On our second day in Bacolod, Ollie and Nida took us to Punta Taytay for breakfast. Thirty years ago, we used to come here while in college.
We ordered talaba, kinilaw, sinabawan, and sinugba na baboy. We tried the “bukayo” before our orders arrived. As if we were low on sugar, we also drank Coke. I hope this doesn’t show in our lab results when we visit Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus this month at Manila Doctors Hospital.
We then headed to Quino’s for our coffee and dessert. You will be greeted with a homey ambiance. I ordered an iced Americano, while China had salted caramel. China ordered a brazo de mercedes, and Ollie had a chocolate cake.
We still could not get over the Vietnam story, so it continued to be part of our discussions. We saw a couple who ordered batchoy and ate to their heart’s content. In my case, I would slurp it, but not this time. Afterwards, we took Nida to her condo and headed to Ayala Malls.
They brought me to the second floor for a meeting with Manila Times’ regional correspondent Eugene Adiong over a cup of coffee. He was my political science classmate at UNO-R. We had coffee and Eugene told me that he is still recovering from a mild stroke. Afterwards, we went to the outlet where his wife works. We waited there for Jericho Magbanua, our agribusinessman friend. We all had a brief reminiscing of our past as classmates. We bade farewell, for now, as we still had a dinner to attend.
Lions Park has been competing with Nena’s and Beth as an alternative choice for a great place to eat grilled chicken in Bacolod. Tita Annie and Lourdes arrived early, while Agustin and his wife arrived later. Johana arrived with Tita Belen, Lester’s daughter, and Agustin’s son. We had a sumptuous dinner when Tito Valentine Jamelo arrived to join us.
The ambiance in Manokan Country was not as festive as in the past. People came in groups but not as massively as before. For me, I only ate neck, liver, and rice. This choice became a habit of my friend, Sanjiemar, and me when we were in high school. Other than it tasting good, the price is cheaper than the legs and breast. This is not offered in Manila, and if it is, the taste is not as good. I still wonder why grilled chicken in Bacolod is so juicy and fresh.
Whoever started the grilled chicken business at the Manokan Country had hit the jackpot. Indeed, visiting Bacolod will not be complete without eating at the Manokan Country. It’s like conquering the Philippines but not being able to convert the people to Christianity. There are more places to dine in Bacolod, but the Manokan is one of the most well-known all over the country. When in Bacolod, set aside your diet plans. This is cheat week for those on a diet. ||
