Food Trip: Baler

Like other surf towns in the Philippines like La Union and Siargao, the food scene in Baler is growing. During previous visits years ago, it seemed there were only a few usual favorites to eat in town. This 2019 during our #LakbayNorte8 trip, I noticed a lot of cool new restaurants have popped up, with some establishments making an effort to highlight the tropical surf vibe and local flavors and ingredients on their menu.

After surfing at Sabang Beach or exploring around town, here are just a few of the restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat in Baler.

Kubli Bistro

Kubli Bistro is a chill spot where guests can enjoy good music with a wide range of Filipino, Mexican, American and Italian dishes. The two-story air-conditioned restaurant has live music and an open mic every night.

Bestsellers include pizzas, paellas, pako salad, sisig, and Kubli Rice topped with shrimp, octopus, mussels, fish, peppers and chilli leaves served on a hot skillet.

Hungry Surfer’s Grill

Hungry Surfer’s Grill is a cozy resto by Bay’s Inn that serves a variety of dishes including burgers, pizza, pasta and rice meals. The interiors are very artsy and colorful, with that distinct surf vibe feel. The resto is located along the stretch of the Sabang baywalk behind the main strip of restos on Buton street.

Bike Kings Kitchen

Aside from surfing, Baler is a good destination for bikers. Those looking for a hearty meal to refuel after their rides should check out Bike King’s Kitchen located very near the Museo de Baler.

This bicycle-themed restaurant serves affordable all-day breakfast meals, sizzling dishes, pasta and noodles and fruit shakes. I like the friendly vibe and fun details in the space including the decorative bikes hanging up on the walls and bar stools made of old bike seats. Their serving sizes are generous and good for sharing.

Charlie Does Cafe

Charlie Does Cafe is a surf-themed cafe that offers savory fare and sandwiches, which happen to be vegetarian and vegan. It’s a good spot to hang out in the afternoon for snacks or for after-dinner coffee and dessert as they serve homemade coconut scones, choco chip cookies and cakes.

Charlie Does also doubles as a boutique that sells surf boards, surf wear, swim wear and other merchandise.

They usually serve Baler Brew, a locally brewed wheat beer that makes uses of wild honey, their own brand of lambanog and mainstream local beers. (NOTE: Baler Brew was not available during my visits in January 2019 and November 2019).

Myrtle Park

Myrtle Park is a hip new skate park / outdoor hangout where visitors can enjoy good eats, drinks and music. You can grab gyros and Japanese street food from the Wrap n’ Roll stall. Board rentals & surfing lessons are available from the park too.

The whole place has a very fun vibe with its pastel color palette and murals that will appeal to the younger crowd. The Pineapple Express stall serves beer and tropical cocktails infused with local ingredients like coconut rum and Barik lambanog.

The Port Tavern

If you’re looking for a quiet spot to drink and play a few rounds of pool or darts, check out The Port Tavern as Seasta Beach Resort. This sports bar about 15 minutes away from the main Baler town proper offers a great view, chill ambiance and cold drinks. They serve local and imported beers, wine, champagne, shooters, cocktails, meals and bar specials.

The Boardwalk Restaurant by Bay’s Inn

Currently on soft opening during the time of our visit, The Boardwalk Restaurant is a beach-side buffet dining establishment at the newly renovated Bay’s Inn Resort. The restaurant serves a wide range of dishes including local specialties kinilaw, pako appetizers, and suman de Baler.

One whole section called Bakerie is devoted to freshly baked breads, pastries, cakes and sweets.

Beach House

Beach House, the in-house restaurant of Costa Pacifica, offers a wide selection of American, Filipino and Mediterranean cuisine. They have a few specialty dishes infused with local flavors and specialties like Baler Longganisa,Grilled Seafood with veggies and Baler’s Best (mixture of coco jam, peanut butter, banana).

Yellow Fin Bar & Grill

Yellow Fin Bar & Grill on Buton Street is a good place to enjoy cold beer and beer chow. They catered grilled seafood and other Filipino dishes during our picnic lunch at Cobra Reef Resort but I got to try their sulit barbecue (P18 each) with a round of drinks. The nightlife is still pretty chill in Baler during weekdays compared to some other tourist destinations in the country. Yellow Fin’s central location makes it one of the more vibrant establishments where you can drink at night.

Mumunsi Chocolate Cafe

Cacao is endemic to the town of Maria Aurora right next to Baler and cacao trees are grown in backyards in the area. Mumunsi Chocolate Café is named after the mountain where cacao trees are planted. This cafe serves and sells artisanal bean to bar chocolate with interesting flavors.

Mumunsi Cafe also also serves interesting chocolate-based drinks and meals including Iced Shakes with chili, chocolate leaves and chocolate carbonara served with their own cacao shell focaccia.

Budget-Friendly Options

Locals flock to Gerry Shan’s Picnic Bay, a casual eat-all-you-can resto that serves mostly grilled dishes, seafood, Filipino and Chinese dishes. There’s a lot of variety to choose from, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

La Patricia Hotel & Restaurant also serves ala carte and buffet meals of typical Filipino dishes like calamares, caldereta, sinigang and the like.

For those on a budget, the Rolling Stores, small eateries near the museum and plaza and most hotels have in-house restaurants that offer home-cooked and affordable tapsilog-type meals and local specialties. Gillian’s Snackhouse, near the rolling stores serves delicious Halo-Halo.

Must-eats in Baler

Pako or fiddlehead fern is one of the specialties of Baler. This vegetable is usually eaten as salad or as a side dish to a main viand. It seems like every restaurant we ate in Baler served pako in some form – from salads topped with tomatoes and salted eggs and vinaigrette to simmered in coconut milk. The Boardwalk Restaurant by Bay’s Inn had interesting pako appetizers like Pakoy (crispy pako okoy) and Sisig na Pako. I also spotted this being sold by street vendors along with fresh seafood and shells.

Longaniza de Baler is one of the most delicious variants of local sausages I’ve come across. It has just the right amount of garlic and the portion size per piece is just right. Most restaurants serve this in breakfast meals. CUBE by Costa Pacifica also serves the longaniza in deep-fried breaded balls as as appetizer.

Most towns around the country have their own version of suman or rice cake. Suman de Baler is unique because it’s made of locally grown purple sticky rice. The suman is naturally sweet, so there’s no need to dip it in sugar. Though it’s light, a few pieces can be very filling.

We got to sample Bignay Wine at Azbahaen Leisure Farm & Resort. This farm produces its own brand of wine made from the bignay or wild berries that grow on currant trees on the farm. The wine is very sweet and easy to drink.

Peanut Butter: Do not go home without buying peanut butter from Baler. The two most famous brands are Nanay Pacing’s and Great Harvest Peanut Butter which is 100% home made just from pure peanuts and sugar with zero preservatives. Baler’s peanut butter goes great with bread and suman. You will regret buying just one jar.

Additional photos by Mac Dillera courtesy of NPVP for #LakbayNorte8