The pandemic has really taken a toll on our desire to travel and experience a lot of new things. To start my revenge travel this year, I went to Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The trip to Vigan is simple. We do not have any itinerary because it just a weekend trip. I know some of you would wonder why just a weekend trip to Vigan. Well, we have other ulterior motives in going to Vigan. However, we know we would like to eat in Vigan. And I mean really eat! And I do not mean eating in every restaurant in Vigan. We try to choose the best places to eat in Vigan and limit it to the must try.
So, our first food adventure brought us to the well-known Grandpa's Inn where Kusina Felicitas is located. We decided to have our lunch here. Kusina Felicitas is popular for their Pipian na Manok and Sinanglao. However, Ilocano dish like Bagnet and Pinakbet is also a must-try. For our lunch, we ordered their Bagnet and Pinakbet. Of course, the Bagnet tastes great. Their pinakbet is not very salty based on my taste. You can appreciate the own taste of each vegetables because the bagoong does not overpower it. Instead, the bagoong in the pinakbet helps enhance the taste of each vegetables.
Aside from the Bagnet and Pinakbet, we also had their chocolate cake. Its a classic chocolate cake.
In the afternoon, we searched for Irene's Empanada. Based on our research, this where you can buy the authentic and best empanada in Vigan. Irene's Empanada is located in Calle Crisologo. There is a sign so you will definitely not miss it. They have different varieties of empanada and they also have okoy.
For dinner, we decided to go to Calle Brewery. We do not want to miss to try their craft beers. Aside from the craft beer they offer smoked meats. Its different from the other foods offered by the other restaurants. We ordered their BBQ plate. The BBQ plate consists of rice, two sides and your choice of meat. We ordered sausages and beef brisket for the meat. The meat is very tender and juicy. And, of course we tried their craft beer. They have six craft beers that you can choose from.
On the next day, we had our breakfast in our hotel. Since we are in Vigan, we ordered their local longganisa for breakfast. I like the garlicky taste of Vigan longganisa. Its very flavorful.
To end our food trip, we tried their local coffee, Ilocos coffee, at Coffee Break Vigan. Coffee Break Vigan is a quaint cafe in Calle Crisologo. Aside from coffee, they also have sandwiches, breakfast meals and pasta.
There are a lot of other restaurants and cafe in Vigan. Hopefully we can try them on our next visit.
