Ilocano cooking favors salt, vinegar and fat, which is a good starting point for beer food. Bagnet is the headline: pork belly boiled then deep-fried until the skin is glassy, usually served with a dip of local sukang Iloco and bagoong.
What to look for
- BagnetTwice-cooked pork belly with a crackling skin; dip in sukang Iloco.
- Longganisa ViganSmall, garlicky sausages with a sour edge.
- EmpanadaBatac-style fried pastry filled with egg, papaya and longganisa.