Aling Sosing

We were on our way to a big meeting with Far Eastern University and we thought that we should be sufficiently fortified for the meeting. We decided we needed Aling Sosing. This is a sort of famous carinderia right in front of Lola Horten's old house and we used to eat here back in the mid-90's. Legendary is how I would describe it, although the bulalo is less so these days.


Baguio beans guisado


bicol express

Smooth from the coconut milk and porky. This was a good one and almost is worth going back just to eat this.


guinataang kilawin puso ng saging

Translated this is vinegared banana hearts cooked with coconut milk. Also tasty.


inihaw na baboy

This was just salted and cooked over charcoal. Definitely a keeper. It reminded me of a place we used to eat back in the 80's where this was the specialty of the house. That place was in a tent near the Mandarin Hotel and it was astonishing how many people in shirt and tie and barongs who would eat there, bathed in charcoal smoke and sweating just to eat this. It took me back.


pork bbq

This turned out to be pretty good, different from Aling Nene but just as good. Never tried it there but would consider getting it again.


nilagang baka

Boiled beef it is called, yet is greater than that. This is the reason we went to Aling Sosing and it was indeed great in its time. Alas those times have passed as we noted when we arrived: there was a distinct lack of a line like they used to have. Back in the day, people wouldn't just line up to eat this, they would stand directly behind somebody waiting for that person to finish so they could sit down. It was a bit intimidating if you were the person eating as you could feel the presence of the hungry diner behind you. I wish it tasted as good as it used to...


waiting for the food



food spread

The food is laid out but we are waiting for the rice to arrive.

oh yeah


After we were done, Lolo decided it was dessert time. luckily there was the handy dandy dirty ice cream vendor not 10 paces away from where we sat.


getting dirty ice cream

I passed on the dessert.