VISITORS to Dagupan City in the province of Pangasinan located in the Northern Luzon region of the Philippines often ask the first question to themselves or to their hosts: “Where’s a good place to eat?”

These questions should be easy to answer for the native Dagupeno who knows nooks and crannies in this big,little city. But what if the visitors are asking each other and have no native resource person to ask around? Somehow, one among them should be able to provide the answer. And that’s probably him (or her) who has read this blog.

Pedrito’s Bakeshop and Restaurant, Matutina’s Seafoods Restaurant and Siapno’s Seafoods Restaurant still lord it over in terms of general clientele hereabouts. That is, ever since Dagupena Restaurant,the crown business of the couple Alex Castro and wife, Emma Bernal, relocated to nearby Calasiao town and left its primus inter pares position in restaurant row to the others.

Pedrito’s, managed by the Tordesillas; Matutina’s, by the Balingits of Mekeni country (Pampanga) roots and, not to forget, presidential intimates too and Siapno’s by the big Siapno clan, who else but, have conquered the fertile gourmet and gourmand sector, across class levels with their excellent cuisine and superb service they practically need no advertising. The name, not the fancy blurbs. Read more