What first comes to mind when you hear of Ilocos? It’s perfectly ok if you’d say the Marcoses or Chavit Singson, but we’re not referring to a person. You could also say Pagudpud or the giant windmills, but we’re talking about something you eat.

[Read VisitPinas Itinerary for a 3-day Ilocos Trip]

Yes, you can enjoy poqui-poqui in Ilocos (you’re either smiling or frowning — either way erase that expression from your face). You could also enjoy the bagnet. Let’s start with the less scandalous-sounding food, the bagnet.

Not too long ago a friend insisted on going to Cafe Juanita, right after an appointment at the Pasig Provincial Capitol (kapitolyo). Cafe Juanita is a minute or two from the kapitolyo. He said I should try the bagnet, which I did.

Thus started my love affair with bagnet, an affair which my wife seriously opposes.

How could I resist the crispy, crunchy, boiled-then-double-deep-fried pork cut? It’s not your regular fried pork. No, that’s an insult to the beautiful bagnet. It’s like crispy pata, with an extra frying. So on our road trip to Ilocos, it’s a no-brainer that I’d drop by the purported origin of bagnet — Laoag, Ilocos Norte.

But I know it’s a food affair that could not last. Too much cholesterol for my heart, my doctor (and my wife) told me. I protested. They won. Goodbye bagnet (well, not really, at least twice a year is fine with me).

Going back to my Laoag story, we stopped by La Preciosa for lunch during our stop-over. I would have been satisfied with just bagnet (and rice of course) on the table, but something caught my eye — Poqui-Poqui. There it was, right on the menu, an esoteric-sounding food, poqui-poqui. How could I resist? In the name of, ahem, gastronomic discovery, I ordered it pronto! It turned out to be tortang talong (eggplant) with sliced red tomatoes and onions. Tastes good, though.