Bacolod Food Trip: The Search for the Best Chicken Inasal
Chicken Inasal at Nena’s Beth, Manokan Country, Bacolod City
Bacolod City is one of the top food destinations in the country. It is home to amazing dishes and, being the capital of Negros Occidental, which is dubbed as the Sugarbowl of the Philippines, delectable sweets. But a food trip in the City of Smiles won’t be complete if you don’t get to try it’s most famous dish, the chicken inasal.
So what is chicken inasal? The term inasal came from the Hiligaynon word asal, which means skewed. So an inasal is anything skewered. At first, only the breast, thigh, and wing parts of the chicken were used. Eventually, the others parts were also utilized. Unlike the usual marinade that’s made of soy sauce and calamansi, an inasal uses a different kind. While the marinade ingredients vary, I think the staples are calamansi, garlic, ginger, and sinamak or coconut vinegar.
There’s also an interesting history to this dish. It used to be the food of farmers and the uneducated back in the old days. But now, it’s a dish enjoyed by everyone. The inasal industry started when there was a sugar industry crisis back in the 70s and 80s. The Negrenses looked for a new source of income. Many of them couldn’t afford to buy a whole chicken so they would just buy parts of, grill it, and sell it.
In 1979, the mayor of Bacolod back then built a complex for inasal sellers. This is to relocate them so that the smoke from the grill won’t distract motorists and pedestrians. This complex still exists and is known as Manokan Country.
Manokan Country
It would be an unpardonable sin not to do a chicken inasal crawl in my Bacolod food trip. So I tried 4 sellers, in which 2 were found in Manokan Country. Here they are and what I think of their version of inasal:
Aida’s Chicken
When I’m craving for real chicken inasal, my go-to place is Aida’s at Makati Cinema Square. While the chicken in Aida’s Makati tastes great, I still have to visit the Bacolod branch to get an authentic Aida’s experience.
Aida’s is located at Manokan Country. The place is crowded and festive but it should be easy to find a seat (I came during lunch time).
At Aida’s Chicken
The chicken inasal at Aida’s is flavorful and tender. It’s best paired with garlic rice and dipped in the vinegar, which is a cut above the vinegars I tried in other places. Don’t forget to order a small plate of fresh talaba (oysters), which are juicy and taste like the sea.
Heart (P27), Pechopak/Breast & Wings (P88), Garlic Rice (P35), and Talaba/Oysters (P50)
Address: Manokan Country, Father M. Ferrero St., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental | Operating Hours: Daily, 9AM-12AM
Chicken House
Chicken House is one of the two inasal places outside Manokan Country that I visited. It is considered a Bacoleño institution, serving chicken inasal for more than 40 years.
Chicken House (Paa/Leg: P78)
When I arrived in Bacolod, I immediately went to this place and man, it was a great introduction to chicken inasal. Their version (paa/leg) is tender, flavorful, nicely charred, and amazingly crispy (yes, you heard that right and don’t ask me how they did that to a grilled dish). I also ordered atay (liver), which is irony and creamy!
Chicken House has several branches in Bacolod.
Nena’s Beth
Located a few stalls away from Aida’s is Nena’s Beth. Their place is less crowded compared to their famous neighbor. So if you don’t want the noise, this is the place to be.
Nena's Beth
While their version of the inasal is flavorful, I think my order was overcooked so it was chewy. Maybe I just came at a wrong time. Or maybe that’s the reason why the place isn’t crowded.
Address: Manokan Country, Father M. Ferrero St., Bacolod City, Negros Occidental | Operating Hours: Daily, 7AM-4AM | Facebook
Nena’s Rose
This is another establishment to visit if you don’t want to go to Manokan Country, although they have a branch there. Their version of chicken inasal is also good. But during my visit here, I also ordered their isol or chicken butts. It’s juicy and nicely charred.
Nena’s Rose has several branches in Bacolod. Check them out here.
Conclusion
To me, almost all the chicken inasal I tried were great. They were flavorful, juicy, and nicely grilled. Pressed to choose, it will be a close match between Aida’s Chicken and Chicken House. But I’d go for Aida’s as the best. I think the dipping vinegar is the deciding factor. It brought the inasal experience go to another level.
Aida’s version was too good I went back for a second round:
My second round at Aida's!
As they say in Hiligaynon, “Namit Gid!”
Among the inasal spots that I visited, which ones have you visited or would like to visit? Are there other inasal spots that I should visit? Comment them below!
PS In case you missed it, you may read about my Bacolod trip here.