{"id":25657,"date":"2018-10-20T11:08:19","date_gmt":"2018-10-20T03:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/?p=25657"},"modified":"2018-11-12T18:09:37","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T10:09:37","slug":"balai-ilocos-in-pagsanjan-laguna-a-traditional-filipino-restaurant-that-offers-ilocano-cuisine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/cuisines\/filipino\/balai-ilocos-in-pagsanjan-laguna-a-traditional-filipino-restaurant-that-offers-ilocano-cuisine\/","title":{"rendered":"Balai Ilocos in Pagsanjan, Laguna: A Traditional Filipino Restaurant Offering Ilocano Cuisine"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Balai Ilocos | Philippine Primer Eats\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8uLgy0kPZkM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Along the picturesque streets of Pagsanjan in Laguna stands a traditional Filipino house that serves Ilocos&#8217; finest dishes.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25667\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer7.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer7.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer7-290x194.jpg 290w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer7-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Balai Ilocos<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Owned by Francesco Miguel, a Bangladeshi who&#8217;s a self-confessed fan of Ilocano cuisine,\u00a0<strong>Balai Ilocos<\/strong> brings the well-loved Filipino food with a flair of Ilocos region to Laguna. It offers Filipino-favorites like\u00a0<em>bagnet <\/em>(fried pork), <em>longganisa <\/em>(sausage), <em>sinigang<\/em> (sour soup), and <em>mechado <\/em>(pork stew)<em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><em>Also read:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1gH-iPqOUnGnTTX-LOeRohUgyya7woKk-a8eoUB_g1yU\/edit?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\">Balai Ilocos<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25668\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer8.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer8.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer8-290x194.jpg 290w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer8-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Balai Ilocos<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The 127-year-old house has been the restaurant&#8217;s home for four years now. It can cater up to 80 people on the upper floor, and 40 more on the ground floor. According to Balai Ilocos&#8217; Supervisor Yvan John, the management shall soon open a cafe that will also be under the traditional Filipino theme.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><em>Also read:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/feature\/2017\/03\/13\/whats-up-north-travel-guide-to-ilocos-nortes-laoag-paoay-and-pagudpud\/\" target=\"_blank\">What\u2019s Up North: Travel Guide to Ilocos Norte\u2019s Laoag, Paoay, and Pagudpud<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Decorated with vintage memorabilia, diners will surely enjoy their stay with the lasting sensation of the historical cities of Ilocos.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25666\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer6.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer6.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer6-290x194.jpg 290w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer6-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>The house where Balai Ilocos is situated is\u00a0127 years old already\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">The <strong>Hahanap Hanapin Binagoongan Bagnet\u00a0(Php 300)<\/strong> is Balai Ilocos&#8217; take on the local-favorite dish, <em>bagnet<\/em>. The pork is incredibly crunchy that tastes well with the creamy bagoong sauce.\u00a0Another family specialty of Balai Ilocos is the\u00a0<strong>&#8216;Di Makakalimutang Mechado\u00a0(Php 350)<\/strong> that will surely satisfy your taste buds. The restaurant uses beef as the main ingredient, which is perfectly cooked and served.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25834\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer4-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer4-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer4-1-290x194.jpg 290w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer4-1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Hahanap Hanapin Binagoongan Bagnet\u00a0(Php 300)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25832\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer2-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer2-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer2-1-290x194.jpg 290w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer2-1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>&#8216;Di Makakalimutang Mechado\u00a0(Php 350)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Ilocano cuisine is never without vegetables. Try Balai Ilocos&#8217;\u00a0<strong>Poque Poque\u00a0(Php 180)<\/strong>, an Ilocano-style dish made with eggplant, egg,\u00a0and tomatoes. This famous local dish of Ilocos is very appetizing both in appearance and aroma.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-25833\" src=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer3-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer3-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer3-1-290x194.jpg 290w, https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/Balai-Ilocos_primer3-1-768x513.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"><em>Poque Poque\u00a0(Php 180)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">Moreover, Balai Ilocos also serves various drinks and shakes such as Blue Lemonade, Cucumber Lemonade, Buko Shake, Milo Dino Shake, and Mango Shake.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><em>Also read:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/travel\/2017\/03\/20\/things-to-do-in-vigan-ilocos-sur-a-city-that-doubles-as-a-time-machine\/\" target=\"_blank\">Things to do in Vigan, Ilocos Sur: A city that doubles as a time machine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><em>Visit Balai Ilocos\u00a0along Rizal Street in Pagsanjan, Laguna. It is open from\u00a010:00 a.m. &#8211; 9:00 p.m.\u00a0daily.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-size: 10pt\"> This first appeared in Philippine Primer Japanese Magazine\u2019s October 2018 issue.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Balai Ilocos brings the well-loved Filipino food with a flair of Ilocos region to Laguna. It offers Filipino-favorites like bagnet (fried pork), longganisa (sausage), sinigang (sour soup), and mechado (pork stew). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,2550],"tags":[2386,2437,2436,479,2438,2439,2388,193,2387],"class_list":["post-25657","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-filipino","category-laguna-2018","tag-balai-ilocos","tag-balai-ilocos-in-laguna","tag-balai-ilocos-in-pagsanjan","tag-filipino-cuisine","tag-ilocano-restaurants","tag-ilocano-restaurants-in-laguna","tag-ilocos","tag-pagsanjan","tag-pagsanjan-laguna"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25657","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25657"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25657\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26339,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25657\/revisions\/26339"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25657"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/food\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}