Bicol Express!

"Kakana kita!" A Bicolano dialect for "Let's Eat!". Eating at Bicol is quite an experience and if you want something spicy, this is the place to be. However, Bicolano cuisine is not always about the spice. Authentic Bicolano food, most of the time, uses gata or coconut milk. It's THE sauce for them.

I was given a privilege to visit this region recently and was able to taste their food from their different provinces. Mind you, their famous Bicol Express was cooked differently in every province. Like in Bagasbas, Camarines Norte, it was cooked with more sitaw (string beans). In Caramoan, Camarines Sur and Naga City, it was cooked like a bagoong or a paste type. Another way to cook it, like in Pili, it was cooked with more pork. The bottom line is, it's the best selling dish in Bicol and it's the spiciest of all the dishes here.

Anyway, when you go to CWSC (Camsur Water Sports Comples) or any place near Pili, I would recommend you to eat at Ibo's Carinderia. It's along the National Road. There, you will find authentic Bicolano cuisine such as tinunot (upper left, shark meat with vinegar and gata), bicol express (upper right), and laing (below, taro leaves with gata). The price is very reasonable...we were seven and we ordered 2 softdrinks, 9 dishes, 8 orders of rice and soup for only P640! Looking for a spicy Food Trip, visit Bicol and experience its amazing cuisine!