12 Best-Tasting Food You Shouldn’t Miss in Ilocos

Calle Crisologo in Vigan Ilocos Sur

Visiting a local place in the Philippines like Ilocos will never be this fun without having a taste of its local food. Forget about the budget and a long drive from one destination to another because each visit is worth a try. Here's the shortlist of the 12 best-tasting food that you should not definitely miss while enjoying the rich history of this region.  

1. Special Vigan Empanada

Vigan is known for numerous culinary breakthroughs in Ilocos Region. An adventure in this part of Luzon won’t be complete without having a bite of its very own emapanda. Many locals from other nearby provinces would brag about their own empanada with its distinct flavor, texture, and ingredients. In fact, a taste of empanada in Laoag is dissimilar to an empanada in Vigan.

After a long stroll along Calle Crisologo, it’s the best time to try on Vigan’s pride. This particular empanada has egg, carrots, and cabbage. And one unique ingredient that makes it more flavorful and special is Vigan longganisa (local sausage). Then the texture of the wrap is crunchier and the color is lighter than Laoag’s empanada. I have never seen an empanada being dipped into vinegar, and it tastes so good.  

Budget: P35 per serving

Location: Irene’s Empanada at Calle Crisologo, Vigan

2.Black Forest Beverage & Wallnut Cake

Someone surely deserves to have these mouth-watering refreshments in a very hot and humid weather in this place. 

Location: Cafe Uno, Vigan Ilocos Sur

3. Bagnet

Ilocos is gastronomically-synonymous to its well-known food, bagnet. It is chiefly a deep fried pork, sliced in chunks preferably the liempo part and marinated with special local sauce. It is specially mixed with tomatoes, bagoong (fish or shrimp paste), and onion. Another must-try native food in Vigan.

Budget: P190 per order (good for 2 persons)

Location: Hidden Garden Lilong & Lilang Restaurant at Vigan, Ilocos Sur

4. Warek Warek

It is an Ilocano recipe made of grilled pork’s lean meat & liver blended with mayonnaise. The taste would not be so familiar with you but it’s worth a try.

Budget: P45 per order (good for 1 person)

Location: Yzza Eatery located at Barangay Utol, Bangui, Ilocos Norte 

5. Laoag’s Longganisa

The usual sausages are long and thick in diameter. They can be munched in sandwiches or prepared as a typical snack for some people in other countries. In the Philippines, however, longganisa as what it is known for, serves as a common viand on a Filipino table. People from various parts of the country have their own version of longganisa. The taste and the presentation vary according to the availability of local ingredients. For instance, longganisa in Pampanga can be sweet and with no wrap, but full of spices and sour in Lucban, Quezon. Sausages in Laoag, in particular, are herby and a bit sour. It is made in tiny round shape that may look like red grapes. It is best eaten when it’s dipped into a sugar-cane made vinegar. A kind of vinegar found only in this province. By the way, these scrumptious home-made sausages can be purchased from Mr. Glenn’s wife in Laoag.

Budget: P150 per 1 kg

Location: Laoag Homestay, Ilocos Norte  

6. Bagnet Special Empanada

Our food-tasting adventure never ceased until we tried Laoag’s own version of their empanada. The ingredients and the preparation are rather different. This time, the wrapper is darker in color and smoother in texture, which may have lessened the crunchy quality of this particular empanada. But the taste becomes more unique because of the mixture of longanisa, egg, veggies, and bagnet. This serving must come along with the local vinegar as well. Joza’s Empanada has 12 amazing variants. But the best of all is bagnet special emapanada.

Budget: P65 per order

Location: Joza’s Empanada, Laoag, Ilocos Norte  

7. Danggit

I thought that danggit (dried fish) is only popular in Cebu. Specifically located at Taboan Market where you can have an extensive selection of dried products using various sources from fish, squid, and beef. I was hesitant to try danggit prepared by Mr. Glenn’s wife because I thought it might be as salty as what I had in Cebu. Surprisingly, it tasted so good! It was crunchy, yet not too salty. Perfect for your breakfast. 

Location: Laoag Homestay, Ilocos Norte  

8. Chichacorn

It used to be P20 per large pack when I first visited Vigan more than a decade ago. The price may have changed but the authentic taste and the crunchiness of Chichacorn never faded. You’ll never stop munching once you start it. Supreme is the maker of this wonder snack, best as pasalubong back to Manila. Now, it has exciting flavors: garlic, spicy, cheese, barbeque, sweet & spicy, and adobo. They can be bought in smaller ones, 3 pcs for P100.

Budget: P60 per pack (large pack)

Location: Near Marcos Mauseleum and other souvenir shops around Vigan and Laoag   

9. Tinubong

It is a sweet and glutinous form of snack in Ilocos, especially wrapped in bamboos, mainly made of sticky rice mixed with coconut, sugar and oil. It's an interesting delicacy because you have to hit the bamboo stick on the wall in order for you to split it. One of the best-buys as pasalubong in Ilocos.

Budget: 3 pcs for P100

Location: Near Marcos Mauseleum   

  

10. Dragon Fruit

After a very long drive from Laoag, dragon fruit was worth a try. Refmad’s Farm is the first farm in Region 1 located on this vast land of Burgos. The fruit-bearing epiphytic cactus was introduced in the country in 1900s in trading of goods by Spanish and Filipinos. Do you know that dragon fruit only blooms at night? They are large flower that are often called as Moonflower. Various parts of this vine like plants can be used in many forms. The unopened flower buds can be cooked as salad and eaten as vegetables, while its dried flowers can be cooked as soup and as herbs. In addition, it has numerous health benefits. The fruit contains free radicals that can prevent the formation of cancer. It is also rich in fiber that improves our digestion and reduces fats. Then it has many essential vitamins that our body needs such as Vitamin B1, B2, B-Sitosterol, and C and other nutrients like protein, calcium, phosphorous, and carotene.

The ten-peso admission fee is nothing because all the guests have the privilege to taste this fruit without any extra charges. 

Budget: P150 for one fresh fruit

Location: Refmad’s Dragon Fruit Farm at Barangay Paayas, Burgos, Ilocos Norte

11. Dragon Fruit Ice Cream

As what I have mentioned above, the fruit can be used to create other products including ice cream. There’s no other way to miss this one-in-a-lifetime experience so I just took my chances.  And I was never wrong, the color looked like strawberry but the taste was so good. If I could just bring it to Manila, I’ll buy a gallon.  

Budget: P25 for per cup

Location: Refmad’s Dragon Fruit Farm at Barangay Paayas, Burgos, Ilocos Norte

12. Pinakbet Pizza

Philippines is an archipelago of diverse culture. It even reflects on the way their palate so efficient in creating appetizing cuisine by the use of local ingredients. Each province has its own unique style to impress the tourists both local and foreign using their cooking ingenuity.  Who would have thought that pizza can be this more luscious? Pamapageno’s culinary expertise has once impressed me with their original pizza using daing (local fish) or salted duck egg as the main ingredients. Our food trip has never been this so daring after we tasted Iloco’s pride- the pinakbet pizza. Yes, you heard me right. Could you imagine a whole round of pizza has ampalaya (bitter gourd) as one of the toppings. And the uniqueness didn’t stop right there. The sauce was not ketchup not even the chilly one, but bagoong (fish sauce). The fish sauce blends perfectly with this local pizza. You should not definitely miss this once you drop by Paoay.

Budget: P385 per order (good for 4 persons)

Location: Herencia Restaurant at Paoay, Ilocos Norte (just in front of Paoay Church)

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