Showing posts with label SM Clark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SM Clark. Show all posts

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Pampanga's Ikabud

Both internet and word of mouth got me interested about Ikabud. They say it is one of Angeles City's popular restaurants. I and my travel companions got ourselves looking for its location taking with us only a couple of instructions from the receptionist in Gani Hotel where we stayed for 2 nights. In my travels, I realized that it was oftentimes, if not all the time, convenient to stay in pension houses located near where most establishments are.

When we finally arrived at the place, we noticed that everyone was busy. True to the reviews, we found ourselves self-navigating, looking for that great spot in the restaurant since there were no available waiting crew. It was also a little noisy with all sounds coming from diners boisterously laughing, excitedly chatting, clinking of glasses and plates from kitchen crew, and loud music somewhere. For me, it was just the right setup. I needed no special attention anyway, at least for choosing the table location. Finally, a staff got off-loaded and brought to us a huge cardboard menu. We spent time browsing through it and eventually picked Salpicao, Pinakbet, and Sisig (Pampanga's best).


Salpicao was a mix of ingredients, pretty much of seafood (tahong, squid, shrimps), some pork cuts, mushrooms, and vegetables (peas, squash, bell pepper). If salpicao sounds much of a beef recipe for you, then you will be surprised. However, they are not in lack of that option. They serve Beef Salpicao, too. You just have to specify. (Price: P210)


Pinakbet is a mixture of vegetables (squash, string beans, eggplant, ampalaya, lady fingers, tomato, bell pepper, etc). Although pinakbet recipe usually contains the dominant shrimp paste or bagoong ingredient, I, however found it difficult to identify that in the taste. On the other hand, I recall tasting ground peanuts somewhere (either in salpicao or in this dish). (Price: P98)


Sisig, known to be one of Pampanga's best was served to us on a sizzling plate. This menu is mainly the face skin of pork head chopped into tiny cubes with broiled pork liver. The spices (siling labuyo, ground black pepper, onions, bay leaves) and the rest of the ingredients (salt, vinegar, kalamansi) make up for its taste. This, in the Philippines is always a good beer match. (Price: P185)

Overall, I will merit Ikabud for serving fresh ingredients, great menu variety and serving size. Taste, price, ambiance and service were just okay.

Ikabud already has a branch in SM Clark. However, if you like dining outside too commercial areas, find its Hensonville branch. Here's how.:

1. Walk to the Main Gate Friendship Terminal. (Ask the security guards for instructions.)
2. Before reaching the terminal, stop at the Mini Stop (convenience store) corner.
3. Take a jeepney bound to Hensonville. Jeepney fare is P8.00 .

Other places to eat in Angeles:
  Mr. KimBob (BibimBob)
  Korean Bakery

The Ikabud branches:

Map:

View Larger Map

Address
1. Richtofen Road, Malabanias, Angeles City
2. 29-19 S.L. Orosa St., Diamond Subd., Balibago
3. Ground Floor, SM City Clark
4. G/F Marquee Mall, North Luzon Expressway, Angeles City

Telephone:
           625-8232 (Balibago)
           322-7067 (Hensonville)
           499-0136(SM Clark)
           437-9273 (Marquee Mall)

Cuisine: Filipino
Hours of business: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Where to Eat in Angeles

Mr. KimBob (BIBIMBOB)

When you are but a sojourner to a place, starved and you don't know where you can find safe and good food, the nearest malls and nationwide fast food shops are the best way to go to. In Angeles, Pampanga, after checking in Gani Hotel from the airport, we headed out to SM Angeles City. It took us only about 5 to 15 minutes to finally reach the mall by foot. Despite hunger, we decided to scan the foodcourt for anything appealing and new. We were eyeing for Pampanga dishes, however, none came up worth looking back. We didn't stop looking until we reached the last stall. It looked set apart from the regular restaurants we passed by and interestingly had a long line of customers waiting to make an order and pay to the cashier. Obviously, it was fast food but not the common ones you see in almost all places in the Philippines.

Mr. Kimbob stall in SM Clark (Angeles)


Their Menu Board


Mr. KimBob is a Korean restaurant that offers a variety of Korean Meal Combos from Bulgogi to Japche and Donkatsu. They also have their famous Bibimbob plate that contains almost a small portion of each type of vegetable they had available, rice at the center, topped with fried sunny side up egg and marinated beef cuts . They serve their dishes sizzling hot. We noticed that the customers pour a lavish amount of the chili paste on the plate so we followed.

(Right) Bibimbob

Like most Korean food, the dish especially with the chili is like level 3 spicy and HOT. For one who likes chili flavored food, I'd say it was just perfect to diffuse my jetlag and fatigue. I finished meal 16 (Chicken Bites) in a flash. My two other companions ordered each a Bibimbob (a personalized name for the original Bibimbap Korean recipe) and had to pick out some of the vegetables they didn't like to eat. Among the blanched vegetables in Bibimbob were kangkong, chayote, carrots and cabbage (blanched and kimchi version). I would still have eaten all that but my spicy chicken bites were just enough which by the way was priced neatly at 99 sizzling pesos.

(Left) Sizzling Chicken Bites. (Right) that starved sojourner.

It was a great food start in Angeles and fun knowing that Mr. KimBob has yet to reach the Visayas and Mindanao regions in the Philippine archipelago.

Find Mr. Kimbob locations here.

Other food stops in Angeles City, Pampanga:
Korean Bakery
Ikabud

In Angeles City, find Mr. KimBob in SM Clark foodcourt.

View Larger Map
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