Thursday, August 23, 2012

A Weekend Food Trip to San Fernando

The best part of any road trip are the food stops. And any drive to San Fernando, Pampanga won't be complete without the mandatory food stops.  Sometimes the journey, more than the destination, makes any trip a little more special.  And for my mom and aunt, it was also a short trip back in time...


And off we go on a short road trip...



Pampanga has always been known for its culinary heritage. And this short road trip didn't disappoint. Just an hour and half's drive north of Manila, it's far enough to get away from the city, yet close enough for some real good eats.


First stop: Susie's Cuisine.  Be prepared to see an incredible assortment of local food products...


...Susie's famous Mochi...


...and Empanadas.


And there's more...


...Cassava Cakes and Leche Flan...


...Chicharon...


...and all kinds of nuts.


Next stop: Nathaniel's. Boxed, wrapped, packed and bottled, you name it, they probably have it.


The wide assortment of local products is always tempting, like the local puto, always a winner.


Have a quick snack and be sure to bring home some of the treats.


Nathaniel's line of all-natural juices, including the popular Buko Pandan (Coconut).


Before the drive home, we made a lunch stop at Fortune Seafood Restaurant. The Assorted Cold Cuts was a great way to start the meal, with pork, chicken, century eggs and seaweed....


...Hot Spinach Soup came next...


...followed by Salt and Pepper Pork Spare Ribs, Sweet and Sour Prawns and Yang Chow Rice.


A Tofu with Mushroom dish completed the meal.


Back in Manila, I quickly went through the day's shopping expedition...


...which included Susie's Mochi...


...assorted suman...


...and just had to take a quick bite of the Duman...


...sweet with that distinct taste and flavor that can only come from the rare and seasonal green rice...


...Maja Blanca, a rich coconut pudding dessert...


...topped with latik (made from coconut milk)...a sweet and decadent dessert.


Then there is Nathaniel's Frozen Buko Pandan Salad, a sherbet made from coconut and flavored with pandan...


...rich, creamy, perfect to beat the heat.


And Tamales. You can't go home without Susie's tamales.


Wash it all down with Nathaniel's Buko Pandan all-natural juice. Overall, a pretty good haul. Can't wait for the next road trip...

Dude for Food is now on Facebook, check out the FB Page for regular updates on good eats. Better yet, click "Like" and enjoy the ride...just look for the FB "Like" widget on the right sidebar.

13 comments:

  1. Weird that our hometown is just near San Fernando but I haven't tried any of those places. I love Tamales though. I always ask my lola to buy tamales for me. :)

    http://www.dekaphobe.com/

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    1. Hi michymichymoo, you should definitely check out these places next time you visit. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Oh, those mochi looks so good!

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    1. Hi Marina, great with a cup of hot chocolate! Great to hear from you Marina!

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  3. Everything looks so delicious!!! Here, in Lithuania, unfortunatelly, we don't have any good South American food. Actually, almost none at all, so it was really great to go back to my time spent in States through your pictures! :)

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    1. Hi Migle, thanks! I'm really curious about Lithuanian cuisine, looking forward to sharing more posts with you!

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  4. This looks like a great trip, the food sounds amazing! You've made me hungry!

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    1. Hi All That I'm Eating, a short road trip to some of the best eats, thanks for stopping by!

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  5. What a fabulous assortment of food products! Am feeling more than a little envious of your trip--I could really use one of those empanadas right now!

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    1. Hi Cucina49, a short road trip turned food trip, and the variety of products is amazing! Thanks for stopping by, always great to hear from you!

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  6. Will be using this as a guide on our Pampanga pit-stops on our way to Bagac, Bataan. Now I know where to get those elusive duman suman. Such a great post!

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    1. Hi Joy, thanks! Hope you have an awesome and delicious trip! And thanks for stopping by!

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  7. i'm drooling while scrolling. I want all those food! I want to go there now.

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