VIGAN CITY | Kusina Felicitas at Grandpa’s Inn

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

An Ilocano Dish at Kusina Felicitas

The visit to Paoay Church was cancelled due to the still sour weather, we went down south again and was back in Vigan City just in time for dinner; our venue, my favorite inn in the city, Grandpa’s Inn.

I can’t recall a visit to Vigan without entering Grandpa’s Inn either to dine or stay for the night. I just love the place; it is by the way an authentic ancestral house turned into a lodge and restaurant.

Grandpa's Inn at Vigan CityGrandpa’s Inn has not one but three places where you can chow down. You can choose between their restaurant, Kusina Felicitas; their café, Café Uno and their grillhouse, Uno Grille which is located right across the street from the inn.

Kusina Felicitas at Grandpa's InnSince we were a big group, we decided to eat at Kusina Felicitas which is located in the inner chamber of the lodge. Passing turn of the century furniture and brick walls hung with all sorts of painting, we emerged into a cozy restaurant surrounded by more brick walls and paintings.

The Relatively New Annex of Kusina Felicitas at Grandpa's InnWe passed another doorway and finally found empty tables seemingly set just for us. The setting was more modern, with sleek white walls overlaid with green-painted trims.

We chose a long table and listed our orders; the quirkily named Poqui-poqui for me and a symphony of food like the famous Vigan Longanisa, the all-time-favorite sisig, a local version of sinigang and a host of other Ilocano dishes.Models and Photographers Waiting for the FoodWe horsed around while waiting; taking photos of each other, showing off photographs from the Ilocos tour, talking camera talks and generally just hanging out. But it wasn’t long before our orders arrived and everyone straightened their chairs, preparing to dig in.

Poqui-poqui (Php100.00)I love their Poqui-poqui (Php100.00). Its name connotes something unmentionable over dinner talks when you’re in Manila, but when you’re in Ilocos, it’s simply an eggplant omelet.

The difference from this dish over the tortang talong that I’ve come to love at home is its consistency and texture. While the usual torta has everything all clumped up into one pan-sized omelet, Ilocos’s Poqui-poqui is more of a scrambled type infused with onions and garlic. You can hardly discern the egg, but it’s there alright.

Vigan Longanisa (Php100.00)According to the Kulisa Felicitas menu, Poqui-poqui goes well with Vigan Longanisa (Php100.00). So we ordered that too. Garlic sausages are one of my most favorite dishes in the world and a visit to Ilocos cannot pass without having one. Sadly, the ones we ordered were a bit lacking in flavor. It just wasn’t salty and garlicky enough that I had to thoroughly dip it in vinegar just to get some flavor into it.

Krispy sisig (Php180.00) I got to sample the other dishes too with their Krispy sisig (Php180.00) topping my list. I know that the guys should’ve been ordering local food instead of something they can easily have in Manila, but if that’s what they want to order and they’re happy with it, then I guess it’s alright.

Sinigang IkanKusina Felicitas had always been consistent in my book. This has been the fourth time I dined at their place and even though their longanisa disappointed this time, the rest of the dishes were still more than excellent.

I still recall the first time I went to Vigan, was served a bagnet dish at Kusina Felicitas and how I was unable to forget it for years. Next time, it would probably be a garlicky poqui-poqui paired with a super crunchy bagnet, I’m guessing that combo would be sticking with me for decades.

Vigan Location Map

Kusina Felicitas at Grandpa’s Inn
Address: 1 Bonifacio St. Corner Quirino Blvd
Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Telephone: (077) 722-2118 | (0917) 580-2118
Menu: Click Here

GPS Coordinates: 17.572725,120.390297
View Location on Google Maps: Click Here

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  1. The best talaga yang poqui-poqui at hindi mabubuo ang sarap niyan kung walang talong (torta) at itlog :P Waaah. Gusto ko ring gumawa ng blogpost sa pagkaing yan, teka, tsk tsk. hahaaha!

  2. nakakagutom nmn to .... idol tumtaba ka na yata

  3. damn. this post gave me the munchies for ilocano food. longganisa and ilocos empanada are faves. bagnet, too. and did i see that right? they use bagnet with their sisig. double damn!

  4. Aside sa mukang sobrang masasarap na food, interesting din ang interior ng lugar. Imagine seeing closely ung mga century old pieces, something that will complete sa pagbisita sa vigan. Sana makapunta rin ako jan hehe.

  5. Memories! ako naman parang dining room ko lang yung Cafe Uno nung andyan ako :)) Ang inorder ko yung Poque Poque Balls dahil mag-isa ko lang =))

  6. Don lang kame sa Cafe Uno kumain anywho may sapsapuriket din kaya dito?

  7. I like poqui-poqui although I haven't tasted it yet. I probably would like it more after I taste it. I just love the name! LOL.

  8. yeah, it looks like a cozy mountain lodge in the tropical area of Philippines. in the reality show, Survivor Philippines, they are experiencing nonstop rainstorm, as well. but those reality show contestants are nuts as it is, anyway, always scavenging for food on the island.

  9. This is what we missed when we stayed (albeit briefly) at Grandpa's. We weren't able to eat there :(

  10. Edmaration
    First time ko matikman Ed, I bet sobrang bagay nito sa Bagnet

    Haha di naman, dati na talaga ako mataba :D

    Haha Ilocano dishes are really the best, right? :)

    Krizzia Jimenez
    I agree, ang ganda ng settings :)

    Kumusta naman staff ng Cafe Uno? Last time I was there, I felt so unwelcome

    Forgive my ignorance but what's sapsapuriket? :)

    Haha everyone does Bert :D

    The place is more like a preserved Spanish-era city Fifi :)

    Marjorie Gavan
    Okay lang yun, ang dami rin naman kasi places to eat out in Vigan :)