Vigan City Food Trip: Food Experiences to Try at Ilocos Sur’s Historic City

My wife and I had our first wedding anniversary last August. To celebrate, we went up to Baguio City, the Summer Capital of the Philippines, then went down to San Juan (La Union), the Surfing Capital of Northern Philippines.

We usually plan our trips down to the last detail. But this time, we decided to go spontaneous after our stay in Baguio. We drove down to San Juan on a stormy night without booking an accommodation. When we were there, we had a hard time finding a room because the prices are above our budget and credit cards weren’t honored in most places.

So we stayed for just one night and, in the next day, figured that it would be cheaper if we drive up further north. Our spontaneity brought us to Vigan City.

Vigan City is the capital of the Ilocos Sur, a province in Northern Luzon island. It is the longest surviving historic city, founded in the 16th century. Because of that, Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I have Ilocano roots, as 3 of my grandparents are from the Ilocos region. So I’m familiar with (and I love) Ilocano cuisine. To be back in Vigan (I’ve been there once when I was still a teenager) and to try authentic Ilocano food there is like a dream come true!

Needless to say, we did a food trip (though not extensively because we were spontaneous). And here are the food experiences I recommend to you:

Bagnet

A visit to Vigan won’t be complete without trying their sinfully yummy delicacy—Bagnet or deep-fried pork belly.

It can be eaten by itself with Sukang Iloko or Basi (cane vinegar) dip or with a condiment known as K.B.L. (kamatis or tomato, bagoong isda or fermented fish sauce, and lasona or onion), which I love. Or it can be mixed in a dish such as Pakbet/Pinakbet, an Ilocano vegetable dish.

You can find Bagnet in many popular restaurants in Vigan. If you want to bring it home, you can buy it in souvenir stores or at the public market. The prices are pretty much the same.

Coffee and Dessert at 1995 Studio Cafe

Located near the historic Calle Crisologo (near the statue of the Ilocano poet Leona Florentino), 1995 Studio Cafe serves beverages (such as coffee, frappes, and milk teas), Ilocano dishes, and Western food.

We weren’t able to try their dishes. But we tasted their Sans Rival, which is a layered cake made with buttercream and chopped cashews. It’s so good that it’s one of my favorite Sans Rival now.

Address: Ground Floor GSP Building, Leona Florentino cor. Plaridel Sts., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 10AM-9PM | Contact No.: 0917-3235488 | Facebook | Instagram

Modern and Traditional Ilocano Food at Kusina Felicitas

Kusina Felicitas is a heritage restaurant in Grandpa’s Inn. Their menu not only consists of Ilocano food but also of dishes from the provinces of Northern Luzon.

They also offer modern Ilocano food. For instance, they serve Poqui-Poqui Balls, which is Poqui-Poqui (an Ilocano eggplant dish) but in croquette form and sitting on Thai green and red curries. I love this dish!

Of course, they still serve traditional Ilocano dishes. We tried their Pinakbet with Bagnet and Vigan Longganisa (more on the latter later). The Pakbet’s vegetables give a delightful crunch, and the Bagnet bursts with fat!

Address: 1 Bonifacio St. cor Quirino Blvd., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: TBA | Contact No.: 0917-7990121 | Facebook | Instagram

Royal Bibingka at Tongson’s Royal Bibingka

Royal Bibingka is a rice cake popular in Vigan and a common pasalubong (souvenir). While there are a few establishments that make it, we had to get from the original—Tongson’s Royal Bibingka.

Tongson’s version is soft, chewy, and rightly sweet. I can easily finish a box of it!

Address: Calle Crisologo, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 8AM-9PM | Contact No.: 0917-8219098 | Facebook

Sinanglao at First Sinanglaoan

I love soup dishes with innards. So I didn’t miss the opportunity to eat Sinanglao (also spelled as Sinanglaw), an Ilocano innards soup flavored with bile (for bitterness) and kamias (for sourness). And we had it at one of the best, if not the best, places—First Sinanglaoan.

First of all, their Sinanglao is very affordable. For just P80, you get a big chunk of beef (or an innard of your choice) with some innards and coagulated blood. The broth is sour with a hint of bitterness, and fresh red onions give a nice crunch and contrast to the proteins.

