Calasiao: Dagupeña Restaurant

CALASIAO, Pangasinan - Since we had not eaten breakfast before we left Dagupan City for Calasiao, there was only one thing we were thinking of after we visited the Calasiao Church. Food. As recommended by a friend from Dagupan, we opted to have breakfast in Calasiao before returning to our hotel in Dagupan City.

In front of Calasiao Church, we hailed a tricycle and asked the driver to bring us to Dagupeña. The tricycle ride took only less than ten minutes. The original restaurant was located along A.B. Fernandez Avenue in Dagupan City and was later moved to its new location along Urdaneta Junction-Dagupan Road (San Miguel Highway) right beside Robinsons Place Pangasinan in the neighboring town of Calasiao.

From the outside, the restaurant looked like a big house with a spacious parking lot. When we entered, we were greeted by the waiters with a Sunday morning smile and were offered a table inside the Salón de Refrescos, the air-conditioned section of the restaurant, which wasn't a bad choice for a summer day.

The restaurant'a interior has a Filipino-Hispanic theme. The cozy place is accentuated by warm lights and vitalized by the sunlight waltzing in through the capiz and colored-glass window panes.

from left: Daing na Bangus, Brewed Coffee, Corned Beef

The time has come to order breakfast. Ramil sticked to his motto "When in Dagupan, eat Bangus" and ordered Daing na Bangus. Edgar, who is on a perpetual non-fish diet, ordered Corned Beef. We also ordered brewed coffee and were surprised to get our coffee served in a French press.

There was no better way to conclude our visit to Pangasinan than a breakfast at Dagupeña. We have to confess. A trip to (Metro) Dagupan is never complete without dining at Dagupeña Restaurant.

Dagupeña Restaurant
Urdaneta Junction-Dagupan Road (San Miguel Highway)
beside Robinsons Place Pangasinan
Calasiao, Pangasinan
Tel. No. +63-75-5222752
www.dagupena.com


See complete photo album on Facebook

How to get there: from Dagupan: take a jeepney bound to Santa Barbara and tell the driver to drop you off at Dagupeña Restaurant. It is on the left side of the road, right before Robinsons Place Pangasinan. from Calasiao: take a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Dagupeña.

How to get back: to Dagupan: On the same side of the road as the restaurant, take any jeepney bound for Dagupan City.

Calasiao: Calasiao Puto and Kutchinta

CALASIAO, Pangasinan - The town of Calasiao is also known for its puto, a bite-size cake made of rice. The people of Calasiao takes pride in their prime produce that a puto festival is celebrated every May 5.

Right across the Calasiao Church (Sts. Peter and Paul Church) are the Calasiao Puto Producers stalls where you can find different variations of the Calasiao puto, as well as other products of Calasiao and its neighboring municipalities. Most notable of the stalls is Bella's Calasiao Puto which offers puto in various flavors, including strawberry, ube, pandan, mango, just to name a few.

from left: puto kutchinta, ube-flavored puto with cheese, original plain white puto

We did try the fancy flavored puto variants, but for us, nothing could be better than the original Calasiao puto (plain white) and the puto kutchinta. A kilo of the Calasiao puto and puto kutchinta sells for Php100.00 while the flavored ones cost Php120.00 per kilo.

See complete photo album on Facebook

How to get there from Dagupan: along A.B. Fernandez Ave. or Perez Blvd., take a jeepney bound to Calasiao and tell the driver to drop you off at Calasiao Church (simbahan ng Calasiao). Across the church are the Calasiao Puto Producers stalls.

How to get back to Dagupan: in front of the church, take a jeepney bound for Dagupan.

Calasiao: Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Church

CALASIAO, Pangasinan - It was our last day in Pangasinan and as planned, we would make a quick visit to Dagupan's neighboring town of Calasiao. In front of our hotel in Dagupan, we boarded a jeepney with a Calasiao signage. First on the day's itinerary was Calasiao's Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Church.

We usually schedule church visits on weekdays to avoid the "crowd" and capture postcard perfect photographs of the edifice. This time was different as we scheduled this visit on a Sunday when the faithful flocks to the church to hear mass.

The Pangasinan language is very much alive in Calasiao as the mass was said in the province's vernacular tongue. Though we did not understand a single word, we could still feel the solemnity of the celebration.

After the mass came the usual scenes: mothers buying flowers for their home altars and children holding a balloon on one hand and a bag of popcorn on the other.


See complete photo album on Facebook

How to get there from Dagupan: along A.B. Fernandez Ave. or Perez Blvd., take a jeepney bound to Calasiao and tell the driver to drop you off at Calasiao Church (simbahan ng Calasiao).

How to get back to Dagupan: in front of the church, take a jeepney bound for Dagupan.

