Sagada can be considered as the backpacking capital due its various sites and tourist spots that can be reached via trekking, hiking, climbing or even spelunking. As these activities consume a lot of your daytime energy, you should end your day regenerating those lost calories. Not to worry as Sagada would not disappoint you on that aspect. As you get tired of all those hours of hiking, Sagada will surprise you with its delicacies. Read more and learn about Sagada and food tripping the town.
Along Sagada's South Road is a stretch of hostels as well as restaurants, bars and cafes that would surely satisfy your taste buds. Be it with international to traditional local delicacies of the Igorots, Sagada has it all!
International Dishes
Are you a foreigner and you are not adventurous with food? Not to worry, Masferre, Salt and Pepper, and Yoghurt House, and Strawberry Cafe serves international dishes.
Below is a complete meal by Salt and Pepper (coordinates 17.08155N 120.89991E) with grilled chicken and pork (liempo) with vegetables and a big banana for Php 150 only and Php 120 for the basic chicken meal. The restaurant is located at the second floor and porch. You can enjoy and have a dose of alcohol too to warm you up on a cold Sagada night.
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| Salt and Pepper Diner at second floor |
A heads-up from our running chef, Arvin to try the yogurt. Sagada is known for their yogurt as it is produced locally. Even non-yogurt people can attest that they can only eat yogurt if it is served in Sagada. Two restaurants sell the best yogurt in Sagada. One in Yoghurt House (coordinates 17.08191N 120.90008E) and the other one at Strawberry Cafe (coordinates 17.08053N 120.90072E). I however like the latter because they serve strawberries straight from their strawberry greenhouse at the back and is not just a strawberry preserve. Although the Yoghurt House excels on its ambiance.
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| Strawberry Yogurt from Strawberry Cafe which costs Php 75 |
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| Strawberries at Strawberry Cafe |
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| The Yoghurt House |
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| Strawberry Yogurt from Yoghurt House at Php 90 |
Masferre (coordinates 17.08378N 120.90061E) has a great ambiance and offers sandwiches, burgers, and chicken meals. But I've noticed one thing, they serve it slow. However the wait is worth it.
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| Fried Chicken, Salad and Potato Wedges for Php 250 |
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| All beef burger and potato wedges for Php 200 |
Craving for Sagada's native dishes?
According to my traveler friend of Galugad Luzon - Marion, I really haven't been to Sagada if I haven't tried the Pinikpikan and Etag.
Etag is a smoked and preserved pork (almost similar to ham) that is usually mixed with Sagada's signature chicken soup dish, the Pinikipikan.
The Etag is sold along Sagada's Public Market at the South Road beside the Municipal Tourism Center and also in front of the Sagada Town Hall during weekends.
While the Pinikpikan is served no where else but at Pinikpikan Haus (coordinates 17.08017N 120.90043E) which happens to be a restaurant located at the first floor of the hostel where we stayed (Alibama Inn). I have personally chosen this hostel because of the proximity to the restaurant!
The Pinikpikan is similar to Tinola, a Tagalog chicken soup dish. However the taste of the Pinikpikan is entirely unique from the Tinola due to the presence of Etag and the texture and spices on the chicken is different. I was told that the chicken's texture is unique because of the way they were slaughtered but I wouldn't go into further details about it. Let's just say, the clue would be the name for itself which is "pinikpikan", a Kankana-ey word.
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| Pinikpikan served with Red Rice |
On a budget? There are carinderias or small canteens at the basement of the Centrum (Staunton Highway corner South Road, coordinates 17.08436N 120.90080E) where they serve equally good meals at Php 100. They serve more rice! Red rice!
Fresh and natural honey is also harvested at the back of Alibama Inn where the Pinikpikan Haus is located. And because we stayed there for 5 days, we got to see how the honey is harvested from bees that got their produce from sunflowers that you see along Sagada's roads. We also got a generous amount of free honey for ourselves because of these same generous locals where we shared our time with the bonfires they make at night. Haha! Lucky!
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| Honey Production of Sagada |
Planning to save more and cook your own food? Some hostels in Sagada offers their kitchen for you. Then shop fresh meats and vegetables and red rice at the Sagada Public Market (coordinates 17.08399N 120.90066E) which is just beside the Tourism Center on South Road. Red rice is known to be the healthiest rice as it is high on fiber and less on sugar.
Desserts?
Halo-Halo, is a Filipino desert with mixed beans, jelly, pearls, and more mixed with crushed ice and milk. It is served everywhere but commonly at the Centrum every weekends which are sold at Php 30. The best halo-halo I've tested so far in Sagada would be the stall in front of the Sumaguing Cave compound with something that made it unique than any halo-halo I've tasted in the Philippines... the apples!
Lemon Pie (coordinates 17.07785N 120.90043E) is also famous in Sagada as oranges and lemons grow here. The original Lemon Pie is sold at Php 25 per slice and Php 180 per box at the Lemon Pie House near the Kanip-aw rice terraces. It is located further down the South Road coming from the town center but right before you reach Lumiang Cave. It is also available at Salt and Pepper for Php 35 a slice.
Sagada is also famous with its fruit wines and is sold virtually almost everywhere along the South Road including those in front of the Sumaguing Cave compound as well. I personally loved the Bugnay and Strawberry wine.
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| Fruit Wines of Sagada |
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| Wines and Jams |
The restaurants, bars, and cafe of Sagada are mapped by Schadow1 Expeditions as part of our mapping advocacy to promote Philippine tourism and help local government units using the mapping data for their disaster risk resiliency planning.
Data has been contributed to +OpenStreetMap Philippines and a routable GPS map of the whole country is being compiled weekly to aid drivers and outdoor recreationists on their navigation/trek within the Philippines.
Map
Google Maps (link)
Schadow1 Expeditions Contributions (link)
How to use for your Navigation System (link)
For a more detailed account of Schadow1 Expeditions on its Cordillera Mapping Expedition, check on the links below:
- Part 1: Discovering the Cordilleras - a mapping expedition
- Part 2: Banaue Rice Terraces - a surreal sight of a town 1300 meters above sea level
- Part 3: Kiltepan Peak of the Sagada - an awesome way to greet the sunrise
- Part 4: Sagada's Lake Danum Sunset
- Part 5: Sagada Pottery - emotions and artistry from the hand to the clay
- Part 6: Hanging Coffins and the Irony of the Echo Valley - when death meets life in Sagada
- Part 7: Food Tripping Sagada
- Part 8: Adventure and Cultural Exploration - a Spelunking Experience with Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves
- Part 9: Sagada Travel Guide by Schadow1 Expeditions
Sagada is no doubt a place for foodies and the long journey is worth the wait. Yoghurt House and Strawberry Cafe are my best recommendations when my friends ask me on where to eat in Sagada.
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