Discover the best places to eat in Bacolod with chef JP Anglo

I’m a chef and restaurateur based in Metro Manila, where I have been running Sarsá Kitchen + Bar since 2014. I serve traditional dishes from Negros Island – the Philippine region where I was born and raised – and give them a contemporary twist. Sarsá currently has six outlets and I spend most of my days hopping from one branch to another aboard my trusty and efficient Vespa – it’s honestly the fastest way to get around Metro Manila’s traffic gridlock.

In my hometown of Bacolod City, I still co-own Mai Pao Tea House and Mushu, my first two restaurant ventures. When I get to escape the demands of the business, I like to rides the waves in different surfing spots in the Philippines – this was actually the inspiration behind Hungry with Chef JP, a weekly food and travel documentary that I host on CNN Philippines.

I grew up in Bacolod City, in a compound that was built by my grandfather, an immigrant from China, and I would always sit beside him at the dinner table. I guess that’s how I first fell in love with good food.

We like grand gestures, so we make sure to take our guests to the best places so that they have the best time.

I don’t get to visit home often, but when I do I like going to my favorite eating spots – it’s a small area and I can easily dine at three establishments in 30 minutes. Being here reminds me of how far I’ve come in my career. When I was still running Mai Pao and Mushu, I always dreamed of playing with the big boys in Manila. My sister, business partner and best critic, Tracie, gave me the best advice: if you don’t serve Filipino food, you will never be recognized. So I started serving some Negrense food at Mushu and, as they say, the rest was history.

I remember to this day the very first people who believed in me, like Neal Oshima, a respected photographer, who showed up one day and told me, “Hey man, you have good food here. You should open a restaurant in Manila.”

Claude Tayag, a restaurateur and food columnist, was in Bacolod City while touring the country for his guidebook, Linamnam: Eating One’s Way Around the Philippines, when he ordered Mushu’s pansit molo, a pork dumpling soup originating from Iloilo province’s Molo district. He looked for me in the kitchen and told me, “This is the best molo I’ve ever had – and I just came from Iloilo.” I immediately called Tracie to tell her about getting his stamp of approval.

Life here is still charmingly slow-paced – so you’ll definitely have time to relax and take it all in.

There’s so much to love about Bacolod City. The drive from the airport is scenic – views of sugarcane plantations lining either side of the road slowly give way to the sight of Mount Mandalagan, and as you enter the commercial center of Silay City, majestic century-old heritage houses remind you of the province’s rich and storied past.

Bacolod City may be developing fast, but don’t let the new malls and commercial buildings fool you. Life here is still charmingly slow-paced – so you’ll definitely have time to relax and take it all in.

Whenever I’m hosting friends visiting from abroad, Bacolod is always on the itinerary for a food trip. The capital of Negros Occidental, Bacolod’s nickname is the City of Smiles because we’re a very friendly bunch. Filipinos are generally known for being hospitable but here we’re just a little more so. We like grand gestures, so we make sure to take our guests to the best places so that they have the best time.

SATURDAY

9am

The best breakfast in Bacolod City is at a local’s home – but the next best spot is German Locsin Unson Heritage House. Built in 1938 by Unson and his wife, Fe dela Rama Ledesma, it’s just a 10-minute drive from the airport and was just recently turned into a four-room bed and breakfast by their daughters. I order the Chorizo ni Lola breakfast set – which comes with fried garlic rice and native brewed coffee, tea or calamansi juice – and the Tsokolate Platter comprised of hot Spanish chocolate sprinkled with pinipig, ibus (sticky rice cooked in coconut milk), puto (steamed rice cakes) from Manapla and fresh fruits. Zamora St, Silay City; +63 34 432-2943

10.30am

Silay City, once affectionately called the Paris of Negros for the opulent lifestyle of its sugar barons, has a fair number of heritage houses that are still in good condition. While some have been turned into museums, most of them are still lived in or used as a place of business – such as the Soledad Lacson Ancestral House on Rizal Street which is occupied by Emma Lacson Delicacies. It’s a business that’s been around since the 1920s and remains popular among Bacolod’s old families who can’t get enough of its lumpia ubod – a fresh spring roll served on a homemade crepe made with egg whites and filled with the pith of a young coconut trunk. 120 Rizal St, Silay City

12pm

Back in Bacolod City, I head to Aboy’s Restaurant, a massive 250-seater establishment that started as a small eatery near Burgos Public Market in 1992. It serves delicious pre-cooked food and I can’t get enough of the Squid Fat – an amazing seafood dish made of squid fat bathing in a stew of vinegar, pepper and squid ink. There’s also a grilled section where I get garlic scallops and the blue marlin, which pairs well with ensaladang talong (eggplant salad). Singcang, Liroville Subdivision, Bacolod City

3pm

I drop by the Negros Museum Café to visit chef Guido Nijssen, a Dutch native who migrated to Bacolod and one of my mentors. He taught me Western cooking techniques that I was able to use to execute Filipino dishes. He runs the café with his Filipina wife, Gemma, and is a big fan of organic local produce. He also makes his own cheeses and bread that’s fermented overnight, and slow-cooks a lot of the meat that goes into his scrumptious sandwiches. I usually get roast beef, but there’s also Talisay ham, spicy pork belly, smoked chicken and pata Negros dried ham to choose from. Gatuslao St, Bacolod City

It’s a rustic affair – there’s no air-conditioning and the owner, who looks like an ageing Chinese martial artist, cooks a mean meal and dresses casually

