My friends and I strategically made the most out of the recent January long weekend, by going on an Ilocos region tour! The sights were nothing short of amazing, but I can't say the same for the long and tiresome drive going there. Luckily for us, our driver slash tour guide knows the right places where to grab hearty and certified delicious grub.
Garlic Chicken (half) 130.00PHP or 2.92USD. Tagged as one of their house specialties, Rafael's does not lie about it. The meat was infused with just amount of spices and herbs, and may I say very garlicky. Don't let me get started with the addicting and crispy chicken skin. I could eat a bucket of this if I could without the health implications hehehe.
Pinakbet 100.00PHP or 2.24USD (estimate only). We were dumbfounded to know that the bagnet we were pining for was unfortunately, not available. So, we had to make do with what's available. It was a relief to know that their pinakbet contains chunks of probably, leftover bagnet. I loved the abundance of okra! You may scoff at my favorite veggie for all you can, but I love it down to it's sticky core.
Pork Sinigang 150.00PHP or 3.37USD (estimate only). Rafael's version of sinigang is a little bit questionable for someone who likes it with staple ingredients and its signature sourness. It felt like a hybrid between sinigang, nilaga and tinola with the incorporation of sayote and cabbage strips.
Pansit Guisado 120.00PHP or 2.69USD (estimate only). Who doesn't love pansit, right? Though this order may have been a tad too much for our already humongous meal. The pansit has this enticing smell from the sprinkling of sesame oil. It was definitely appetizing, and I would have no qualms eating this every single day.
The best part of the meal was finding out that the total cash damage amounted to only about approximately a little over 500.00PHP for a meal that fed 4 hungry, hungry hippos people. Rafael's certainly does serve homey, delicious comfort food at the fraction of the price I'm accustomed to. Now, that's definitely a win in my book. I'll be posting more of my Ilocos Region food trip chronicles spread out over the next few weeks, so do watch out for that. See you on my next pig out session!
Rafael's Garlic and Grilled Chicken
Location:
Jose Rizal Avenue, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte Philippines
Facebook Page: None found
Estimated Budget: ~200.00PHP up/meal
Payment Methods: Cash
Business Hours: Daily, 10:00AM to 9:00PM
Your pig out buddy,
Madz
