Bacolod City is teeming with the most awesome restaurants in the planet. The Masskara Festival as well as food tourism are the two reasons why people are drawn to the city. And Cebu Pacific has made it easier and more affordable to have a foodie adventure in Bacolod.
Creating Memories with My Palate
Assimilation is my game when travelling. Since I was in high school, I have traveled alone, with a group, or with a companion for personal as well as official purposes. There are three things I usually do in a place I visit — enjoy the hotel, visit historical and cultural attractions, and eat local food. No shopping malls jaunts.
- Related: How to Travel With the Least Stress
While in certain locales in the Philippines and abroad, I would ask around and seek out the specialties of the city and get referrals for dining establishments that serve local cuisine. We didn’t have the internet and food blogs back then so word of mouth recommendations and first-hand testimonies were our go-to places for referrals.
Food Memories
My food memories would include things like the spicy kropek served with every plate of nasi goreng or beef rendang in Sumatra, Indonesia, the largest fish and chips order in Los Angeles, the comforting seafood chowder served in a bread bowl in chilly San Francisco during Christmastime, the fine wine in an elegant chateau in Napa Valley, or the adobo-style way I cooked my turkey leftovers from Disneyworld in Florida.
And would you believe, I ate barbecued alligator ribs in Gatorland Orlando!
Moreover, I remember the best hawker noodles in Singapore as well as the steamed Hainanese chicken rice meal I had by the roadside. After enjoying the cool night breeze and the scenery at the Clark Quay one night, friends treated me to the famous Singapore chili crab and spicy laksa afterwards.
In Hong Kong, I enjoyed peking duck meals as well as street food like those meat or seafood balls in skewers sold by vendors along the sidewalk. My go-to dessert would be the dried fruits sold by local vendors. It was just hard conversing with the Chinese locals in order to get exactly what I wanted.
One very memorable foodie adventure for me was having breakfast in New York, lunch in Connecticut, and dinner in Orlando. Needless to say, my travel memories are associated with food.
Eating My Way Around the Country
Going up to Atok in Benguet, I appreciated the pinikpikang manok that local farmers prepared for us. However, I was not so enthused with the bagnet and pinakbet in Batac, Ilocos Norte because, I guess, my taste buds were looking for their Bacolod versions.
When in Iloilo, I always crave for Roberto’s Siopao. And whenever we go to Iligan to visit relatives, it seems that every household prepares one whole lechon (roast pig) to welcome us.
Now, you get the drift with my food memories.
Bacolod Food Tourism
Fast forward, I got married to my better half who is even a more adventurous foodie than I am.
In Bacolod City, I realized that our family keeps eating out and trying new Bacolod restaurants. We have some of the most talented and creative chefs armed with skills as well as endless ideas.
Since I already started carrying a digital camera since 20 years ago, I kept taking pictures of the food we eat. That’s part of how I remember the dishes I’ve had in terms of their serving size and platter arrangement, aside from their flavor.
The collection of food photos in my hard drive was already eating too much disk space that I decided to revisit them and maybe delete some?
But I couldn’t bear to delete them so I started writing about them and sharing about my restaurant experiences in this food blog. That was when the hashtag, #Bacolodeats, was born several years ago. I kept sharing and promoting dishes as well as the restaurants and even home cooks because I believed in the potential of drawing people to Bacolod through food tourism.
From our appetizing kinilaw, our flavorful main courses, and our heavenly desserts — we’ve got you covered in Bacolod.
People are Noticing Bacolod Food
Eventually, many more people started blogging and vlogging about local food that people from around the country and abroad are encouraged to have a Foodie Adventure in Bacolod.
Local and international celebrities like Erwann Heussaf, Drew Arellano, Chef Sandy Daza, Nico Bolzico, Rhiann Ramos, Solenn Heussaf, Robi Domingo, and many others have featured Bacolod cuisine in their shows. Bacolodnon Chefs JP Anglo and Don Angelo Colmenares have cemented their celebrity status in the culinary world and they continue to promote Bacolod food tourism.
With all of these contributing factors and efforts of people combined, the Bacolod food tourism industry has grown exponentially.
In fact, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, has been ranked number 2 in the most number of local visitors by the Department of Tourism.
Get on a Foodie Adventure in Bacolod
Bacolod City is the capital of Negros Occidental, which is part of the stand-alone Negros island in Southern Philippines. It’s a small yet progressive city and is very much accessible by air and sea travel.
We also have many kinds of hotel accommodations that would suit your budget so that you will have plenty extra for an unforgettable foodie adventure in Bacolod.
Here are my list of Bacolod restaurants that could help you in your food tripping.
- Bacolod Restaurants with Must-Try Pinoy Dishes
- International Cuisine in Bacolod Restaurants
- Bacolod Seafood Restaurants and Native Eats
- List of Finer Bacolod Restaurants and Cafes
- Bacolod Restaurants for Casual Dining
- The Best Desserts in Bacolod
- Ilonggo Favorites at Lion’s Park Grill Haus
Bacolod Food Suggestions
Your foodie adventure in Bacolod would depend on the length of your stay, how much your tummy can hold, and your budget.
The topmost dishes you should never miss would be our Bacolod chicken inasal. It’s like the signature comfort dish that everybody loves. I have yet to meet a local or a visitor who could resist chicken inasal.
- Related: Know Your Bacolod Chicken Inasal
For those who like soup, cansi flavored with batwan as well as KBL are top choices. Cansi is beef slow-cooked for hours and served with scalding orange-colored soup.
Meanwhile, KBL literally means kadios, baboy, langka — a soup dish with black beans, pork legs or belly, and unripe jackfruit.
Since the Negros island is literally surrounded by waters, fresh seafood is abundant everyday. It is no wonder that seafood restaurants abound all over the city. You can choose the freshest catch and have them cooked the way you like them.
Adventurous eaters with healthy tummies should also have steamed oysters, too. Plus, don’t miss our version of batchoy at Super Batchoy House. So flavorful with the addition of bone marrow.
How to Get to Bacolod
Don’t worry because Bacolod is very accessible from major cities around the Philippines. Cebu Pacific has so many flights to Bacolod City everyday. Check out the jump-off points below:
- Manila – regular flights 5x daily (approx. 1 hr)
- Cebu – 2x daily (approx. 40 mins)
- Davao – once every other day (approx. 1 hr 30 mins)
- Clark – once daily (approx 1 hr)
All flights land at the Bacolod-Silay Aiport in Silay City.
Note: Manila flights increase up to 8x daily during peak seasons.
From neighboring Iloilo City, it only takes a one-hour fast craft ride to get to Bacolod.
So the next time you plan a vacation, try the foodie adventure in Bacolod. It will be worth the trip.
Take Home Bacolod
Remember: Don’t forget to bring home Bacolod with you.
Check out this list of Bacolod pasalubong to Bring Home and let your loved ones have a taste of your foodie adventure in Bacolod. Your best bet would be half-cooked authentic Bacolod chicken inasal!
Or you may want our sweet treats like Merzci Pasalubong piaya, oatmeal things from Felicia’s, or some Napoleones by Roli’s. Take your pick–we have so many of them! We are Sugarlandia after all!
We can all agree that Bacolod is the best place in the planet when it comes to delicious foods & amazing restaurants.