In my weekend trip to Vigan, I regarded my meal at Kusina Felicitas the highlight of Ilokano cuisine I ate there. Kusina Felicitas in inside Grandpa's Inn... which was thankfully only a corner away from Hotel Luna. It was raining outside, and after we checked in our umbrella and were ushered in, I felt this feeling of being in a cozy place. In some ways, the place reminded me of that feeling I had entering El Botin in Madrid for the first time. That the place had been around for quite a while, and that they were still known for their good food and warm hospitality.
Right before you enter the restaurant, you'd actually see the lobby with this large wooden mural of Calle Crisologo across the information desk, with a number of vintage items dating back from the 1920s.
Inside, only one table had been occupied but you could clearly see that the staff seemed prepared to accommodate a larger crowd. We sat at the opposite end of the restaurant by the windows. From my seat, I was observing the bronze kitchen utensils that hung from the old wooden beams of Kusina Felicitas.
On the wall beside me, there were these wooden panels, one brown while the other black, that housed two spoon collections. I immediately remembered a friend who actively took on this hobby of collecting teaspoons after she inherited it from her grandparents. Once, we went around Spain looking for a metal spoon to add to her collection. When I took this photo, I wondered how many spoons she currently has. Anyway, back to the main story~
Earlier in the morning I had Vigan longganisa for breakfast, so I was curious to taste what the pakbet tasted like. I read in the menu that their pakbet had some bagnet in it, so I felt I was doing a 2-in-1 order.
We also ordered poqui-poqui from the menu. It's practically described as an eggplant omelette. I suppose the best way to describe it would be like eating a more scrambled egg version of tortang talong. To be honest, I was expecting some weird taste... some maybe something bitter or maybe it was going to have a weird after taste.
The verdict: Wow, just wow! Once I tasted the pakbet, I immediately felt it was one of the best pakbet I've ever had in my life. I personally love the pakbet we have in my hometown in Zambales... and interestingly, that's also cooked in the Ilokano manner. Of course, whenever I'd bite into the pieces of bagnet~ oh heaven! As for the poqui poqui... wow oh wow!!
I honestly didn't expect it to be that good! I dunno, it must be the way it was cooked. It had this grilled, charcoal taste infused into it, before it was mashed and combined with the egg scramble. I really felt this awesome experience in my mouth each bite I took.
The strangest letdown was the crepe. After eating two amazing dishes, I was expecting a similar wow-filled experience for dessert. But... it didn't quite happen that way. The wrap felt a bit too thick... and the sweet fillings didn't feel as pronounced.
But I guess I'm being a little too hard on the dessert. Anyway, this place is known for authentic Ilokano cuisine, and I feel it delivered on all fronts for that. Ambiance & experience-wise, totally great! If I find myself back in Vigan, I'd totally come back. Probably with a larger group too... so that I could systematically try all the dishes they have. I just have a feeling they're all going to be good.
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