What do you hear when you go to Bacolod? It's food, more than the Ilonggo accent or the Masskara Festival. We have what I would consider hearty soul food and addicting sweet treats. As the capital of the largest sugarcane industry in the country, it's no surprise that most of what we can offer is made out of sugar.
First off, some on this list are not the usual products you'd expect to hear from most vloggers or bloggers. There are also those that you'd probably read or heard about due to popularity. As a local in Bacolod who lived in Manila for more than 14 years, these are some of the things that I consider bringing a piece of home whenever I go to Manila. And it's not Bong-Bong's, or Merzci, or Felicia's, or Aida's, or Roli's, or Bailon, or Virgie's. Oftentimes, other brands have been overlooked, but here are a few of my recommendations.
1. V&W (Victoria & William) Cheese Rolls
This has been my go-to place for the best cheese rolls I can easily get my hands on. Personally, I prefer V&W's cheese rolls over Mary Grace as they tend to be fluffier and the cheese that they use feels more luscious in the mouth. The absence of the cheese roll photo is because it's always gone before I take a snap. Other items that are my favorites as well are their Truffle Jamon Ensaymada, Carrot Cake w/ Candied Walnut, Cream Puffs, and Basque Burnt Cheesecake.
Tip: It's best to order at least a day ahead as they are often sold out.
20 13th Lacson St., Bacolod City
2. Coffee Culture Roastery Coffee Beans
There is a booming cafe scene here in Bacolod, but not all cups of coffee are commendable, oftentimes a miss. If you want the best there's one brand that comes to mind, Coffee Culture Roastery. Owned by an internationally certified coffee grader, they roast their own coffee beans that are mostly sourced around the island. They have several blends that you can choose to take home with you, just ask the barista for a recommendation. I don't have a photo of their coffee bags because I let them handle the brewing, but it's in a red bag sold in their shops. They also do coffee lectures that are quite interesting.
Tip: Try their matcha latte as well, it's thick and rewarding.
Lot 5 Block 15, Green Plains Subdivision, Bacolod City
Door 37 Narra Avenue, Capitol Shopping Center, Bacolod City
3. Dried Beef Tapa
If Batangas is known for its version of tapa as this sweet, garlicky, peppery chunks of beef, we have this dehydrated sun-dried version that's similar to beef jerky. Our beef tapa is perfect in the mornings still, but I love it when this is cooked to a crisp that it's like eating beef chips. They are often sold in large flat slabs of meat either rolled or cut into longer strips for tighter packaging. I've seen this being sold at SM Bacolod's Supermarket or around small stalls at Central Market.
Tip: Cut it into chip-like sizes and dip it in sinamak before eating the tapa with garlic rice.
4. Half Moon Cake
This is an old staple favorite of locals back in the day when a famous restaurant Pendy's was still open. It's a simple chiffon cake covered in a yellowish custard that's similar to a yema cake. Its perfect portion size is a good pasalubong, especially to those with a sweet tooth but who want their desserts not overly excessive. Now the half moon cake is being served in the two halves of Pendy's former owners, Mimi's and Whyte Plates. They serve the same food that Pendy's used to serve, an old-style kind of comfort food.
Tip: They have good chicken dinuguan if you do try to dine in the resto.
Whyte Plates 2914 Burgos Ave., Bacolod
Mimi's 25th Corner Lacson St., Bacolod
5. Casa del Formaggio Cheeses
Yes, we produce cheeses, an array of them. Casa del Formaggio's cattle farm is located in Murcia and was developed by Italians imported specifically for the startup but left when the pandemic struck. Now the reins were taken over by a local family and they continue where the Italians have left off, making noteworthy artisanal cheeses. They supply a couple of restaurants including Wildflour and their products are being sold in select establishments. One place they sell their cheeses is in K-Mart near Burgos Market and Capriccioso Al Museo Bistro beside Negros Museum.
Tip: Their Burrata is yum, but make sure you don't let it sit longer than 3 days in the fridge or you'll lose its oozing quality.
