Dining Snippets in Bacolod 2022: Chicken Deli x Arima x 21 Restaurant
My first ever trip since the Covid pandemic hit was a short trip to Bacolod with my mom to witness the beautiful wedding of my dear friends, Dani and Francis. This was in Feb 2022, when travel requirements were still quite stringent – which was why I was surprised to see so many travelers flying to/from local destinations on a random weekday! We actually checked-in during the ‘last-call’ as we really didn’t anticipate such long queues! However, once inside the plane, I couldn’t help but feel a bit giddy – it’s been two years and two months at that point since I last traveled.
The Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod wonderfully checked us in extremely early so we had enough time to unwind before walking over to SM Bacolod (which had a convenient shaded hotel access).
CHICKEN DELI
As Covid cases were still significant (as it still is as of this writing), I made my trip short and sweet – no food adventures and no sightseeing – attending the wedding was my sole priority. However, of course, I can’t say no to having chicken inasal in Bacolod. This may be my third time visiting this beautiful city but I still get giddy and excited over this quintessential Bacolod specialty. Fortunately, there was a branch of Chicken Deli inside SM Bacolod.
INASAL – PAA (2 SOME COMBO – P286), BATCHOY (P89), FRESH LUMPIA (P85)
I was a bit overwhelmed at first with the 2 (mini) cups of rice that came with an order of the Inasal Paa, but honestly, it was just the right amount of rice to pair with the to-die-for fragrant and juicy chicken. I do go a bit overboard with my spiced soy sauce so the extra cup of rice was definitely a must-have balancer. The Batchoy and the Fresh Lumpia were both mediocre at best, but let’s be honest, people come to Chicken Deli for the chicken alone – everything else are just mere accessories.
Chicken Deli (Date of Visit: February 15, 2022 with Lily Chua)
GF, North Wing, SM City Bacolod, Negros Occidental
ARIMA
As I had to wake up in the wee hours in the morning the next day to prepare for the wedding, we decided to just have dinner in the main restaurant of Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod, Arima. Its menu prices were surprisingly friendly for a hotel restaurant and came in humungous servings!
GRILLED TOMAHAWK (P750)
The Grilled Tomahawk boasted of a large slab of porkchop which came with juicy charred meat. I wasn’t a big fan of its pairing with the Tzatziki but ultimately, the meat itself was incredibly tasty on its own that you wouldn’t need anything to pair it with other than a cup of rice.
PANCIT BAM-I (P330)
I wasn’t a big fan of its Pancit Bam-I as I found it too sweet and greasy for my liking- but it was definitely a hefty serving of a combination of canton and sotanghon noodles, tossed in with a medley of chicken, pork, chorizo, shrimp, squid balls and vegetables. Value for money can be expected for this dish as you can definitely stretch this dish to three to four people!
Arima (Date of Visit: February 15, 2022 with Lily Chua)
Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod, Block 12 Reclamation Avenue, SM City Bacolod Complex, Negros Occidental
21 RESTAURANT
Of course, I can’t leave Bacolod without having proper Batchoy from 21 Restaurant. Though it’s technically classified under their merienda section, it’s filling enough as a proper meal especially when you order a side of Buttered Toast to pair with it.
REGULAR BATCHOY (P135) + BUTTERED TOAST (P45)
When I first sampled this dish a couple of years ago, I told my friend Dani that I honestly don’t mind retiring in Bacolod if I get to eat Batchoy this good every day. Years after, and its Regular Batchoy still hits all the right spots with its hearty soup, its firm miki noodles, and its generous serving of a combination of crunchy and tender pork – as I’m not a fan of inners, I opted to skip out on it but it is available as a topping for you to have the ‘complete’ Batchoy experience.
21 Restaurant (Date of Visit: February 17, 2022 with Lily Chua and Norman Gatdula)
Number 4, 21st Street, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
