Sunday of Masskara Festival, the group woke up late and missed our breakfast buffet at the hotel. At least we were on time for lunch. For a change, we headed to a different direction and tried out another favorite foodie spot at Bacolod a.k.a. Manokan Country.
Based on research and hearsay from foodie friends, Chicken Inasal in Manokan Country is one thing I shouldn’t miss out. From our hotel, we took on a transportation adventure by riding the local jeepney. Luckily, going to Manokan Country didn’t give us a hard time. The place was located near SM Bacolod, which made it easy for us to communicate with people and ask for directions.
Manokan Country had several Chicken Inasal restaurants in it. Among the many small Chicken Inasal hubs, we chose to try the one in Aida’s.
Compared to other chicken inasal spaces inside Manokan Country, Aida’s is the busiest. The room was filled with tourists, mostly from Manila. Well, based on observation.
We couldn’t afford to wait in line for a table. Good thing, we were fortunate to get a table right away. 🙂
As usual, I ordered Pechopak, breast & wing part, and fried rice. Garlic rice was supposed to be the best partner but then, Aida’s ran out of garlic.
How sad can that be?! 🙁
Pechopak (Php 80) – Took a little longer than Chicken House to get our order. Maybe because Aida’s don’t pre-cook their chicken. They make sure every customer will get their freshly cooked chicken inasal.
Based on another observation, nobody in the room were using utensils in eating their chicken inasal. The girls decided to go with the flow and use our bare hands to eat! What can I say? Eating Chicken Inasal in the province is best eaten using your hands! 🙂
After a gluttony experience, we walked around SM Bacolod and to the Plaza to watch the Masskara Festival dance from different barangays.
Weather tended to be moody from time to time. In an hour, it was sunny, in another hour, it would drizzle. The hour where it drizzled was the time we were at the Plaza to watch the Masskara dancers. As expected, the place was crowded with tourists, locals, media and of course, the performers. Everyone desperately wanted to watch the colorful dancers.
Just take a look at the photo above. That’s how Filipinos find a way. The need to climb up a tree to satisfy their eyes and see the Masskara Festival dancers.
At night, the Masskara Festival continued as they took part in a parade from the Plaza to Lacson St.
For dinner, we walked the long road to Palapala, a “Dampa” style to dine in. A “Dampa” has a wet market where you can select fresh meat, seafood or veggies for your order.
The first step in this type of restaurant is to select your type of meat or seafood. Afterwards, give instructions on the way your meat should be cooked. You have the option to determine the serving size of your order. In our case, these were what we picked:
Fish and Tofu (Php 240) – For only Php240, we were served to sizzling plates of Fish & Tofu. Breaded fish fillet and tofu mixed with tausi sauce. It was tricky to differentiate the fish and tofu from each other because they were all sliced similarly. You can only find out when you poke it with your fork to check its texture. For a group of 4, the serving size was a lot.
Baked Scallops (Php 160) – Butter and garlic were enough to add flavor to the scallops.
Stuffed Squid (Php 240) – Medium-sized squids were stuffed with onions and tomatoes. Personally, I enjoy eating grilled squid with ‘atchara’, a Filipino condiment made from pickled unripe or green papaya. Those are the yellow strips you see in the middle of the grilled squid plate. The taste goes a bit sweet with a touch of vinegar flavor. I didn’t bother to use other sauces when ‘atchara’ is served.
Nothing extraordinary in Palapala, the only thing that stood out is how our budget fit perfectly to the food and ambiance. For this kind of table in a restaurant in Manila, I don’t think Php200 per person would be enough. The amount of servings plus the freshness and flavorful taste of dishes we got made it reasonable for us.
Live entertainment of fire dance.
Day 3 of our Bacolod trip was filled with food, walking, Masskara and spontaneity around the city. I could say it is the best day of the four days I was in Bacolod. I wish you guys could experience Bacolod as well! 🙂
Pray, Eat and Love.
Cheers,
The Food Scout

Aida’s Chicken at Manokan Country

Location: Manokan Country, Fr. M. Ferrero St. cor Rizal St. Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Budget: PHP100++
Pala Pala
Location: 18th St. Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Budget: PHP200++

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