My Seafood Feast at Matutina’s Gerry’s Seafoods, Dagupan City

Two Mondays ago, I posted an article on my month-long food crawl to find amazing bangus (milkfish) dishes (website article coming soon). But I cannot do this crawl without visiting Dagupan City, the Bangus Capital of the country.

Dagupan is located in Pangasinan, a province north of Metro Manila. The province is “close” to my heart because my maternal grandmother is from one of its towns (so I have Pangasinense roots!). During my childhood years, my family would visit relatives, especially when there’s an occasion. I specifically remember a vacation where we ate inihaw na bangus (grilled milkfish) almost every meal. My lola (grandmother) even concocted a dip made with bagoong isda (fermented fish sauce, which is also a popular product of the province) and calamansi (Philippine lime). It was an amazing bangus experience and I will never forget it!

While planning for the trip to Dagupan, I thought of doing a side trip to its neighboring cities and towns and try its delicacies. So the Dagupan visit became a Pangasinan food trip. I did this for just one day, travelling by bus to the province and commuting from town to town!

Here are the places I visited and the delicacies I tried (in the order of my visit):

Bolinao: Binungey

I arrived way early (before 5AM!) in Alaminos City, which was supposedly my first food destination. The public market was still closed so I just had breakfast at Jollibee. Thank God its opened early! Else, I would’ve stayed for a long time in a 7-11! But even with breakfast, it’s still too early until establishments open. Since the town of Bolinao is just 30 to 45 minutes away, I went there (this is totally unplanned!) to try its binungey.

My family used to employ people from Bolinao, a coastal town in the northwesternmost tip of Pangasinan. Sometimes, our workers and househelp would bring binungey back to Manila. So this delicacy is not new to me.

But what exactly is a binungey? This sweet delicacy is made with malagkit (sticky rice) cooked in gata (coconut milk). But what’s most interesting about it is that it’s cooked and served in a bamboo (binungey is locally referred to as bamboo cake).

It shouldn’t be hard to find a binungey vendor in Bolinao. Just outside the church, you will find a long stall with several binungey sellers (it is a practice that churchgoers will snack on binungey after mass). In the one I tried, the sticky rice had a nicely burnt texture on the sides. For an additional fee, you can eat it with coconut jam, which makes the delicacy addictive.

Alaminos City: Alaminos Longganisa

After a quick trip to Bolinao, I headed back to Alaminos to try its longganisa. For the uninitiated, a longganisa is a Filipino version of a sausage. Some regions in the Philippines have its own variant, ranging from savory to sweet. The popular ones, named after its place of origin, are Lucban (Quezon), Tuguegarao (Cagayan), and Vigan (Ilocos Sur).

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a carinderia (eatery) or a restaurant that serves Alaminos longganisa. I had to buy from the wet market and have it cooked home. So I went to Nepo Mart where there is a huge section exclusive for longganisa sellers. I was told that I can go to the carinderias in the market and have them cook my longganisa for a fee.

Alaminos Longganisa at Nepo Mart (The longganisas are sold in dozens and in different sizes. P60 for small, P90 for medium, and P120 for large) — Alaminos *Longganisa* at Nepo Mart (The *longganisas* are sold in dozens and in different sizes. P60 for small, P90 for medium, and P120 for large)

I prefer longganisas on the savory and garlicky side than on the sweet side. So I liked Alaminos longganisa, as the taste is close to my favorite, garlicky Vigan longganisa.

Dagupan City: Bangus, Kalekes, Pigar-Pigar, and Plato Wraps

After Alaminos, I’m off to the real reason for my Pangasinan trip—Dagupan bangus. So I went to my first Dagupan stop for an awesome lunch.

Bangus (and Seafood) at Matutina’s Gerry’s Seafoods

It is said that Dagupan’s bangus is the best in all of Philippines. So I had it to try it there in one of its famous restaurants, Matutina’s Gerry’s Seafoods, which is said to be named after a character (Matutina) in the famous 80’s sitcom John en Marsha.

I ordered their Boneless Bangus Pinaputok. Pinaputok is another acceptable preparation for me. In this method, any fish is stuffed with a salsa of tomato, onions, and ginger. Then it’s wrapped in an aluminum foil and grilled.

