Last January 23 we were blessed to have the finest cooks in our family lead by my Auntie Elena. It’s been a tradition in our family, especially on my mother’s side to prepare the Classic Fresh Lumpia yearly. I can still remember when i was young, elementary years, we take parts on grinding the roasted peanuts together with my siblings and cousins. We’ll put the roasted peanuts inside a plastic or a brown paper and use empty softdrink bottles from my lolo Yu Ban’s mini sari-sari store to grind the peanuts. As for the veggies, we use razor blade to thinly slice the green beans.

Well, that was before. Today, we slice the green beans using cutter. No, I’m just kidding. Hehe! We prepare our Classic Fresh Lumpia much faster than before. And as years went by, we added lettuce as a “wrapper”.

Classic Fresh Lumpia

Classic Fresh Lumpia

At the Dagupan City Plaza

Chinese Lantern Dagupan City Plaza

Classic Fresh Lumpia

I’ll share the recipe here soon on How to make a Classic Fresh Lumpia.

I was able to tag along with me my nephew Darreyl and niece Lyka. We tried out a couple of foods like tokneneng, footlong hotdog sandwich, siomai, shawarma washed with samalamig!

Come eat around and enjoy food tripping with your family and friends!

Dagupan City FoodStrip

BongBong’s hot piaya is the only one I saw operating in Bacolod. Will try more on my next visit. You should try it too when you visit Bacolod City, October is their Masskara Festival month.

What is Piaya?

Piaya is a flat unleavened bread filled with mozcovado (raw) sugar. A product of the Negros provinces, sugar capital of the Philippines, it is produced and available at BongBong’s.

What’s the texture like? The bread is flaky, just like the Chinese hopia, and the filling is, of course, sweet. The dough is prepared then formed into small balls. The filling of mozcovado sugar is spooned at the center of each ball then the ball is re-shaped. Rolling pins are used to flatten them. Ovens used for commercially produced piaya are not enclosed contraptions but more like huge open griddles. The flattened piaya are arranged in rows and columns, cooked until the underside is lightly browned then flipped over to brown the opposite side. They are cooled then packed for selling.

BongBong’s Hot Piaya

BongBong’s Hot Piaya

BongBong’s Hot Piaya

visit online: http://bongbongspiaya.com/index.html
You would like to try the Ube flavor BongBong’s Hot Piaya.

Have you tried eating one? Or do you know how to make puto lanson? It’s a cassava cake specialty – a native delicacy from Iloilo. I’m a not a super fan of rice cakes and the like but this one is worth eating.

Well, I was able to taste one in Bacolod City last 2008 sold along the sidewalk for just Php5.00 each.

Puto Lanson along the sidewalk

Last week while I was in SM Bacolod with friends, we bought two orders. They were steaming hot, you could savor the sweetness and soft coarse texture of puto lanson.

HOW TO MAKE PUTO LANSON

4 cups grated cassava (squeeze out the juice using cheese cloth, air dried)
4 tbsp. brown sugar
6 tbsp. grated coconut (long and thin)
moulder ( tins with holes in the bottom, u can use cans of milk)

Procedure:

Mix the grated cassava with brown sugar and grated coconut altogether. Don’t put too much coconut as it will make your puto lanson moist. Stuff them in your moulder tin cans and steam. You can even use banana leaves like in the picture. Steam for about 20-25 minutes. Once cooked you can spread butter or margarine, some like sugar like what you see the ones sold on the sidewalk. Serve it hot and pair it with any of your hot drinks.

If you get to visit Iloilo or Bacolod be sure to try puto lanson.

When we arrived at the La Paz Market, we asked the elderly where we could find the original La Paz batchoy. Some told us that we can find the place inside the market. Some said it’s at Deco’s or the other establishment. So I texted my friend who’s a native of Iloilo. But then, we had no time left and we need to leave IloIlo.

While on the road, my friend replied that we go for Deco’s because it’s been there for a long time and their batchoy is really good. Oh well, at least I was able to try it. Not in IloIlo, but in Bacolod.

Deco’s Original La Paz Batchoy Sine 1938
Get a taste of Ilonggo History!
Luzuriaga St., Bacolod City
Open from 8:00am to 3:00am
Tel. No. 707-7506

I’d like to thank Miss Michelle (Luzuriaga St., Bacolod Branch) for the contact info and for the cashier, security and crew: Marian, Jasper, Victor, Mark, Rodjan, Richard. Thank you so much for being such a wonderful people. Until next time!

Imay’s Bar and Restaurant serves foods that are affordable and delicious. Anybody can eat here. It’s one of the food establishments that you should try in Bacolod!

Imay’s Bar and Restaurant can be found at:

6th Street, Bacolod City
Tel Nos. 709-0900 and 434-4700.