All we wanted to try in Taal was their tapa (tapa is usually beef, but in Taal, it's pork). We wanted to find one for lunch in the market but the tricycle driver brought us to Taal Bistro, telling us we won't find cooked tapang Taal in the market.
I liked Taal Bistro's tapang Taal—tender and garlicky, I could have eaten it all by myself with a cup or two of rice—but found it a bit expensive.
Crab & Corn Soup Php 180, Ensaladang Taal Php 150, Tapang Taal Php 250Renfel FastfoodBrgy. Sabang, Lipa City
Branches:Banay Banay Crossing, Lipa CityOld Bus Stop, Lipa City
When I asked my friend what was the specialty in his province, he said lomi (thick egg noodles). Lomi? Sounds so ordinary. But the lomi in Batangas really is different (no veggies here) and tastier than the lomi I know. Plus it's got hunks of meat toppings. Now, what is chami (see rightmost photo)? It's lomi with substantially less soup.
Chicken Lomi Php 80, Liver Lomi Php 75, Beef Chami Php 80Japong'sStar Tollway Exit, Brgy. Tambo, Lipa City
Another Batangas specialty my friend mentioned was the bulalo. We settled for the first bulalo place we found: Japong's. Curious if their bulalo was any different from the bulalo I've had at home and in other places... well, no, it still tasted like any other bulalo I've had. But, that's not to say I didn't like it. The meat fell off the bones and the soup was slurp-worthy (we finished the entire bowl). Oh, and the tapa here is beef, definitely not tapang Taal (because we are in Lipa, hehe).
Spicy Tapa Silog Php 65, Bulalo Php 300D' Lover's Line BibingkaOld City Hall Compound, B Morada Avenue, Lipa City
Bibingka Php 17Bibingka with salted egg Php 20Bibingka with kesong keso (cheese) Php 20Special Bibingka (with salted egg and cheese) Php 23
Here's a place in Lipa City my friend excitedly took us to: D' Lover's Line Bibingka. He frequents this little roadside hut for their freshly cooked and very affordable bibingka. The bibingka is served with a steaming cup (or two or three—refill is free) of salabat (ginger tea).
Around the Northern Half of Batangas:
Around the Northern Half of Batangas in Three Days
Back in Time in the Town of Taal
Boy Scouts in Burot Beach, Calatagan
Caleruega
What's in a (Business) Name? Treinta y ocho
The Waterfalls of Laurel: Malagaslas and Ambon–Ambon
Lipa, Batangas: Casa de Segunda, San Sebastian Cathedral, Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church
What and What We Ate in Batangas (you're here!)
A Bit of Cavite in Between:
Wisdom from the Road #23
People's Park in the Sky