Unfortunately, the fish isn’t as tender as I expected. Maybe I just went at a bad time. BUT that was compensated by the dipping sauce made with bagoong isda, calamansi, and sili labuyo (chilli), which I love! It reminds me of my lola’s dip!

I’m sure you can find other bangus places in Dagupan, maybe even better ones. But if you visit Matutina’s, do get their other seafoods such as their Pusit na Inihaw, which is stuffed grilled squid, and Malaga, which is rabbitfish (can be grilled or sinigang [sour soup]). I loved the malaga because it’s not bony like bangus and the flesh is melt-in-the-mouth tender. I got the sinigang version but I will definitely try the grilled version when I return.

Address: Judge Jose de Venecia Rd. Ext., Brgy. Pantal, Dagupan City, Pangasinan | Operating Hours: Monday-Sunday, 7AM-9:30PM

Kaleskes and Pigar-Pigar at Great Taste

Dagupan is not just known for its bangus but also for 2 other delicacies: Kaleskes and Pigar-Pigar. Kaleskes, though sounding like a seafood because of its name (scales is kaliskis in Tagalog), is actually a soup made with cow or carabao innards. If you love innards soup like Batangas’ goto and Ilocos’ sinanglaw, you’ll enjoy this dish like I did!

Pigar-pigar is a dish made with beef strips stir-fried with cabbage and onions. Because of its ingredients, it’s like a Filipino version of a beef teppanyaki.

I tried both dishes at Great Taste. And both dishes will make a good pulutan (bar chow) or hangover cure.

Address: GT Bldg, Arellano Street, Brgy. Pantal, Dagupan City, Pangasinan | Operating Hours: Monday-Saturday, 7AM-12AM; Sunday, 7AM-10PM

Plato Wraps at Panaderia Antonio Bakery & Restaurant (Technically in Calasiao)

Yes, you read that right. I’m referring to the familiar kiosk you would normally see in a food court or a mall. Plato Wraps (the kiosk) is the brainchild of Panaderia Antonio of Dagupan. They may not be serving traditional Pangasinense food. But I have to pay homage to the birthplace of the famous snack.

Plato Wraps (the snack) is made with flatbread and filled with different ingredients. My favorite fillings are Chunky Chicken and Ham & Cheese.

Plato Wraps and Other Baked Products at Panaderia Antonio

Because it’s also a bakery, you will find a lot of baked goods at Panaderia Antonio, which will make a good pasalubong (souvenir).

Address: Judge Jose de Venecia Rd., Calasiao, Pangasinan | Operating Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8AM-9PM; Friday-Sunday, 8AM-10PM

Calasiao: Puto Calasiao

Finally, my last destination is also the birthplace of my favorite version of puto (steamed rice cake): Calasiao. It’s my favorite because it’s not too dense like the usual puto. It’s also bouncy, chewy, and rightly sweet, served in bite-sized portions. That sounds like a formula for an addicting snack, and it is!

Bella's Calasiao Puto and Pasalubong Center (Original Puto Calasiao: P100/kg.)

Sold in kilos, Puto Calasiao is available in different flavors like strawberry and ube (purple yam). But I’m still sticking with the original flavor. You can buy this at the Calasiao Puto Producer and Vendor Association (CPPVA), which is a strip of puto sellers. I bought mine at Bella’s Calasiao Puto and Pasalubong Center, which is probably the most popular vendor of the Calasiao delicacy.

This will make a good pasalubong. I bought a lot of varieties. But would you believe that someone took my puto Calasiao in the bus?! I hope it was just a mistake! O well, I just hope he/she enjoyed my puto…which I should’ve enjoyed!

Address of Bella’s: Stall No. 1, CPPVA, Poblacion Rd., Calasiao, Pangasinan | Operating Hours: Daily, 24 hours (same with other vendors at CPPVA)

Are there other delicacies I missed in the locations I visited? Where should be my next Pangasinan food destination? Comment them below.

Pangasinan Food Trip: Four Locations, One Day, Amazing Food