First time I experienced an Angono Rizal Food Crawl was during my second TV guesting for Pop Talk of GMA News 11. I also had a bit of food trip in the area when I featured one of the famous restaurants in Angono Rizal on one of the food and travel magazines I am writing for. These two food trips were unforgettable as it paved way for me to explore the culinary landscape of Angono Rizal even for just a little while.
When SM Center Angono invited me to join them for their SM Center Angono Food Crawl, I deem it could be another way to explore current food scene at the Art Capital of the Philippines, so I said yes.
I also figured that since I am doing my Antipolo Food Trip Blog Series here at YedyLicious, it would also be nice to visit the neighboring towns. Because who knows, I might eventually expand my little adventure into Rizal Food Trip Blog Series instead of just focusing on one area. As with all things in life, possibilities are endless.
If you have been a long time reader, you might have probably remember about the amazing Robinsons Place Antipolo Food Crawl we had. The super generous people behind Robinsons Antipolo really treat us to a food coma-inducing adventure with added take home bonuses to boot. It was one of the best food crawls I had and I am happy that it was one of the most read blog post here on my blog.
The SM Center Angono Food Crawl we had recently was more laid back but nonetheless filling. It is also nice to meet some of the bloggers and local media people of Rizal.
First stop of our SM Center Angono Food Crawl was at Giligan's Restaurant located on the ground floor.
Giligan's Restaurant is no stranger to me. I have already blogged about Giligan's Restaurant branch at Vista Mall in Antipolo City and to this day, I still consider their Sisig as one of the best.
There were handful of dishes that Giligan's served our big group but I only got to try three of them. Their Sizzling Sisig was still as impressive as I remember it to be. The fine balance between crispness and meaty texture still makes it a winner, while its savory flavor which makes it distinctly Giligan's will always be the reason why it is forever one of the best Sisig ever.
It was my first time to try the Lechon Kawali with Binagoongang Kang Kong and I appreciate the perfect balance in flavor making it not overly salty just like the usual binagoongan dish would taste like. The camote tops that serves as a bed in which the big chunks of bagoong-laden pork were laid atop lends not only variation of texture but of flavors as well.
The menu of Giligan's is pretty extensive. So despite having tried some of their dishes during my previous visits, it was only during the food crawl that I got to try the Shrimp and Tofu Oriental. Dare I say that aside from Giligan's Sisig, this dish will now be one of the reasons why I will be visiting Giligan's again and again.
The Shrimp and Tofu Oriental sort of reminds me of my favorite Cantonese Prawn dish at Little Asia, only this one at Giligan's is way better, not to mention, more budget friendly.
Next stop was Sisig Hooray Gourmet Express located at the second floor of SM Center Angono. Yes, this is the restaurant version of the ever famous Sisig Hooray food stall we all love.
I have always been a fan of Sisig Hooray. Sure, I just said that I love
Giligan's Sisig, but the sisig at Sisig Hooray is equally well worth all
the love in the world. I am a fan, really. One of these days, I will
write a separate blog post for Sisig Hooray - both the food stall and
the gourmet express to show my deep affinity for them, I tell you.
The difference between the Sisig Hooray food stall and the gourmet express aside of course from the fact that the gourmet express offers a full pledge restaurant dining experience, it also serve food items you cannot otherwise find at their food stalls.
Take for instance the Open-Faced Talong-Con-Sisig dish wherein diners may opt for their sisig variants namely pork, chicken, bangus, tuna, squid, and smokey steak. If you love tortang talong, this dish might be for you.
There's also the Lumpiang Sisig which was just like your usual spring roll, only instead of the usual fillings, this one has pork sisig inside. Since it is a given that sisig at Sisig Hooray is amazing, this dish is of course, equally palatable especially for those who wants that extra bite on their food.
Another restaurant that we got to visit was Big Daddy's located at the third floor. We were told that this restaurant specializes in burger and chicken wings alongside other western dishes. The ambiance exudes a burger joint vibe to it which I find pleasant.
There were several food items that were served and the ones that hit our side of the table which I was able to try were the Bacon and Cheese Burger, Nachos Bravo, and Roast Beef.
The Bacon Cheeseburger I find great and legit. I love the generosity of the cheese sauce as it literally drips even on a slight nudge. While the size was not as big as I hope it to be considering the tag price of Php160, the flavor and the quality make up for it.
The Nachos Bravo I enjoyed immensely not just because I love good nachos but also because Big Daddy's didn't scrimp on the ingredients at all. I love the cheese sauce brand they are using which sort of reminds me of the cheese sauce I always loved at one of my favorite burger joint in Quezon City.
The Roast Beef was also okay. I love that it leans on the bigger side of the spectrum when it comes to serving portion.
Last stop was at Snow Panda located at the second floor of SM Center Angono. It specializes in Korean dessert called bingsu alongside other Korean street food snacks. The ambiance of the store I find really cute.
I love Korean food and I am happy to try some of Korean snacks that Snow Panda has to offer such as the Gimbap, Toppoki, Mandu, and my personal favorite, Injeolmi Toast.
We also sampled variants of bingsu. I love bingsu and the best one I have tried here in Manila was the one that they are serving at Kiwa Korean Grill Restaurant at Soaire Resort and Casino. The ones they have at Snow Panda were also good enough especially if you're on a budget but still craving for delicious shaved ice Korean style.
Some of the bingsu we tried includes Mango and Strawberry Bingsu, Blueberry Bingsu, Watermelon Bingsu, Pineapple Bingsu, Injeolme Bingsu, Pat Bingsu, and Choco Bingsu. The price range of these Bingsu is from Php80 to Php220 and is best eaten when shared.
Aside from these restaurants, there are plenty more restaurants to visit at SM Center Angono. So if you happen to be in the area, be sure to drop by and check out these restaurants.
