-out from Styrofoam bowls. These bowls contain yellow noodles swimming in minced pork soup and for 10 pesos only, the soup is bottomless! One can refill until contented. You can chose to add seasonings like chilli, fish sauce, vinegar etc. The perfect anecdote for a cold night in Baguio and not to mention the youths, especially the extremely friendly boys!

Other snacks available from vendors are sticky gooey rice cakes, caramelised bananas, lumpia, and prawn fritters. Fresh but extremely sour mangoes are also sold by the roadside but try this only if you are into extremely sour food. Japanese pancakes are also sold here but unlike in Malaysia which uses chocolate, red beans or peanut butter as fillings, here, it is filled with cheese. Pork crackle or chicharon is also a favourite snack amongst Filipinos and this crunchy, high cholesterol goody can be eaten spiced with vinegar for more ‘kick’.

How can one come to the Philippines and not be bombarded by Jollibee adverts inviting you to savour its westernised local delights? I have to say the food here is good and should not be dismissed as just another fast food chain. The cheese fries are definitely catered to cheese lovers like me, and there is this bee-hoon dish that is covered in brown sweetish gravy garnished with an egg, cucumbers and fritters. Taste vaguely like rojak. Its delicious fried chicken is either served with fries, rice and gravy, or spaghetti. Wonton soup is also available here.

Another local fast food chain here, Chow King is also very popular, every time I pass by, there is always a long queue. The food here consists of “Chinese food” and local delicacies such as deep fried bangus with rice and veggies. Halo-halo is also served here which is a something like our ice-kacang except that it is richer with the addition of jackfruits, ube and mango ice-cream, bread and butter pudding, and various other goodies. This dessert is hard to miss as it is very colourful and attractive looking.

Goldilocks is a local bakery that sells a range of cakes, cookies and snacks and it is a heaven for those with a sweet tooth. The goodies are wrapped individually and are perfect for those who want to bring it back to their home country.

When in Sagada, do not leave without trying the yoghurt at Yoghurt House which is freshly made and served with fruits and a drizzle of honey. Unlike Baguio, the food in Sagada is generously garnished with fresh crisp vegetables, albeit being a tad pricier due to its mountainous location.

My appetite is definitely bigger than my stomach and due to time constraints I did not manage to try as many local delicacies as I had wanted to such as dog meat. Hopefully my next trip to the Philippines will reveal new culinary adventures!!

By Erica