Dagupan City: Matutina's Seafood Restaurant | Inihaw na Bangus

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan - Bangus (milkfish) is the main product of Dagupan City and is claimed to be the tastiest in the world. There's no better time to have your first taste of Dagupan Bangus than during the annual Bangus Festival and there is no better place to feast on Dagupan Bangus dishes than in Bonuan-Tondaligan district of the city.

Matutina's Seafood House & Restaurant is one of the many seafood restaurants in Bonuan Tondaligan and probably the best in the area. From its first branch in Bonuan Tondaligan, Matutina's already has a number of branches.

Chefs consider bangus a very versatile meat that it can be cooked in more that a hundred ways. Matutina's for example takes pride in its sinigang na bangus belly (milkfish belly in tamarind soup). We also heard restaurants in Dagupan serving bangus sisig and even bangus pizza. But for his first taste of Dagupan bangus, Ramil wanted it plain and simple, a dish in which the natural flavor of the fish is preserved and not overpowered by spices and seasonings - the inihaw na bangus (grilled milkfish), see image above.

If bangus were to be compared to gold, then Matutina's inihaw na bangus would be a 24 karat gold. So to answer the question, is Dagupan bangus the tastiest in the world? The answer is, perhaps. But there is one thing we are very sure about, Dagupan bangus is definitely the tastiest bangus we ever had.

It was no surpise that, When in Dagupan, eat Bangus, has become Ramil's motto during our trip to Dagupan.

Bangus Festival 2012 | Gilon-Gilon ed Dalan

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan - The Gilon-Gilon ed Dalan street dance competition is one of the main events of Dagupan's annual Bangus Festival. 31 barangays demonstrate their artistic interpretation of harvesting fish (gilon-gilon in the Pangasinan language) through dance and costume.



The street parade started at 3:00pm and took a counter-clockwise route from the City Plaza to Perez Blvd., turning to M.H. Del Pilar Street and then to A.B. Fernandez Avenue, and finally back to the City Plaza for the final showdown.



Despite the summer heat, the participants tirelessly entertained the crowed with their performances. As the parade drew more and more spectators to the street, the more energetic the delegates became with their dancing.



This year, Barangay Lucao bagged the Php100,000 grand price and defended its title as Gilon-Gilon ed Dalan Champion for four straight years.



We consider this event as the highlight of our visit to Dagupan and will definitely revisit the city to experience Gilon-Gilon ed Dalan again.

Dagupan City: Pigar-Pigar at Galvan Street

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan - Next to bangus (milkfish), pigar-pigar is another delicacy very popular among Dagupeños. When most restaurants and stores are about to call it a day, Dagupan's Galvan Street comes to life as people start to flock to the pigar-pigar stalls lining the street.

Preparing a dish of pigar-pigar isn't really complicated. It all starts with beef or carabeef cut into strips and marinated in soy sauce. They are then sauteed with onion, cabbage and cauliflower. The freshly cooked dish is then served with a dip of soy sauce, calamansi and chili. It's an interesting mxiture of tender meat and crunchy vegetables. Pigar-pigar may be paired with rice as a meal, or with beer as a side dish.

A serving of pigar-pigar is measured in kilos of meat. A quarter kilo of it is enough to be shared by two persons. Being first-timers in Dagupan, we ordered two servings of the dish: a quarter kilo of the basic pigar-pigar with onions, and a quarter kilo of pigar-pigar with onions, cabbage and cauliflower.

The city government of Dagupan organized an annual event to promote this local delicacy, the Pigar-Pigar Festival, which runs side-by-side with Dagupan's Bangus Festival. Activities include culinary competition among stall owners and nightly concerts.

How to get there from Downtown Dagupan: take any tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to Galvan Street.

How to get back take any tricyle and tell the driver your destination within downtown; for destinations outside downtown, jeepneys pass by A.B. Fernandez Avenue and Perez Boulevard.

Agoo: Basilica of Our Lady of Charity

AGOO, La Union - En route from San Juan, La Union to Dagupan City, Pangasinan, we made a quick stop at the town of Agoo for lunch and to visit its church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity. The town of Agoo was established by the Franciscans in 1578 while the original church was destroyed by an earthquake in 1892. It was later rebuilt and demolished in 1971.

The present edifice was constructed only in 1975 and it enshrines the image of the Our Lady of Charity, the beloved Apo Caridad of her devotees. Though less than a century old, the present structure with its cement-grey façade, has the same stark charm as its Spanish-era counterparts.



Eye-catching are the two conversely designed bell towers. The taller left tower is of the pagoda style with its multiple eaves, while the shorter right tower is of the Neo-Romanesque style with its round and semi-circular arches.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Charity is located along the North Manila Road (National Highway) across the Agoo Civic Center and beside Jollibee.