7pm

For dinner, I rough it out and drive to Luisa’s Fried Chicken in the downtown area called Shopping. Luisa’s is one of those popular restaurants that refuse to branch out and where the menu is comprised of only a few items. It’s a rustic affair – there’s no air-conditioning and the owner, who looks like an ageing Chinese martial artist, cooks a mean meal and dresses casually. The fried chicken here is extremely popular but my favorite dish is the garlic spare ribs. The batter has whole garlic cloves that taste sweet – I think it’s because it’s cooked in a pressurized fryer – so the dish is sweet, salty and garlicky at the same time. It’s best eaten with an ice-cold bottle of beer, so I grab one of those too. Narra Ave, Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City

9pm

I head to Felicia’s Pastry Café, a 20-minute walk from Luisa’s Fried Chicken, for a slice of their semi-dark chocolate cake. Felicia’s is also known for its ensaymada, a pastry similar in texture to brioche bread, though this one is moist with loads of grated cheddar cheese on top. DOLL Bldg, 6th Lacson St, Bacolod City

Everything in Bacolod is just a bit sweeter. Sugar is, after all, what Negros is known for

10pm

I’m not really into fancy cocktails so I settle down with a glass of scotch at Mushu, which turns into a popular drinking spot at night. Since it’s also known for its bar chow, I ask for the sizzling kansi – a modern take on local stewed beef that’s cooked with batwan, a souring agent indigenous to Negros. A popular meal after a night of heavy drinking, this version is cooked and served on a hot plate. I pair it with chicken inasal sisig – the meat is chargrilled on an open fire before it’s chopped into little bits and cooked again on a sizzling plate – which is a slightly sweeter version of the one I make at Sarsa. Everything in Bacolod is just a bit sweeter. Sugar is, after all, what Negros is known for. 2/F Azotea Bldg, Lacson St, Bacolod City

12am

Before I call it a night, I head to Manokan Country, a row of alfresco eateries on Father M Ferrero Street, for more chicken inasal. I always go to Bernadette’s, which my family has patronized since I was a child. I get a stick of chicken inasal, isaw (grilled pork intestines) and a cup of plain white rice that I dress with some achiote oil. Fr M Ferrero Street, Bacolod City

SUNDAY

10am

Coffee Culture Roastery – co-founded by a German roaster and coffee tasting expert – is Bacolod’s first artisanal café. It sources its beans locally – robusta beans from Murcia in Negros Occidental and arabica from Bukidnon, South Cotabato and Davao del Sur in Mindanao. You can’t go wrong with Black Magic, an all-arabica espresso blend. Alijis Main Rd, Bacolod City

He’s known as the “Kinilaw King” for making the best ceviche in town using the freshest seafood available

10.30am

A visit to Bacolod is not complete without a visit to Carbin Reef, a sandbar in the middle of a marine reserve in Sagay City. The whole trip from Bacolod takes about three hours including a short ferry ride. While the view is undeniably gorgeous, the best part of this trip is having Enting’s of Sagay – a chain of restaurants that originated in Sagay and has an outlet in Bacolod – prepare a feast for you right on Carbin Reef. Vincent “Enting” Lobaton is a friend and another one of my mentors. He’s known as the “Kinilaw King” for making the best ceviche in town using the freshest seafood available – shrimp, tuna, blue crabs, you name it. Villa Angela Market Place, Bacolod City; +63 917 880-2269

Enting was my consultant for Sarsá when I was opening the first restaurant in Bonifacio Global City. He helped me perfect my batchoy (a noodle soup with pork) by rejecting my first four attempts until he was satisfied with the taste. Enting’s of Sagay is now run by his children and is also known for making good lechon (roast pig) and lechon manok (roast chicken). Call Enting’s son, Mark, at least a week ahead if you would like the sandbar picnic.

On the way to Carbin Reef, I pick up a pack of the famous puto Manapla sold by locals along the road. Manapla is the town from which the chewy yet soft steamed rice cake originates. It’s cooked in the leaf of the saba (a type of cooking banana) tree, which gives it a unique flavor.

5:30pm

I can’t leave Bacolod City without checking out Restaurant 21. It’s seen many reinventions since it opened in 1985 (it is currently a fine-dining family restaurant) but one thing here has remained constant – its famous batchoy noodle soup that’s served with thinly sliced pork, perfectly cooked noodles, glorious pork crackling and liver slices. The broth is prepared for six hours before it is served to you piping hot. 21 Lacson St, Bacolod City

6pm

I hop into a taxi and tell the driver to take me to the Ruins in Talisay City – it’s what remains of a two-level mansion built in the 1900s by sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. During World War II, American troops burned it down to prevent Japanese guerillas from turning it into their headquarters. Now equipped with dramatic lighting fixtures and a beautifully manicured lawn, it’s become a popular event space. It’s also the best place to catch the sunset with a cold bottle of beer in hand.

7pm

Before catching the flight back to Manila, I drop by Café Uma, a cozy and casual dining spot owned by a descendant of Victor Fernandez Gaston, the sugar baron who in 1897 built Balay Negrense, now a museum in Silay City. The pastas and pizzas at Café Uma are consistently good but since I want something light before my flight back to Manila, I ask for the French onion soup that uses the recipe of retired Catholic bishop Guillermo Ma Gaston. G/F Paseo Verde, Lacson St, Bacolod City