This is a continuation of my previous post about food I’ve eaten in 2023. This time, it will focus on what I ate during my trip to La Union (or Elyu, as it is fondly called). There’s a treasure trove of delicious restaurants in this single stretch of highway, so let’s get to it.
Seabuds La Union
One of my favorite places to chill and eat some healthy food. Plus, the occasional sighting of the beautiful Danika Nemis (who owns the place) is a bonus treat.
The best time to drop by is for late breakfast which is exactly what we did. We ordered their Funky Monkey Smoothie Bowl and Banana Vegan Pancake.
I don’t know what magic they put into their smoothie bowl, but it’s always so good. Mixing in the banana, coconut powder, and cacao nibs made every spoonful a wonderful blend of textures. The crunchiness complemented the cold smoothie well. It was a delight to devour.
I really need to pay attention to how they prepare this bowl because I want to recreate it at home. I want to eat this exact bowl for breakfast everyday. It gives me so much happiness and energy.
As for the vegan pancakes, I found them a bit bland, but that’s to be expected. Thankfully, it’s served with bananas, chocolate syrup, and a chocolate dip topped with sliced almonds. These helped satisfy my sweet tooth without adding any guilt.
The pancakes were also hefty. Just the smoothie bowl and this plate of pancakes were more than enough for the two of us.
We actually took some slices of pancake and dipped it into the smoothie bowl. It worked and was very tasty!
The best part of the place is the view. If you’re lucky, you can get a seat on the 2nd floor and just spend time watching the people on the beach. We did this while drinking a cup of their Spanish Latte.
This place is on the higher end when it comes to pricing, but their smoothie bowls and the ambiance is worth a trip!
Seabuds La Union
[ facebook | instagram | website ]
8:00AM to 5:00PM
Open Everyday
San Juan Surf Resort,
San Juan, La Union
Sabong Fried Chicken
Our must-visit whenever we’re in La Union. This place is quite popular so expect some waiting time when you order. Sometimes, there might be a bit of a struggle just waiting for a table to open up. But once you try their fried chicken, you’ll understand why there is a lot of hype for it.
We ordered their Honey Bagoong Fried Chicken. This rare flavor combines the best of fried chicken and the flavor of Bagoong & Kare-kare. They’re served steaming hot with some vegetables on the side.
One cup of rice is not enough for this much chicken, but we had more things to eat so we controlled ourselves. Thankfully, the three pieces of delicious chicken can be eaten by themselves and still be a treat. Every bite is juicy and the addition of the Kare-kare dipping sauce adds another dimension to the flavor that is both familiar and hearty.
I also got the Chick’n Burger which was what I ordered the last time I was here. Thankfully it is still the same juicy, thick, thigh fillet. The flavor of this burger is very much Korean, with the Kimchi slaw and gochujang mayo.
This time, I ordered the extra hot version which made my mouth and eyes water simultaneously. I didn’t regret this choice, but I’m sticking with the regular version next time, that way I could enjoy the savory flavor more (and save on tissue).
We were so full after this meal, we had to take a long stroll down the beach afterwards. We will definitely keep coming back to this place just to take another bite of their chicken.
Sabong Fried Chicken
[ facebook | instagram ]
11:00AM to 2:00PM, 5:00PM to 8:45PM
Closed on Wednesdays
The Great Northwest Philippine Travel Stop and Viewing Deck
San Juan, La Union
Onlypans Taqueria
I’ve seen this place getting lots of hype on social media, as well as passing by their branch in Poblacion (which is always packed). I’ve heard lots of mixed reviews about it and finally decided to try their branch in Elyu.
We got their bestseller, the Quesa Birria Tacos. I love soft-shelled tacos and I’ve tried the one in Army Navy before, so I expected something similar.
After one bite of this dish, I instantly liked it. Who cares if it’s oily. I didn’t order tacos expecting them to be healthy. Plus the oil was very flavorful because of the shredded beef. The cilantro also helped cut the savory flavor and added some freshness to every bite.
But my favorite part of this dish is the consommé. The spices and the oil that went into were present, but not overpowering. Dipping the birria into this before each bite took the flavor into the next level. Once we finished the tacos, I was sipping the consommé straight from the paper cup. I just couldn’t get enough.
