An excerpt from an old post on BlauEarth…

“We, Ilocanos, can’t have enough of PAKSIW, a popular carinderia fare. In Northern Ilocos, Dawang’s Place is, perhaps, the oldest existing paksiwan. It is located on a flood-prone area in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, but it has withstood the test of time, surviving countless typhoons, economic recessions, the emergence of more kantinas and panganans all across the province over the past 35 years or so.”

You haven’t been to Ilocos unless you’ve eaten at Dawang’s Place. It’s the place to be for ultimate Ilocano comfort food. No one else can duplicate Dawang’s paksiw. The straightforward ambiance makes the Ilocano gastronomic experience all the more authentic. People from all walks of life have been patronizing Dawang’s ever since the first Dawang’s carinderia opened at the back of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol in Laoag decades ago. Despite the distance between Laoag and San Nicolas, the followers of Dawang’s remain loyal. They have two kinds of paksiw. The original paksiw and the nadigguan. Nadigguan is paksiw poured over presko or kilawen nga baka (rare beef). There’s more papaitan (bile) in here. Dawang’s paksiw has a distinctive smoky taste that makes it a cut above the rest.

The dinardaraan (chocolate meat) with crispy bits is again something to beat. After 9:00 AM, the hot item disappears.

Tinuno (grilled pork), igado and imbaliktad (half-cooked beef with pinapaitan) complete the Dawang’s Place menu.

Truly, the success of our grandam in Dawang’s is one for the books.

Dawang’s Place (breakfast and lunch place), National Highway, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved