CALASIAO'S DINING TREAT

by - 11:38 AM


Apart from the rice cake that is known all over the Philippines making its origin at Calasiao, Pangasinan – the Calasiao puto – there are dining establishments on this first class municipality of the province that stands out in providing a rich culinary experience to all visitors.

Mica served as our official tour guide while in Dagupan. With the proximity of Dagupan to Calasiao, either a short jeepney and tricycle ride I recall, we were lead to two of the famed restaurants of the province serving nothing but authentic dishes in the province of Pangasinan.

PANADERIA ANTONIO BAKERY AND RESTAURANT

Situated at one of the main thoroughfares of Calasiao - Judge Jose de Venecia Avenue - Panaderia Antonio Bakery and Restaurant is one restaurant every guest should not miss out.  The restaurant is a pride of the province of Pangasinan.

the restaurant's facade

A relaxing ambience emanated as soon as we entered the restaurant.  Not only for family and friend’s bonding, I suppose the restaurant can emit an atmosphere of love and “getting to know” stage of dating.  We were surrounded by couples as I silently observe the type of guests the restaurant attracts.




Our dining table was served with some of the best dishes the restaurant offers.  It was truly a gastronomic treat! Beef kare-kare, sizzling T-bone steak, pizza and of course, the boneless bangus, which Dagupan is known for, graced the affair in welcoming us, so as the complimentary chicken skin.

chicken skin

boneless bangus

pizza

Seldom do I eat kare-kare and it all depends on my whim and for no other reason.  But the beef kare-kare of this restaurant is truly a must on your plate, distinctly prepared from what I had tasted on other restaurants and eateries as of writing. And I only had a few servings. Since it would be gluttony in the guise of food tasting should I place another order, as my main order was T-bone steak, I was already contented on a minute for minute spoon traveling to Christian’s plate who ordered the kare-kare.

kare-kare
sizzling T-bone steak

Too bad, I wasn’t able to try any of the pastries and bread offered at the bakeshop, but the late lunch served to us would already suffice so as to declare that we have experienced the best of Panaderia Antonio Bakery and Restaurant.

DAGUPENA RESTAURANT



Built and styled like an old traditional Filipino house, Dagupena Restaurant provides a homey vibe of a dining experience.  From Hotel LeDuc, where we stayed for this trip, it took a tricycle ride to reach the said restaurant.


As soon as we alight from the tricycle, we immediately checked on the interiors and placed our order for our brunch (breakfast and lunch). 

What’s for brunch?

The Binagoongang Crispy-Pata is definitely one of the must-try at Dagupena Restaurant, which makes the restaurant a tourist destination and a landmark in itself. 

Binagoongang Crispy Pata

As the name of the restaurant implies, the restaurant takes pride on what Dagupan City is known for in terms of culinary masterpiece.  Since it first introduced Pangasinense cuisine during 1928, the restaurant have continued to redefine its  creations, with more dishes to choose from, paying tribute to cultures that have enriched the heritage of the region.

To satisfy our hunger before we make the mandatory tour of Calasiao and Dagupan, our table was filled by no other than the Binagoongang Crispy Pata and Bangus Al-ajillo complemented by tsokolate batirol and a soup I forgot the name.


Bangus Al-ajillo


Tsokolate Batirol

Dagupena Restaurant made me realize that a gastronomic experience in the said region does not limit to the different servings of bangus and pigar-pigar, as being innovative and adept with the changing times, their dishes continue to evolve evident by the introduction of the sinful, mouth-watering and tasty binagoongang crispy pata.




As the first meal of our second day in Dagupan, Dagupena Restaurant was the right choice for a first pit stop of discovering the region.  A highly recommended place to dine while in Calasiao, Pangasinan.

You May Also Like

3 comments

  1. Looking at the picture of the soup that you forgot the name, I think its the PAPAITAN. Does it have a bitter taste? If yes, then for certain it was papaitan or pinapaitan. It was derived from the Pangasinan word PAIT which means bitter. It's a famous Pangasinense and Ilokano souo dish mostly composed of goat innards.

    ReplyDelete
  2. used to frequent these 2 restaurants when i was still working at dagupan city....a must try...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I will try this places on my next vacation. ...

    ReplyDelete