Pampanga Dish

I attended a grand birthday feast 2 days ago in Pampanga. The family of the celebrant is real Kapampangans and the members are really excellent cooks. I was happy that day because aside from I am having a good time I was also experiencing authentic Kapampangan dishes. I listed down here the dishes that I was impressed with the taste and flavor. My mission now is to look for restaurants in Metro Manila that serves any of these.

Betute – This is stuffed frog. The stuffing is ground pork seasoned with onions, tomatoes, and aragao leaves, then deep-fried to a perfect-crisp.

Bringhe – This is similar to paella but instead of ordinary rice malagkit is used instead. Flavored with chicken meat, chicken liver, hard-boiled egg, and raisins. This is boiled with chicken stock, coconut milk, and with tumeric to give it a yellow-greenish color.

Sinigang sa Bayabas (Bulanglang Kapampangan) – This is milkfish (preferably boneless) with prawns cooked in a broth flavored with ripe native guava.

Burong Asan – Fermented rice with fish. I was eating this with crispy catfish.

Kamaru – This is an exotic dish because it is made of mole crickets sautéed in garlic and onion, and roasted dry to be really crunchy.

Tibuk-tibok – Similar to maja blanca but with a little a little punch because this is made of carabao’s milk with lime zest.

Tamales – Steamed pudding wrapped in banana leaves made from ground rice and coconut milk. Then topped with boiled chicken strips, ham, hard-boiled egg, and ground peanuts sauted in achuete oil.

Perhaps PB members can help me. Do you know a place where I can enjoy the mentioned dishes? Please post it here.

part and portion of a previous thread on the Province of Pampanga.... a taste of Pampanga

According to the great Kapampangan artist/patriot/writer/cook, Mr. Claude Tayag the most popular Kapampangan restaurants are Razon’s (palabok,now in malls), Aling Lucing Sisig (invented Sisig, Angeles City), Susie’s Cuisine (tibok tibok, Angeles City), Everybody’s Café (kamaru and buro, San Fernando) Cely’s Carenderia (betute, balo balo, Angeles City) but I wouldn’t know if my choices of Kapampangan chain of restaurants in the Metro Manila (Cabalen and Mangan in several shopping malls) will qualify with his standards.

I will check out Cabalen and Mangan if they have any of the ones I enumerated. Razon's, I already tried the palabok and the halo-halo. I didn't notice that they have tibok-tibok perhaps I wasn't aware of what it is before. Next time I'll order their version.

Thanks for the other places you mentioned.

I hope there is a place here in Metro Manila that has batute or kamaru.