Hungry and Hooked -- A La Preciosa Story

My mind was reeling from exhaustion. Behind my eyelids I can still see the bright and white sky background of the Paoay Church. It was mid-afternoon and the brunch I had at the Hidden Garden seemed oh, so distant; I can no longer remember the supernal taste of okoy in my mouth.

And then the van stopped; it parked and we went out. This graceful vintage diner-like restaurant stood out in the center of Laoag City. An unlit neon-sign at the front of the edifice says "La Preciosa." Inside were fancy wrought-iron chairs, simple and clean linens, and vintage furniture and frames of Ilocos tourist spots. The room was devoid of other patrons. It looked intimiditangly expensive. After all, the website says "La Preciosa: Fine Dining and Catering Services."

La Preciosa, Laoag City

La Preciosa's Interior

We were seated at the table at one far end of the room. We were presented with a menu and so, the debate and nods of assent begun.

My eyes went through the list of dishes. And then at their prices. I nodded my affirmation along with the gang. And then it kicked in--the "see-food" rush, wanting to eat everything in sight. Finally, the ballot has been cast: Bagnet with KBL, puqui-puqui, pancit lusay, crispy dinardaraan, chicken ala pepian, and sinanglao.

My god, were we hungry.

Then all at once, they came. Tucked and cradled in their porcelain platters, the smell drifting up our eager noses. Each dish, a candidate to my ravenous and subjective hunger, was heavily scrutinized, pored over, and fought over by my senses:

The likely candidate: bagnet with KBL. Crispy and sinfully unhealthy layers of pork fat greasing my willing mouth and numbing my brain. It was too few and consumed in a blink of an eye. The smell was neutral; the taste, too pork-y to be addictive. At that point, the briny taste of bagoong is a blessing.

Bagnet with KBL (Kamatis, Bagoong, Lasona) (P195)

The unexpected crowd-pleaser: crispy dinardaraan. The dinuguan or blood stew was surprising. All traces of lansa from the blood is gone. The meat was crispy but tender and soft for chewing. It was simple and inviting.

Crispy Dinardaraan (P195)

The wonderfully odd-bud (odd on the taste buds): sinanglao. Beef paksiw in soup. Its description is a lot to take in and so is the brown murky soup but, in a good way. A few curious sips turn into insatiable addictive gulps trying to figure out what was more dominant: the sour taste of sinigang or the savory sharp taste of pinapaitan.

Sinanglao (P200)

The eccentric: pancit lusay. A pancit canton with a Ilokano twist: longganisa and Ilocos bagoong. The peculiar dish was so deliciously Ilokano. The ample serving helped mollify our party's appetite.

Pancit Lusay (P86)

The class-clown: puqui-puqui. Funnily-named dish but everyone wanted it. It was so genuinely pleasant to taste and undoubtedly healthy. A tortang-talong variety brimming with tomatoes and onions in its enjoyable non-fried, moist 'n wet glory.

Puqui-Puqui (P175)

The black sheep: chicken ala Pepian. The least favorite of the party. A chicken kare-kare so pleasingly orange and mouthwatering to look at. But according to the census, disappointingly ordinary.

Chicken ala Pepian (P195)

With eyes glazed over, our group turned to each other, jovially basking in our sublime satisfaction and full bellies. The fog cleared and we are able to talk to each other again with less hostility from hunger and more facetiously from food elation. And soon enough, we got to a topic that will forever seal our fate to this Ilokano food joint: dessert. Particularly, carrot cake.

The ultimate favorite: La Preciosa's Homemade Carrot Cake. Heaven. Perfectly prepared and baked batter with carrot shavings glazed over with cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with fresh crunchy carrot. Pure. Paradise.