Alluring Pampanga: Taste Kapampangan Dishes at Everybody's Cafe

Located at San Fernando City, Pampanga

My trip to Pampanga was fruitful because I went to three towns and cities exploring different sites particularly churches. It was 6PM and felt hungry. Good thing I was in San Fernando City and I rode a pedicab and I went to a famous restaurant in the city, Everybody's Cafe.

Welcome to Everybody's Cafe

Cafe for all

Having featured in many articles of newspapers and magazines and showcased on television shows and programs, this place was considered a site of visit in Pampanga. Being said and done, the interior looks like a typical Filipino cafeteria where food choices were displayed in a counter and all you have to do is to choose and ordered meals. 

Kapampangan Dishes

Camaru and Morcon

their award

some other dishes

typical Filipino cafeteria

Since I went by myself, I ordered two dishes, Pindang Damulag (Carabao Tapa) and Betute (Stuffed Frog). They also served Bulalo soup which I love the broth. The Carabao tapa tastes so good and I dipped it in vinegar. The stuffed frog tastes like chicken. I love the crunchiness too. 

inside cafeteria

waiting for my dinner meals

my Kapampangan dinner

Betute

Pindang Damulag

enjoying my meal

love the stuffed frog

happy meal

approve! :)

Price ranges from PHP50 to PHP200. It was affordable and yet the food was yummy and authentic because of the exotic ingredients. It was a great food trip experience. Also, I went to their cafeteria taking some snaps such as the pasalubong shop and some articles posted on the wall featuring the cafe. 

San Nicolas Cookies

featured in a magazine

food magazine too!

nice!

travel magazine

Make sure you visit Everybody's Cafe and experience authentic Kapampangan cuisines and surely you will enjoy it! :)

Everybody's Cafe

Address: Del Pilar, McArthur Highway, City of San Fernando, Pampanga

Contact Number: (045) 8601121

Alluring Pampanga: Time to Visit San Fernando City

San Fernando City, Pampanga

My travel to Pampanga is not complete without passing the capital city, San Fernando. It was one of the important place in Pampanga and have visited some of the places within the city. Having arrived from Bacolor, I was also excited in visiting this place.

Source: Wikipedia

This place is not only the capital city of Pampanga but also the regional center of Central Luzon (Region III). It was also named Christmas Capital of the Philippines due to the celebration of Giant Lantern Festival which was held every December. The city has also rich in history and several famous names and heroes came from this city such as Jose Abad Santos, former Chief Justice and featured in 1000 Philippine peso bill. It has also rich in economy which was served as agricultural processing center of Central Luzon. No wonder, several establishments put up business here and became flourished.

I rode a jeepney and arrived to the downtown area. I was amazed the beauty of the historical district. Unfortunately, heavy rain poured and I wasn't able to explore other areas. The first one I noticed was the Metropolitan Cathedral which dominated the downtown district. 

There goes the Cathedral

SM City San Fernando Downtown

Kilometer Zero

Metropolitan Cathedral

main facade

The cathedral was built in 1755 and initially made up of wood and completed in 1808. It is a seat of Archdiocese of San Fernando (Pampanga). It was rebuilt several times mainly due to fire. It was elevated to a cathedral in 1948.

mass going on

attend mass too

many church goers by this time

time to reflect

church interiors

altar

after mass

main altar

dome shaped structure

It was such a great visit and was able to hear mass as well. It was raining hard and I wasn't able to visit other places along historical district such as Lazatin and Consunji old houses and it was past 5:30PM since museums had only until 5PM for visit. But it was a nice short visit to the city capital. By the way, I was also hungry and headed for a dinner, the unusual way...

Continue to my next blog about my Food Trip at San Fernando City! :)

Alluring Pampanga: Travel to Bacolor & The Sunken Church

San Guillermo Church, Bacolor Pampanga

After visiting Betis Church in Guagua, Pampanga, I rode a jeepney and traveled to a nearby town of Bacolor. It was a 10 minute ride and as I arrived to this town, history caught my mind about Bacolor.

Source: Wikipedia

This town was famous due to the Lahar incident of Mount Pinatubo which erupted last 1991. The lahar or the mud flow in which a mixture pyroclastic material from volcanic deposits and water and flowed down to the river. The Lahar incident happened last September 1995 or four years after the massive eruption of Mount Pinatubo. Bacolor was half buried by 6 meters and many lives were perished including houses and structures. 

House that was buried by lahar

Old structure

monument beside the church

The famous San Guillermo Church was also not spared in devastation. It was also known as Bacolor Church, one of the oldest church not only in Pampanga but also in the Philippines. It was constructed by Augustinian friars in 1576. It was one of the grandest church with several liturgical services, from baptismal to funeral and every day masses. The church was half buried and people tried to recover some religious items including the retablo or the altar and some statues of saints.

celebrated a feast

Welcome to Bacolor Church

half-buried church

Historical marker

my self pic

and another one

church facade

me again

Bell tower

I felt the nostalgic because what was left the upper half of the church and still managed to recover it. After 16 to 17 years of the lahar incident, it stood the test of time. I was really amazed on the church facade and there was a written in Latin on it which reads Rex Regum et Dominus Dominorum which translates King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I entered the door which formally a window and I immediately saw that the church was half buried.

entrance to the church

King of Kings and Lord of Lords

inside the church

view from the other side

only left from a former tall window of the church

The retablo was relocated in a spacious dome so it would fit. I felt the eagerness of checking each location of the church and commended the people of restoring the beauty of their church. Like also what I did every time I visit the church, I bowed my head, knelt and prayed.

picture inside

me

another one

preserved structure

To the right side of church was the Museo de Bacolor which showcased the history of the church and how it managed the restoration from the devastating lahar that almost ruined the town including the church. It also featured the adoration chapel that need to pass an arch. Several saints placed here and also the famous status of the Risen Lord which was featured in television hit May Bukas Pa which was shot and filmed here. Santino (Zaijan Jaranilla) was the main character. 

Museo De Bacolor

entrance

inside the museum

shot taken inside

sorry for the blurred pic

connecting to the church

history of the church

the devastating Mount Pinatubo eruption

lahar damaged those structures

Adoration chapel

passage along with saints

You need to pass this small arch

It was a rewarding experience especially you visit Bacolor Church. I was happy because of the Bayanihan (brotherhood/sisterhood) spirit of the people here in the town for the restoration of the church. Many loss their homes, livelihood/business or even relatives but their faith remained. It was such unfortunate that it happened but they never stop believing and continuing their faith to God. A nice visit and learning moment if you will visit this place. :)

the dome

side of the church

facade

church

great to visit

Thank you Bacolor

Before I left Bacolor, I bought some pasalubong and purely delicacies. There were tamales or a rice grind with salted egg wrapped in banana leaves, suman or rice cake cooked in coconut milk wrapped in coco leaves, espasol or rice pounded with nuts and some toasted breads.

sold in Bacolor

Tamales

Pasalubong items

How to get there?

via car / van - from Gapan-Olongapo Road, there was a marker at the road to the left (if you came from Manila via San Fernando City) that indicate a way to Bacolor town. Drive along the way and you will reach the town in 10 minutes and you will automatically saw San Guillermo Church.

via commute - from Gapan-Olongapo road, tell to the driver to drop you off to the road that will lead to Bacolor. Once you arrive, ride a tricycle and inform the driver to drop you off to San Guillermo Church. Tricycle fare will range from PHP20 to PHP30. Another one is a jeepney ride from San Fernando City proper (sign San Fernando-Bacolor-Guagua) and inform the driver to drop you off to Bacolor Public Market. Have a few minutes walk and you will reach the church in 10 minutes.