The beef and innards isn’t as tender as I want it to be. But I can forego that because the Sinanglao is so comforting and perfect for rice (or lugaw/porridge, in which First Sinanglao offers and it’s yummy). In fact, it’s easily my favorite dish in our Vigan trip!

Address: Gov. A Reyes St., Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 6:30AM-12:30PM (until 1PM on Thursday) | Contact No.: 0906-4820445 | Facebook

Smoked Meats and Craft Beers at Calle Brewery

If you want to take a break from Ilocano food, then head over to Calle Brewery for American barbecue.

Yes, you read that right. And I know that Vigan is the unlikeliest place for smoked meats.

Calle Brewery, as its name suggests, makes craft beers as well. It’s a good complement for the smoked meats.

A Sampler of Calle Brewery’s Craft Beers

Check out my article on Calle Brewery next week.

Address: 11 Calle Encarnacion, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 11AM-12AM | Contact No.: 0917-1243849 | Facebook | Instagram

Traditional Ilocano Food in a Garden at Lilong and Lilang Restaurant

Away from the town proper is a restaurant hidden in a garden—Lilong and Lilang Restaurant in Hidden Garden (see what I did there?).

Here, you can eat Ilocano food while surrounded with greens. So if you’re a plantito/plantita or simply enjoy plants, then this is the place to be.

Check out my article on Lilong and Lilang Restaurant next week.

Address: Hidden Garden, Bulala Centro, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 6AM-6:30PM | Contact No.: 0967-4426514 | Facebook

Vigan Empanada at ?

Like Bagnet and Vigan Longganisa, another must-eat in Vigan is its own version of the Empanada.

Vigan Empanada is a popular snack sold in stalls and restaurants. Think of it as a crescent-shaped, taco-like snack. It’s typically made of eggs, grated green papaya, and skinless Vigan Longganisa, wrapped in a thin rice flour batter, and deep fried to a crisp. Each stall has their own variety (such as with meat or vegetarian) and portioning (double the meat or double all ingredients).

It’s best dipped with vinegar and eaten with softdrinks!

To find where best to have it, check out my article on Thursday.

Vigan Longganisa

Many cities or regions in the Philippines have its own version of the longganisa (Filipino sausage). What makes Vigan Longganisa distinct from others is that it uses locally-grown garlic and sugar-cane vinegar. Thus, it’s garlicky with a hint of sourness.

Vigan Longganisa is best eaten for breakfast, although it can be eaten at any meal of the day. You can try it in most restaurants or buy it in the public market and souvenir stores to bring home.

Vigan Pizzas at Cafe Leona

Pinakbet is a medley of vegetables consisting of bittergourd, eggplant, and okra, among many others. Can you imagine those veggies as pizza toppings?

If you’re adventurous and would like to try it, head over to Cafe Leona. They serve Vigan pizzas including the famous Pinakbet Pizza. Unfortunately, it was sold out so we opted for the one with Vigan Longganisa instead. It’s a good pizza.

Cafe Leona’s Al Fresco Set-Up at Calle Crisologo

Address: 1 Calle Crisologo, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: TBA | Contact No.: 0920-9068144 | Facebook | Instagram

Before I end this article, I just want to say that I find Ilocano cuisine on the underseasoned side. We observed this when we were in Baguio and Vigan. I guess that’s the reason why it’s common to have a condiment of bagoong isda, calamansi, and, for people who love spicy food, sili labuyo or chili. I may be wrong; please let me know at the comments section below. Still, I find Ilocano food comforting and delicious. In fact, I think it’s an underrated Filipino cuisine, and underrepresented in Manila.

If you’re a foodie, I think Vigan City should be on your foodie bucketlist. It’s a shame that when we visited, we didn’t plan extensively. I missed eating Dinardaraan (the Ilocano version of dinuguan or blood stew), Miki (an Ilocano noodle dish), and Pipian (a sour chicken stew). I guess it’s a reason to return someday!

Have you been to Vigan? What dish or food experience above have your tried or would like to try? What did I miss? Comment them below!