Explored the Filipino Food and Street Food in Pampanga, Philippines. The food, the delicacies and the history of Pampanga in a Philtranco Bus.
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BETIS CHURCH (GuaGua, Pampanga)
The Betis Church is one of the oldest parish church in Pampanga. Not only beautiful outside but also has an amazing interior inside . A painted ceiling art will greet when you look up just like the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican City. The construction of Betis Church is the first mission of the Augustinian priests and it has also produce many priests.
JB BETIS WOODCRAFT (GuaGua, Pampanga)
If you love shopping for unique pieces of furniture, JB Betis Woodcraft would be your go to place in Pampanga. We visited the place where they create elegant and artistic furnitures that you see in high-end places or hotels. Each piece is handcrafted from chair, tables, mirrors, beds to cases. They have also celebrity clients that requests their beautifully crafted furnitures that are sent overseas.
SAN GUILLERMO CHURCH (GuaGua, Pampanga)
We briefly checked out San Guillermo Church and at first glance you’ll notice that the church is relatively small compared to the other precious church. But there is a story why it’s relatively small and that is because half of it is buried in lahar when the Pinatubo volcano erupted. People in Pampanga are resilient and still continuing with their livelihood despite what happened to the town of Bacolor when the volcano erupted many years ago.
ALING LARING TAMALES – CABALANTIAN (GuaGua, Pampanga)
Our fourth stop is Aling Laring’s Special Kakanin where their specialty is the Tamales. She started selling Tamales in 1972 and became the Tamales Queen. Our version of Tamales is made up of ground rice, coconut milk and various toppings like chicken, ham and egg. They also makes Suman Bulagta, Bico, Capit, Kalame Duman/Ube etc.
25 SEEDS RESTAURANT (GuaGua, Pampanga)
The 25 Seeds Restaurant was formerly an old mansion then later turned by Chef Sau to a restaurant that serves Kapampangan dishes and Other FIlipino food. We were treated to these delicious dishes: Pako Salad, Okoy, Tinape Babi, Camaro (an insect dish), Bulanglang na Babi, Kare-Kare, Chicken Galantina and Tibok-tibok. Chef Sau also demonstrated his own version of Tamales.
SUSIE’S CUISINE
A popular stop to get pasalubong and delicious kakanin, Susie’s Cuisine is a must visit when you’re in Angeles, Pampanga. It started as a small canteen and later grown to what it is now and also expanded to different branches. You should try their Pancit Luglug and their kakanin (rice cakes).
PAMINTUAN MANSION
The Pamintuan Mansion is more than a century old house and is known as the place where they had the first and only public Independence Day celebration under Emilio Aguinaldo on June 12, 1899. Today, it is now the Museum of Philippine Social History where they showcase vintage antiques, elegant period furnishing, native textiles and fashion and architectural designs.
CENTER FOR KAPAMPANGAN STUDIES
Located inside the Holy Angel University, the Center for Kapampangan Studies houses the legacy of Kapampangan heritage and roots. There are historical pieces that is essential to the Kapampangans like death masks of famous personalities, golden wreaths of famous playwrights and many more.
ALING LUCING’S SISIG
I have been to Aling Lucing’s Sisig many times and noticed they expanded and have taken the spot next to them. Aling Lucing Sisig houses the original sisig which has no egg, no mayo which we are accustomed to in Manila. Aside from its famous sisig, they also have bulalo, chicharon bulaklak, ensalada and other Filipino dishes. This was the last meal on our culinary trip to Pampanga and we devoured all the food that were served. All were delicious and we enjoyed every last bite of the meal. Even when we got to the bus, we still smell like sisig!
KABIGTING’s HALO-HALO
On our way back to Manila, the staff of Philtranco team got us some Kabigting’s Halo-Halo. It is different from the usual halo-halo which is colorful and lots of ingredients. It has only few ingredients like sugared white kidney beans, corn kernels and pastillas. It has an interesting smooth texture but a sweet treat nonetheless.
I have enjoyed the Pampanga Heritage and Food Tour by Philtranco and it made realize that Pampanga has an abundance of culture, history and delicacies that made them a rich and amazing province. Thankfully we got to enjoy and experience Pampanga even though we’re in Manila or in far away provinces because there are busses like Philtranco that get us there safely and comfortably.
I’m Aaron, a Filipino food vlogger documenting food through videos and sharing it to you 🙂
I invite you to taste the Flavors of the Philippines!
