When new-found travel buddies suggested that we head off to Aling Lucing's for dinner, I didn't know that I would finally get to taste the famous Pampanga sisig that even Anthony Bourdain crossed oceans and mountains just to taste in Kitchen Confidential. Aling Lucing's is considered the best sisig in Angeles, and perhaps the entire Philippines.
 |
| Aling Lucing's from the street. At dusk, not a lot of people, but this quickly changes when the clock hits 7. Families in SUVs would start arriving and the place is packed in no time. |
According to Rene, who lives just an hour away from Angeles City, Aling Lucing's serves the original sisig in the Philippines, although you would not know it just by looking at the place. When we arrived at around 6 pm, the place looked like any other carinderia in Dumaguete. There were dishes displayed in front, and someone was preparing the grill right on the street. We did find photos of Anthony Bourdain on the wall, and he was grinning from ear to ear, so the sisig must be that good.
We ordered the sisig, of course, and another dish called buro, which is fermented rice paste mixed with shrimps. You eat the rice with eggplant, okra, or lettuce. I had no idea how buro would taste but I was in a 'try anything' mood (I was in freakin' Pampanga, for Pete's sake!) and if I could try it, then I would. So we ordered that, and the guys ordered the usual BBQ chicken innards, which tastes really good, especially when paired with ice cold Coke.
 |
| Aling Lucing's celeb patrons taking time for photos. Anthony Bourdain! |
 |
| You choose what you want for dinner here. That's buro right there, right next to the shiny red tomatoes. |
 |
| The famous Aling Lucing's sisig! They weren't kidding, it tasted really good. It was overflowing with onions, and the meat was soft and crunchy at the same time. They told me that that they mix chicken liver in with the pork meat, so that gives the sisig that distinct, nutty flavor. |
 |
The buro and eggplant and okra plate. We did eat all this stuff up (if I remember correctly).
I don't know if you eat buro as an apetizer, but it certanly served the purpose for me. the rice was sour and sticky, and it had a sour smell mixed in with the familiar burnt smell of cooked rice. It felt weird when I tasted it for the first time, since it looked like something that someone just threw up. But surprisingly, buro grows on you. The taste gets better especially if you pair it with the greens.
|
 |
| Proof that I had a really great meal. For my first night in Angeles City, not bad! :) |
February 11, I hopped on a plane to Manila to meet my boyfriend before we headed off to Clark Pampanga to catch the last day of the 17th International Hot Air Balloon festival. It was my first time to go to Pampanga, second time in Manila, and I was determined to have a blast. I got to try new food, visit the famous Angeles City strip of bars, and even got to ride the MRT for the first time (hooray for me!)
The last day was on a Sunday and we had to wake up at 4 in the morning so that we won't get stuck in traffic. We took a jeep from our hotel, which dropped us off at another jeep station where we got on a jeep that would take us to Clark. It was still dark outside but the lanes to the Clark Freeport Zone were already clogged with cars and people, most of them still bleary eyed and sleepy, but determined to see the balloons fly off into the air. The traffic was really bad that it got to a point where the jeepney driver told us to jump off about a kilometer from the base. We walked all the way to the base, passing scores of cars parked along the highway, their occupants out with binoculars and cameras ready. Everyone was there, entire families, small kids to old people to people with their dogs. The atmosphere, even at that early in the morning, was electric. Everyone was excited to see the balloons.
 |
| traffic so early in the morning! |
It was exhilarating to see all those balloons floating up in the sky. People gasped and pointed every time one balloon would make its way up into the air. The car and cake balloons, as well as the cheery sunflower, got the most Ooohs and Aaahs. It was also fun watching people whip out their cameras, iPods, camera phones, and iPads to take pictures. It field was turned into a field of SLRs as well. We even saw something snapping away in a Hasselblad!!!
 |
| Oly and Canon |
night shot
The fiesta atmosphere was everywhere in the Freeport zone. There were booths set up, and in the hangars were exhibits of Air Force combat planes and gear. For P200 you can stay inside the Freeport Zone for the whole day. There was plenty of food, since fast food joints like KFC, Jollibee, YellowCab and others have set up shop around the base as well. Families brought blankets and chairs and were setting up spots for themselves on the grass and they watched the gliders and colorful kites float by. You can also try your hand at kite flying. There were stalls selling colorful kite as well as souvenirs. Truly a great way to spend a Sunday.