While I don’t always crave for birria tacos, I’m happy with this experience. I see the cause of the hype, and I’ll surely come back to try more from their menu.
Onlypans Taqueria
[ facebook | instagram ]
Along MacArthur Highway,
San Juan, La Union
Port San Juan (Stream of Consciousness Coffee & Bebo’s Bombay Burritos)
We wandered into Port La Union, a food and market hub, while looking for a place to have breakfast. Lots of stores were still closed, but we managed to find some that were just opened.
Since it was early into the day, we were the only customers. The place is like a food court where you can order dishes from the different restaurants and eat them together.
We ordered the Pani Puri from Bebo’s Bombay Burritos first. We had seen this in a lot of TikToks and curiosity got the better of us. Once it was served, I was surprised. I knew that the dish had to be assembled into individual bite-sized pieces, but I didn’t know it had a lot of components!
I poked a hole into one crispy ball and looked at the ingredients. The main filling was diced potatoes topped with pickled onions. I really liked the tangy taste of the onions. Next up was a clear sauce that seemed to be made of yoghurt. I also added this to the ball. There were diced, pickled cucumbers and finally a clear, sour sauce. I combined them all and popped the ball in my mouth.
It was a mix of a lot of flavors, but they were very pleasant to my palate. I was glad to finally taste this foreign dish. It was more filling than I expected.
I enjoyed portioning out the fillings to make sure there was enough for the remaining crispy balls. I’ll definitely try Pani Puri again.
We also ordered pandesal from SOC Coffee. The SOC Pandesal with Boursin Style Cheese was the simplest one. It came with a scoop of cream cheese that you put on the bread. The bread itself was toasted nicely and soft to the touch. I liked how airy yet filling it was.
We also had the SOC Greek Tuna Pandesal and the SOC Corned Beef Pandesal. These were equally as delicious. They were very savory and did their part to fll up the bread. I especially liked the Greek Tuna as it had a fishy kick that tickled my palate, but not too overwhelming.
This was a good start to the day and we’ll surely come back when the other stores are open so we can try the other restaurants.
Bebo’s Bombay Burritos
[ facebook | instagram ]
11:00AM to 8:00PM
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Inside Port San Juan
Along MacArthur Highway,
San Juan, La Union
Stream of Consciousness Coffee
[ TikTok | instagram ]
7:00AM to 9:00PM
Open Everyday
Inside Port San Juan
Along MacArthur Highway,
San Juan, La Union
Mad Monkeys
Our last meal before heading to the bus station. They have very limited seating (around 6-8pax only) and it’s an open area but thankfully, we arrived during off-peak hours. It’s better to order to-go here than having to wait for a seat to open up.
I’m a big burger fan and this place does not disappoint. We ordered the SOS Burger for sharing plus a side of Fries.
The SOS Burger does not disappoint. It’s a big, airy bun filled with a burger patty, cheese, crispy fried battered onions, and lettuce. Just imagine the flavors imparted by those ingredients. I’m already salivating just reminiscing about this burger.
We had the burger cut in half and that helped us get the cross-section. The burger bun was very soft and barely held things together. Every bite was flavorful and dirty, just like every good burger should be.
My favorite part is the complimentary Sriracha sauce that you can get from the counter. It didn’t take long before I was drowning my half of the burger with it. Absolutely guiltless pleasure was felt while eating this burger.
The fries were thick, hand-cut, and piping hot. I loved the powdered seasoning they used here. It contained a lot of flavor. And as usual, the Sriracha sauce helped me devour this even faster.
It was a good time, eating while facing the highway and watching people go about their lives. The place is directly in front of the infamous Elyu 7Eleven so there were lots of foot traffic.
It was a fitting end to our trip. Satisfied, but wanting to come back for more.
Mad Monkeys
[ facebook | instagram ]
9:00AM to 10:00PM
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Along MacArthur Highway,
Bgry. Urbiztondo,
San Juan, La Union
And that’s it for my Elyu eats. I forgot to include Timpla Cafe because we only got coffee here, but its a great alternative for El Union which has sooooooooo much people lining up.
I can’t wait to come back to La Union to try more of their food. We’ve already made a list of the places we missed so stay tuned for a possible post like this in the future. As usual, recommendations are very welcome.
Stay safe and keep eating!
-jgzn
P.S. Thanks to Shane for providing some of the mouthwatering pictures.
