I believe this was where we found the most authentic Bicolano cuisine available in Legazpi. It is actually not clear to me anymore the direction to go to the restaurant because I remember that we hailed for a cab (or a tricycle – yes, this happened one time). It is a self service type of establishment where dishes are laid out and all you have to do is take a peek and determine whether you want to be served that food or not.
I am not entirely sure if Bigg’s Diner is of Bicol roots but this was the first place we dined in when we traveled to Legazpi. Located at Embarcadero, Bigg’s provided us with that 50s diner ambiance as well as a quirky interior restaurant finish down to their menu, which to sum up, composed of mostly comfort food.
Since the sprouting of Starbucks in almost every corner from where I live and work, whenever I go out of town, I try as much as possible to look for a cozy place to just hang-out whenever I felt the need for it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Starbucks, but I also love trying out new things and when I travel, I try to go as local as possible.
Since we weren’t able to stay in Misibis Bay, I figured I can just look for a hotel that is quite convenient in terms of proximity to grocery stores and what not. That was when Hotel St. Ellis got to the picture. I looked for the rates in Agoda and visited the website of the hotel so as to compare. Since they were just about the same, I figured I will just book directly. Oddly though, when I gave them a call and requested for a quotation, the rates seemed to be different by around US$10. Anyway, I pointed out the rates they have over the internet and they gave it to me at that rate.
The rates came with airport pick-up and drop-off so I was happy with that. What was more gracious of them was allowing the two helpers we were with to hitch a ride with us even though they were not checked in the hotel. Props to Hotel St. Ellis for being accommodating.
The Bicol region has always been intriguing to me. Despite its close proximity to Manila, the only thing I knew about the place was that it is huge, has lots of cities, located in Luzon, and can be travelled by land (for approximately 10 hours). Aside from that, nada.
As fate would have it, I do not know how I came about deciding to book a ticket to Legazpi. It was one of the major seat sales (click here for some booking tips) then (I got my ticket for Php 150, roundtrip, last year when the fuel surcharge was not so expensive). I just recognized that Legazpi was a place I’ve always heard about and that I wanted to see the Mayon Volcano.