Lunch at Kahuna Beach Resort & Spa, San Juan, La Union

The Big Kahuna Bar and Restaurant is the in-house restaurant of Kahuna Beach Resort & Spa, a beach-front property located in Urbiztondo Beach in San Juan town, a famous surfing destination in the province of La Union, Philippines.

San Juan Surf Resort in San Juan, La Union

San Juan Surf Resort is a three-star resort located at Urbiztondo Beach in San Juan town of La Union province. It was established in 1992 by Australian surfer, Brian Landrigan, and has grown to become a 35-room surf resort with an attached surf school owned and managed by Filipino-Australian surfer Luke Landrigan. San Juan Surf Resort is currently one of the best surf schools in the Philippines.

Sweet Mangoes from Zambales

The province of Zambales is said to produce some of the sweetest mangoes in the world. Having this is mind, we made sure that we get to taste their mangoes during our weekend trip to the province. It wasn't an exaggeration! Mangoes in Zambales are indeed sweet! One, two, three mangoes, we couldn't have enough of them.

Mango Vendors at the Trade Fair

It is no surprise that mango is declared as One Town, One Product or OTOP in a number of towns in Zambales. To help promote their mangoes, the province holds an annual Mango Festival. Among the activites is a trade fair held at the provincial capital town of Iba. Various mango producers sell their harvest at bargain price. The province's 13 municipalities also set up their own booth to showcase their local specialty products.

Mango Festival Trade Fair

Summer time is the best time to visit Zambales when mangoes are at their most abundant. If you will have the chance to visit Zambales, don't fail to sample their mangoes. A number of vendors have stalls along the national highway, mostly located between the towns of San Narciso and San Marcelino. During Mango Festival, the best place to look for mangoes would be at the trade fair in Iba, usually located at the Zambales National High School grounds.

One Town, One Product (OTOP) is a program of the Philippine Government through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to encourage entrepreneurship aimed at providing livelihood and employment to Filipinos. It showcases products made of indigenous raw materials crafted by local workers, craftsmen and artists. The OTOP is also a key instrument in promoting tourism in the country. We at Pinas Muna advocate the OTOP program and through our blog, we aim to introduce you to the many Filipino-made products and urge you to support Filipino businesses.

Summer Outing at Magalawa Island

Every summer, we go on an out-of-town trip with our high school friends. This is an opportunity for us to bond and update ourselves with what's going on with our busy city lives. And as a tradition, we are designated to organize the trip. This year, we chose Zambales as destination for our 3D/2N weekend trip. First on our itinerary was Magalawa Island located in the town of Palauig in Zambales. We booked a 2D/1N package with Magalawa Island Armada Resort which already included boat transfers, accommodation and four meals.

We left Manila at around 5:30am and drove north via NLEX and SCTEX passing through Subic. We arrived at the town of Palauig at around lunchtime. We were instructed by the resort to proceed to their parking area where we can park our van and where we would board the boat for Magalawa Island. The boat transfer to Magalawa Island is already included in the package. To set the expectation, the waters near the parking area is a bit smelly as it is also used as a fish port.

Lunch at Magalawa Island Armada Resort

When we arrived at Armada Resort, we were welcome by the owner Maam Grace Armada and showed us to our rooms. We booked two air-conditioned rooms with private shower room. Maam Grace told us that while we unpack our stuff, she would have our lunch prepared at the restaurant. We really find Maam Grace very hospitable and despite the number of visitors that day, she made sure that she attended to every guest herself. 

onse-onse crab: (L) cooked; (R) live crabs

One of the things that we liked the most about Armada Resort is their food, which is cooked by no less than the mother of Maam Grace. Their specialty is the onse-onse, a type of crab abundant in Palauig. It has eleven spots on its shell, thus the name onse-onse (eleven-eleven). Some of the dishes served during our stay were adobo, escabeche, sweet & sour fish, lato (seaweed salad), calamares, gambas, menudo and tinapa. 

Sunrise at Magalawa Island

The following morning, we woke up at 5:00am to catch the sunrise. Part of the morning scene on the island were fishermen getting ready for the day's work. The resort's staff were also busy cleaning the shoreline. Breakfast was served at 7:00am and by 8:00am we were called by Maam Grace for our schedule snorkeling activity.

We boarded Armada Resort's floating cottage which was then towed by a motorized boat to the snorkeling area. The water was clear and very calm, truly ideal for snorkeling. We spent about an hour swimming around. It was really a fun-filled morning for our group.

Lunch was served at 11:00am to give us enough time to prepare for check-out. At 1:00pm, we said goodbye to Magalawa Island and continued our weekend escapade to our next destination.

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Magalawa Island Armada Resort
Palauig, , Zambales, Philipines
Phone: +63920-948-3303
Website: www.magalawaislandresort.com (see Rates)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Magalawa-Island/204336016808