KMart MX93+6RC, Galo St, Bacolod
6. Gorda and Firehook Breads
It's comforting to know that Bacolod now produces good bread that isn't pandesal. Years ago you could count on one hand establishments that bake an elevated form of dough, thankfully now there are two places where I get my croissants from, Gorda and Firehook. They each have a menu of breads that a baked fresh every day. For Gorda, their croissant has a crispy sugary outer layer while Firehook's criossants are more airy and less sweet. I suggest Dulce de Leche Bomboloni and S'mores Cream Fuff from Firehook, while Chocolate Dipped Croissant and Pastelitos Cubanos de Queso from Gorda. Both can be found at their respective booths at SM Bacolod.
Tip: Try dining in at Gorda, their Salmon Gratin and Torched Beef Carpaccio are quite notable.
Gorda The Hub, Unit 6-8 Lot 15 La Salle Ave, Bacolod
Firehook Rockwell Tent, Circumferential Road, Bacolod
7. Jarvis Gourmet Foods' Saluyot Cheese Spread
This small spot sports a good selection of bottled products. They create some innovative items such as Cassavingka, a cross between cassava cake and bibingka. If there's one product that I love, it's the saluyot cheese spread because it's like a slimy spinach spread that's perfect on pasta or toast. Other than the saluyot cheese spread I also love their mango passionfruit jam, a beautiful mix of our sweet mangoes and tangy passionfruit. The tinapa tapenade is also a perfect skyflake spread in the mornings.
Tip: When cooking with the saluyot cheese spread in pasta, add it last when you have turned off the flame for it to retain its creaminess.
2383 C.L. Montelibano Ave, Bacolod
8. Victorias Cooked Ham
I know Victorias is not in Bacolod, but this is where you'll find their magical pork products. If Pampanga has Pampanga's Best, Negros Occidental has Victorias Foods. They champion frozen and canned products, but what stands out the most is their cooked ham. Just look at the fat-to-meat ratio in the photo. It is immaculate, easily surpassing other brands in the market.
Tip: The fat part of the ham is the best, make sure you flip it over to see the fat-to-meat ratio. The perfect is 2/3 lean meat to 1/3 fat. Best eaten after searing both sides for two minutes.
You can find Victorias Food products in Robinson's supermarkets.
9. Bob's Chorizo Pudpud
The local version of our chorizo is skinless and colored in annatto. Chorizo pudpud is a little sweet, with a balanced taste of garlic and pepper, very orange, and basically like a minced pork version of our inasal. Bob's is one of the oldest restaurants in Bacolod, their success mainly stems from their good service and how well they have captured the local taste. Their food is comparable with Aristocrat's, just a straightforward family restaurant that's connected with the local's memories.
Tip: Chorizo pudpud is best cooked until it has been reduced to a dried crispy pile of sin, drizzle a bit of sinamak and eat it with a small clump of atchara on your spoon together with the rice.
Bob's Riverside BS Aquino Drive, Bacolod
10. Nena's Rose Inasal (Manokan Country branch) and Sinamak
To those who don't know, you can actually bring a box of cooked inasal from Manokan Country upon request. The restaurants there know exactly what to do when you say your order is meant to ride the airplane. If asked where to get the best inasal in Manokan Country? It depends on your preference really, and I get mine at Nena's Rose or Nena's Beth (even blander than Nena's Rose) as they tend to be juicier and less salty compared to Aida's. And yes, you can request for extra packets of the coveted chicken oil for free.
Tip: When reheating you should steam the inasal instead of toasting it for it to remain juicy, then quickly sear it on a nonstick pan for the skin to crisp up if you don't have a grill. Drizzle hot chicken oil before serving.
Sinamak on the other hand is what goes best with our inasal. It's Negros' version of spiced vinegar. It contains an array of spices such as chilis, garlic, pepper, ginger, and turmeric, all infused in our local tuba or coconut vinegar. You should be able to find sinamak being sold in bottles around most souvenir shops and local markets.
Bonus Tip:
Since Calea is a given top choice for Bacolod cakes, did you know you can customize your cake box by choosing 10 different slices of cake to fill your box? Unfortunately, some of the really good cakes must be kept frozen, therefore cannot be brought to long distances. The quality of their cakes has greatly downgraded by the obvious change of taste, so I cannot recommend their Imported Chocolate Cake any longer, but their ice cream cakes are still nice. Pecan pie is good but too sweet. My favorite is Coffee Crunch because of how simple the cake is. Their cream puff is also a little different from the usual and another of my absolute favorites because of their chocolate ganache.
Balay Quince, 15th St, Bacolod
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