It was just around 11:00 AM when we started to feel famished. Having left Camarines Sur at midnight surely made hunger come a little earlier than usual. The thing, however, was that where to grab lunch while in Daraga is not something we were able to plan ahead of time. We were doing a DIY travel anyway, and if it were just Ran and me, spontaneity can work well. We were with family though, and food is is an important aspect of travel especially if one would want to get a better grasp of the culture of a particular place.

Thankfully, a quick check on Google Maps brought us to a nearby restaurant which is unique in so many aspects. Apart from serving authentic Bicolano cuisines, it also does so in a house-turned-restaurant, faithful to its name: Balay sa Bikol.

Tucked in an esquinita in Daraga about three minutes away from the church, Balay sa Bikol is a colonial era inspired house repurposed as a restaurant, accentuated with antique furnishings. With its menu that features local cuisine, it complements every experience of the Bicol region not only by satiating the palate but by providing a cozy place to get rested while enjoying each meal.

The inviting homey interior of Balay sa Bikol.

We would not let the opportunity to taste Bicolano dishes get past us, hence for our lunch, we ordered the staples cooked in coconut milk: laing, Bicol Express and kinunot na pagi, or flaked stingray. We also ordered the more usual dishes, fried chicken and pancit guisado.

Our sumptuous lunch in Balay sa Bikol.

To say that the food were tasty would be an understatement. The typical Bicolano dishes that are often cooked in coconut milk and chili peppers were naturally rich in its flavor. The more usual ones were just as equally tasty, causing a delightful burst of flavor at mouthful. Overall, the dishes speak of the local culinary heritage that has developed in the region, one that relies on what is readily available and can be sourced in abundance.

Either we were too famished before our meal or too satisfied after that no one remembered taking photos of ourselves. In any case, it was a delightful experience to be able to experience tasting Bicolano dishes right at the place where they started and are tied historically and culturally, taking our trip into another level of mindful appreciation and sensory perception.

With our bellies filled and our bodies recharged, we carried on our Bicolandia adventures.