THE OTHER SIDE OF BATANGAS

by Andrea Austria

When you see or hear the word “Batangas”, usually, what comes to mind are beaches, coffee, festivals and such...all of which are indeedcorrect. But, Team Lipa-licious will be presenting you the different side of Batangas—the urbanized one not far enough from what we see in the city of Manila. Lipa City is known to be one of the most prestigious cities in the beautiful province of Batangas. At the same time, the city is located at the heart of the province. In fact, it has always been mistaken as the province’s capital because of its uniqueness among all the other cities and municipalities. Over the years, the city adapted the Metro Manila style of living – from the chaotic radial roads, to fast food chains that run out of seats, to the crazy night life in local bars up until grabbing a cup of coffee late at night. However, no matter how urbanized the city has become, it never leaves the traditional cultural side.

Nothing is comparable to the longing Lipeños feel towards our very own local food. With the emergence of establishments such as Starbucks, Figaro, Hap Chan, Uncle Cheffy, Shakey’s, and Giligan’s, people are still patrons of the local food. Take for example the numerous local coffee shops, Lomi and Goto houses, panciterias, and rice cake makers all over town. Despite the delicious taste and the sosyal feeling of having Starbucks, we still look for our very own kapeng Barako which hypes us up. In addition, even if we have tasted the Goto of Manila, which is basically sinabawang kanin, we would still go for the Batangas Goto with laman-loob.Lomi is still a favorite among us even with Italian pasta all over the place. Lastly, we never get tired of having ricecakes instead of pastries, chocolates, and other sweets. Clearly, we see that Lipeños have always loved their own food.

Knowing that Lipa is just a 2-hour drive from Manila, you might want to drop by the city on your way to Batangas before hitting the beach or going on a trip. With this, the Lipa-licious team has gathered the best food places for you – budget-friendly and otherwise.