Ilocos Diaries: La Union Foodtrippin'

La Union's a flat sea mass this weekend but no biggie since I'm not after the waves. For this travel story assignment, I'm going for the kitties...

No, seriously, I'm here to get a quick update of the going-ons in La Union. It's been a good seven years since I last dropped by with Elayne and Urbiztondo has surprisingly evolved from the surfer secret we used to know.

Its now a major lifestyle stop. Case-in-point: the mushrooming of numerous inns, resorts, restaurants, and bars, with prices ranging from the posh to the cheapskate. Its no longer just a weekend stop, it has become a necessary crash for surfers of all level--even for non-surfers who simply want to laze and go boho once in awhile.

The crowd: still the conyo/burgis crowd. Hey, they call it LU now, you know. But what I love about the place is the food! You're no longer limited to the resort food--there are actually options. Options! Since I only have a day to spare, here's the interesting ones worth noting:

Lamb kebab platter

Gefseis Greek Grill is my first stop as per recommended by Luke (and because I need some lunch lovin'). Its a house-turned-restaurant by the Greek owner/chef. Not the cheapest with prices ranging from P200-P500 per person but the food is good for sharing. Its along the highway so its impossible to miss, and right across Luke's San Juan Surf School.

Right beside it is El Union Coffee, managed by Kiddo who man the shop himself. He recommended I get the Dirty White, iced and concocted with just the necessary caffeine kick. (I think El Union is a correction of La Union, because Union is masculine?)

Here, I met a surfer couple Summer and Anton. They both work in advertising agencies in Manila and are bound for Baler in a few days. An interesting point I got from them was that they actually hitch free rides every now and then. Now that's a surprisingly new addition to the beach boho lifestyle here. We exchanged some stories before Kiddo offered a free desert!

Its a new dessert he's planning to offer soon and since we're around, he says we can get free samples. Its basically skillet baked cookie topped with vanilla ice cream that's so perfect for the sunny weather:

And after that, Kiddo gladly pointed me to another good stop: Flotsam & Jetsam Artist Beach Hostel, which essentially started the whole new lifestyle shift in La Union. I was lucky enough to meet one of the owners, who gladly told me that everything in the resort are bought from their travels around the world. Like these lamps from Turkey, which I fancy to the core:

The best thing about the place, aside from the world-music vibe is that there's sangria as early as lunchtime. So my last binge along Urbiztondo is this seared tuna goodness:

The bestseller, spicy squid, was not available but I'd definitely try that next time. The verdict: perfect place for some weekend relaxing--and if I want to nail down some serious writing. - 7/14/14