Bacolod has been my home for a year after having my post graduate internship there. I have fallen in love with city and had almost traded it for my hometown Iloilo City. (But of course, I didn't, hehe. Very much still a proud Ilongga!hehe)
So, let me count the ways why Bacolod has once stolen my heart.....
Let's start with their restos, cafe and foods, oh my! It's a mecca of gastronomic goodness.
1. BASCON'S CAFE
Their spaghetti is my type of spaghetti, sweet & creamy and I like flavor and crisp of the bread that comes with it. They also have a wide array of chocolate cakes to choose from. And oh, how much, I LOVE chocolate cakes! Yum! What I like also about Bascon's cafe is its interior design-- wooden furnitures, old sewing machine turned into tables, colorful abstract paintings on the wall.
2. GYPSY TEA ROOM
I took my sister, nephew and sister-in-law here when they visited me in Bacolod. What makes this cafe unique is that they have a fortune-teller there to give you palm-reading or tarot card reading (Note: It's not for free). I am not sure if they still have fortune tellers in the cafe nowadays. They also have henna tattoos done there. Before it was located below the Orange Gallery in Mandalagan but now, they have transferred in Sorrento, Lacson Street. The cafe has bohemian feel to it - dim lightings, wooden drums, paintings on wall and they even sell necklaces, bracelets & stuff. When we went there, we just tried the coffee. It was not that amazing but the ambiance made up for its uhmmmm not-so-amazing coffee, hehe
3. KUPPA COFFEE & TEA
image from the web |
4. L'SEA CHINESE RESTAURANT
This is our go-to resto of my co-intern (at that time, now Dr.) Gayle Elizalde. This is how we want our Chinese food to cooked. They have affordable rice toppings and our favorites are beef brisket & sweet and sour pork. TheĆr dumplings are also worth mentioning. Now, I'm starting to get hungry, hehe.
4. KAISE JAPANESE RESTAURANT
If you love Japanese food, this is the place to be. Food recommendation: California Maki!
5. PENDY'S
When you come in at Pendy's, it's like entering a romantic villa with its white steel chairs and fine dining atmosphere. In a corner, they sell Bacolod delicacies. This is where I buy my Napoleones that I take home as pasalubong for my family.
image from web |
6. THE OLD PALA-PALA
I still prefer this one than the new posh Pala-Pala. This is Bacolod's version of Manila's Dampa... Go ahead, get your hands dirty here, no spoon & fork needed, just todo lamon, hehe.
7. PEPE'S
It is just a small place and it is always packed. Food recommendation: Beef Salpicao.
8. AIDA'S at MANOKAN COUNTRY
You couldn't leave Bacolod without eating their chicken, no sireee. If you drop by Manokan Country, you would hear waiters & waitresses shouting at you to try their "manuk", but I usually go to Aida's Manokan. Again, no utensils needed. I like eating here with my bare hands. Their chicken oil is yummy and tastier than some chicken oil I've tasted. I always leave perfectly satisfied.
9. MUSHU RESTOBAR
This a classy restaurant and bar that is a favorite of many. In one of my trip to Bacolod to spend time with my boyfie who used to work there, Mushu was on our itinerary for an early dinner. However, we weren't able to witness how the place transformed as evening deepens when the place becomes dimmer, with a DJ & loud music, people dancing, drinking and having a fun fun night.
Hainanese Chicken |
Sweet & Sour Pork |
This is heaven. They have many variety of cakes to offer. They are also very good with ice cream cakes.
We had these cakes with Mel and her friends who are working in Riverside Hospital on our detour back from Dumaguete . Tempting, isn't it?
My boyfie brought this cake when he first visited me at home to meet my family, hehe.
Now, that was just foods in Bacolod. I also love their adorable boutiques and ukay2 stores. In one of the boutiques, I discovered the 8-way bikini... You can have different style in one bikini. Sooo cool!
I also have this favorite internet shop which I totally forgot its name, found beside La Salle University. They have a nice interior design. So classy and has calming cool place. They also serve sandwiches & drinks.
Also, I enjoy the mornings at the Lagoon where they have free aerobic exercises and somewhere in a corner, there are also people doing tai-chi.
Another go-to place is the RUINS at Talisay. Many has use it as venue for their prenuptial pictorial because of its romantic rustic atmosphere. You go there and go crazy with your point & shoot camera, which my boyfie & I did when we went there. They also serve meals and it is best in the early evening when you can have romantic dinner at the garden.
The charm of Bacolod is in it's wide road, quiet quaintness, a good number of quirky cafes, cheap yummy foods, rustic old houses and love for aesthetics. It has been fun reminiscing of my good times in Bacolod.... I will see you soon Bacolod.... Maybe next Masskara Festival... Keep my fingers crossed... hehe
Thanks for sharing!!!
ReplyDeleteNice photos by the way...
haha in short you liked Bacolod because of it's food & restos.
Hi Jill! Yup, I miss the food and restos there.... Plus the vibe of the city... Can't wait to go to Silay City and check out there old houses there...hehe
ReplyDeleteI love your list! Will keep that in mind when going to Bacolod.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am actually in Bacolod now.. Enjoying my time... Let me know if I can be of help when you visit the city of smiles...
ReplyDeleteNumber 7 is actually Pepe's :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction... Will amend it.. :)
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