Bacolod City is a foodie haven in the province of Negros Occidental.
Images: Yoorekka (L); Aida’s Chicken, Bacolod City Reclamation Area Facebook page (R)
Various delectable dishes are found in homegrown restaurants where locals and visitors can taste and experience authentic Bacolod food and hospitality. Do you know any native delicacies in Bacolod? Have you ever wondered what the famous food in Bacolod tastes like? If you do, here’s good news: it’s easy to find a must-eat in Bacolod; they’re all over Bacolod City’s public markets! Read on and check out this list of native delicacies in Bacolod City.
Location:C-20 Narra Avenue, Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City
Price:PhP185 per serving
Some KBL contains monggo seeds instead of kadios in some local restaurants in the public market.
Image: Yoorekka
Kadios, Baboy, and Langka or KBL is one of the native delicacies in Bacolod, a famous Ilonggo stew that commonly uses dark purple kadios (pigeon peas) to make it tastier. It’s also a good source of protein. Another ingredient for the recipe is baboy (pork), where any part of the pork can be served depending on your choice. Unripe langka (jackfruit) and a sour fruit locally known as batuan (garcinia morella) make KBL special. Small and local restaurants usually serve the famous food in Bacolod during lunchtime, so when noon comes, all you need to say are three letters: K-B-L. It is one of the native delicacies in Bacolod that you shouldn’t miss!
Location:Manokan Country, Reclamation Area, Bacolod City
Price:Ranges from PhP87.50 to PhP105 per serving
Bacolod’s most sought-after chicken inasal with a one-of-a-kind chicken oil.
Image: Yoorekka
Wondering where to eat chicken inasal in Bacolod City? Manokan Country is the most popular answer to that question, and it is just a five-minute drive from Bacolod City Central Public Market. It is home to dozens of stalls serving Bacolod’s most sought-after chicken inasal. The most recommended stalls of these famous native delicacies in Bacolod are usually named after women like Aida’s, Nena’s Rose, Nena’s Beth, and Carmen. Of course, the experience will not be complete without eating bare hands and dipping your inasal in tasty sinamak (Visayan spiced vinegar).
Location:Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Liroville Subd., Bacolod City
Price:PhP180.00
Appetizing ensalada that will make your inner vegan crave.
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Ensalada is one of the delicious appetizers or side dishes to try here in the City of Smiles, and it is also a famous food in Bacolod. One should taste this native delicacy in Bacolod when visiting the city. Ensalada is a must-eat in Bacolod for vegans. It is made of blanched and chopped banana hearts, shallots, tomatoes, and chilies mixed with calamansi (calamondin) juice and coconut milk. This delicious and colorful dish is typically served in local restaurants and eateries in the city’s public markets.
One can taste this sticky delight in a coconut shell, just like how locals eat it.
Image: Yoorekka
Next on our list of native delicacies in Bacolod is the famous Kalamayhati, a sweet delight made from ground sticky rice, muscovado sugar, coconut milk, and sometimes sesame seeds. Kalamayhati is a native delicacy that is brown. The name of the delicacy comes from the words kalamay (sugar) and hati (to halve) because of the coconut shell that needs to be split in half before consuming this sweet treat. This famous food in Bacolod is also sold in plastic containers at the local markets. Prices range of these native delicacies in Bacolod starts from PhP10 to PhP30.
Variations of baye-baye in the public market. Brown baye-baye is mixed with muscovado sugar, while white ones are mixed with regular-washed white sugar.
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Baye-baye is a mixture of sugar, toasted glutinous rice, or corn pounded in a mortar until soft and incorporated. This kind of native delicacy in Bacolod is made of strips of young coconut, which are added to make it extra special. It is strenuous, so tasting it is a unique experience. This famous food in Bacolod is usually served as a snack; baye-baye is also cooked during special occasions, especially during the Tigkalalag (Day of the Dead) and Holy Week, to signify that our love for the Lord and late loved ones would stick just like the baye-baye, a must eat in Bacolod. In addition, there are a lot of native delicacies in Bacolod that you should try during these special occasions.
Location:66 Narra Ave. Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City
Price:Ranging from PhP430 to PhP470 per bowl
A piping hot bowl of Cansi on a lazy afternoon.
Image: Yoorekka
One thing you shouldn’t miss whenever you are in a public market is eating in a cansihan. Tourists visiting the city must not miss trying cansi, Bacolod’s version of bulalo (beef shank soup). Cansi is a hot bone marrow soup with a special batuan ingredient that gives it a unique sour flavor. It is one of the native delicacies in Bacolod that is good when having a hangover. Some recommended homegrown restaurants of this famous restaurant in Bacolod are Sharyn’s Cansi House and Eron’s Cansi House, located near the Capitol Shopping Center and the Bacolod City North Public Market.
Among the native delicacies featured, what dish would you try on your next visit to Bacolod City? Let us know them!
Make sure to visitYoorekka Magazineto learn and find out more about the best native delicacies in Bacolod.
This article was initially published in Yoorekka on May 24, 2018.
Prices may change without prior notice.
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Yoorekka’s team is composed of talented writers from all over the Philippines with varied interests, from creative writing to environmental advocacy. There is one thing that they share, though: they’re all passionate about producing articles that are not only interesting to read but also useful for anyone reading!
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