Pasalubong Galore: Quezon

We went to San Pablo, Laguna's 4th Annual Lakefest to play and went straight to Sariaya, Quezon after. Chilled in Villa del Prado Pool and Beach Resort for a day, then went back to Baguio in the afternoon. This is how to spend the weekend if you have extra budget. I wish I could do this every weekend... 

Good thing of having a private vehicle during an out of town trip is the flexibility of stop overs (aside from the convenience of course). You can control when and where to stop. Eat where you want and spare yourself from the expensive dried up food in the designated bus stop overs. Stop at "pasalubong" shops along the highway and have your time in picking whatever is not in your home town. A trip won't be complete anyway without the extra baggage of merch you bought from where you've been to. Well, here's my list from this weekend.

1. Dried Miki Lucban. I'm not a fan of pancit but this made me crave for one when I first tasted it. The strands are fine, like 1/4 of the generic pancit canton. This is way different from what I buy in the super market. It's not the type that gets saggy when cooked in a lot of sauce. It maintains its firmness, you won't get that yummy-looking-but-saggy-in-the-mouth kind of pancit. This one costs 50 Php, just got it along the highway but the the better brand, a friend said, can be bought at their SM for 90 Php.   

2. Espasol. The last time I tasted espasol was when I was in elementary, so I was so happy seeing some in the pancit store. A pack contains 5 pieces of hearty sticks. I thought that the packaging was to fool the customers that it had a lot in but it really did! It's like an inch wide, 4 inches long, and half a centimeter thick, now that's espasol! It's a really happy deal for only 50 Php. Yummy!  

3. Sukang Paumbong. All natural vinegar from the coconut. You can choose from the spiced one (with red chilies) or just the plain one. This may be a hassle to carry if you'll commute but if not, grab the opportunity to hoard vinegar. Aside from it tastes better than the commercial one, it's also cheaper. 1.5 liters is only 30 Php, though there are bigger containers like a gallon. This goes perfectly with the pancit instead of using calamansi.

4. Lambanog. Also made from an all natural ingredient. 80 proof with different flavors. Obviously there's a bit of coloring according to its flavor and some soaked cut fruits. There's grapes, langka, strawberry, orange and apple, bubble gum, and the plain one. There are 2 brands to choose from (from the store I bought) - the other has fruits in it and the other's plain coloring. It comes in a variety of sizes too, I got the bottle with the handle for only 170 Php (an estimate of 2 liters). Cheers!

Another unexpected buy in San Pablo, Laguna (while waiting for friends busy over some buko pie) is the Kesong Puti. I got it from the street vendor with a basket. Offered it for 100 Php for a bundle with 2 pieces, and ended up getting it for 90 Php. Well, frustrated upon tasting it. Texture's not good, taste's not so kesong puti, and it had a lot of holes in it. Yup, tasted the real thing and this isn't it.

I'm not sure if I can get these products for a more cheaper price but the selling price itself is already a great deal. So I didn't bother negotiating to drop the price. And are these the only things I can bring home from Quezon? Well, it was surely a fun road trip.

My Dinner