It's More Fun in Nasugbu: The FOOD!

       In line with the newly unveiled tourism campaign by the Department of Tourism, and challenged by the question on twitter by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), what really makes the Philippines more fun? More fun than Switzerland and Philadelphia may I add, is the FOOD. So without further ado, my hometown's finest!

• Indian Mango with shrimp paste (Manggang Hilaw with Alamang) - if you go to Nasugbu during the months of February to April, you will see along the road hundreds of Indian Mango bearing trees. Left and right you can just practically stop and pick one for yourself or you can buy from sidewalk vendors their own home grown Indian Mango with home cooked special Alamang. Also, jeep-loads of sacked Indian Mangoes being transported to Manila (Divisoria and Baclaran in particular) is a regular sighting.

• Sapin-sapin - this colorful layered of glutinous rice with coconut flakes on top is a staple in Nasugbu Market. But you have to come early to buy it because they only sell it in the morning.

• Bibingkoy - this one too, i think they only sell it in the morning. The yummy bibingkoy. Glutinous rice with sweetened mongo inside. My favorite among the "kakanin" of Nasugbu.

• Pancit - Balita, Carding or Mang Mar's the Big Three when it comes to the best Pancit in town. You have to taste it to tell the difference. The picture below is from Mang Mar.

• Halo-Halo - Arguably the best Halo-Halo in the country. Celing's Halo-halo by Celing's Refrehments, the one food/dessert every local knows and the one food every tourist must taste. The creaminess of this halo-halo makes you think that you're eating "ginataan". One spoonful and you can't just stop eating until there's no more. I thinks this is also the most popular dessert in Nasugbu. Celing's Refreshments is open from 4pm until 10pm only....;-)

• Sea foods - I know, the sea foods in Visayas and Mindanao are cheaper. But I can say that Nasugbu's sea foods are as fresh. This sampler here is from Kainan sa Dalampasigan. Their specialty, Tanigue Steak(sorry no picture yet)! But the one below is their Inihaw sampler. Good for 3-4 persons, with their other specialty - the Baked Tahong. Very yummy. Very Cheesy...;-)

• Pinangat - not to be confused with Bicol's pinangat aka Laing. This one here is a tuna wrapped with banana leaves boiled with dried kamias. Pinangat na Tulingan it is, but you can use different kinds of fish (dilis, galunggong, tawilis). I can say that this is truly one of Nasugbu's specialty dish. And rightfully so, the town is celebrating the Pinangat Festival where each Barangay send their best "Pinangat maker" and compete in a half day Pinangat cooking competition. The festival is being held days before the annual feast of St. Francis Xavier - the town Patron.