Ilokano pride: Homegrown restos, stalls open at SM City Laoag

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LAOAG CITY, Philippines – Ilocos Norte’s first SM City in Laoag opened on May 30, drawing crowds of local mall goers. With its Ilokano-inspired architecture and interior, the mall also features spaces for homegrown stores, alongside international brands.

From well-loved Ilokano-owned eateries, cafes, juice shops, and cake houses, you can find them at the new mall.

Let’s explore the local food and beverage stalls you can visit at SM City Laoag, whether you’re looking to support homegrown stores or satisfy your cravings.

RESTAURANTS AND EATERIES

Lanie’s Empanada

If you’re craving Ilocos’ famous Batac empanada, Lanie’s Empanada is a must-try at the food court located on Level 2 of SM City Laoag.

A favorite among Ilokanos — with the original stall located at Batac Riverside Empanadaan — Lanie’s Empanada claims to serve the authentic and flavorful taste of the local delicacy.

You can explore different variations of Ilocos empanada filled with shredded green papaya, mung beans, and egg, along with optional fillings such as longganisa, hotdog, and bagnet. Aside from their classic empanada, you should try their cheesy empanada for a savory and sweeter taste.

Prices here range from P50 to P120, slightly higher than their stall in Batac.

Balai Taste of Home

Craving classic Filipino food? Balai Taste of Home of Laoag, located at the mall’s food court, promises to satisfy the home-style meals you are yearning for.

Enjoy their Ilocos bagnet rice meal with KBL (a mix of kamatis (tomatoes), bagoong (fermented fish sauce), and lasona for P193. Other options include liempo kare, piniyahang manok, beef pares, chicken adobo, pork binagoongan, bistek tagalog, and gising gising.

Each rice meal comes with free soup and a drink. The price range is from P193 to P259.

Little Saigon

Want to have a taste of Vietnamese cuisine? Little Saigon Laoag will please your appetite, as they offer a variety of food with a taste of Vietnam.

Located at the food court on Level 2 of the mall, you can try their Beef Pho, Com Tam, Vietnamese Rolls, Bun Thit Nuong, Buncha, Com Ga Boiled, Com Ga Fried, and Bún bò Huế.

Aside from their food, you can also enjoy their egg coffee, coconut coffee, and ca phe sua da. The price range of their products is from P139 to P279.

Yugo Japanese Fusion Teppan and Sushi Bar

A well-loved Japanese food restaurant in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Yugo Japanese Fusion Teppan and Sushi Bar now has a branch at SM City Laoag at the food court.

Sample their fusion rolls such as Special California, Tuna Fusion Hoso Futu, Crazy Crispy California, Crunch Salmon, Salmon Fusion Hoso Futu, and California Futon. Authentic rolls, namely California Maki, Crispy California, Original Futo Maki, Boston Roll, Tuna Hoso, and Salmon Hoso, should also be included in your bucket list!

If you’re looking for sashimi, try their Norwegian Sashimi, Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi, and Bluemarlin Sashimi. They also offer poke bowls, donburi meals, and teppanyaki dishes.

Ramen lovers can enjoy options like Spicy Beef Tantanmen, Pork Tonkotsu, and Mixed Seafood Ramen. Don’t miss their yakisoba and side dishes, including Fusion Kani Salad and Yakimeshi Fried Rice.

The prices here range from P50 to P390, and their stall is located at the food court.

CAFES AND JUICE SHOPS

Sentro Café

With branches in Pasuquin and Bacarra, Sentro Café also secured a space at SM City Laoag, lower ground level. Indulge in their pasta, pastries, and coffee at their new branch.

Must-try pastas at Sentro Café are spaghetti meatballs, pasta blanca, spaghetti bolognese, baked macaroni, three-cheese lasagna, and Asian garlic shrimp. For their croffles, they offer Nutella almond, biscoff, blueberry, oreo, pork floss, strawberry, and plain.

Among their best-selling coffees are the Nutella Latte and Biscoff Latte. You might also want to explore their selection of frappes, as well as a variety of iced and hot drinks. Pair your beverage with one of their rich cheesecakes, available in Biscoff, blueberry, matcha, plain, and strawberry flavors.

Their price ranges from P115 to P315.

Amian Coffee

Ilocos Sur’s Amian Coffee also opened its first Ilocos Norte branch on the upper ground level of SM City Laoag.

According to their website, they support local small and medium enterprises by sourcing pastries from Ilokano bakers and coffee beans from Ilocos farms.

Their must-try drinks include Amian Signature Latte, Sea Salt Latte, Kahel, Caramel Coffee Jelly, Lilia Ice Blended, Mabini Ubuan, and Flavored Latte.

You may also try their rice meals, such as Diego Tocino, Galileo Bagnet Hash, Abaya Bibimbap, and Heneral Luna Tapa. For sandwiches, they have Burgos Roast Beef, Jalapeno Burgo, and Bad Dog.

They also offer pasta and snacks, such as Carbonara, Longganisa Macaroni, Truffle Mushroom, Stranger Fries, and Wancho de Goryo.

Aside from these, you can also enjoy other food and drink products in the cafe, with prices ranging from P110 to P329.

Milkpot

A favorite study tambayan in Ilocos Norte, Milkpot offers a variety of drinks and pastries. It has two branches in Laoag and one in Batac, and they are known for their cozy atmosphere.

Their offerings include coffee, milkshakes, milk, milk tea, matcha, tea, agua fresca, and pastry products for its customers.

Located on Level 2 of the mall, the prices of their beverage drinks range from P130 to P240.

Sam’s Sugarcane Juice Shop

Ilocos Norte is rich in sugarcane, as seen by its production of Sukang Ilocos, a vinegar made from the crop. Sam’s takes advantage of its abundance, offering freshly pressed sugarcane juice from the local farms to SM City Laoag.

Among the fruits you can mix with sugarcane are kalamansi, lemon, orange, cucumber, watermelon, and barley. They also offer plain fresh juices like avocado, orange, melon, watermelon, buko, and pineapple. Their drinks range from P75 to P120.

It is located in the food court on Level 2.

CAKE HOUSES

Kookee House

A premier bakeshop and pastry store in Ilocos Norte, Kookee House, also got a space at the upper ground floor of the new mall in Laoag City.

Serving delightful cakes for various celebrations since 1990, Kookee House is a beloved homegrown store among Ilokanos. They are renowned for their specialties, including yema, ube, red velvet, chocolate, and carrot cakes.

It is located on the upper ground level, where you can purchase a cake from P375 to P845.

Leigh’s Cakeshop

Another cake house in Laoag that was given a lease at SM City is Leigh’s Cakeshop.

The cakeshop is known for its best-selling strawberry, mango custard, carrot, chocolate caramel, ube leche flan, and lemon cakes. You may also try their mango float, strawberry boba smoothie, milk tea, fruit tea, and coffee drinks.

The price range for their drinks and pastries is P49 to P2,500. They are located on Level 2 of the mall.

Other homegrown stalls will also open in the coming months, such as Meltdown Burger, Old Soul Bar X Beans, and CA Chinese.

According to SM Prime, the opening of their 88th mall in Laoag is expected to generate 4,000 jobs for Ilokanos from retail, operations, and support services.

“The opening of SM City Laoag reinforces our commitment to bring modern, accessible and community-oriented retail experiences to underserved but fast-growing areas,” SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said. – Rappler.com

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