Bacolod: Chicken Deli and Calea

We had to ditch the original Manokan Country dinner plan since the group didn’t feel like walking back the way we came from. With crowds on Lacson Street slowly gathering in number, we decided to have dinner at what was already there in front of us, Chicken Deli.

This was Bacolod so the chicken HAS to taste good everywhere, right?

The Location. The restaurant is right in front of the Provincial Capitol Lagoon. It is in a strategic place especially when festivities are being held on Lacson Street which is the avenue of parties during Masskara.

Going inside. Out front you can try to dodge smoke coming from the large grills where batches of chicken are being cooked to perfection. There’s an outdoor setup of tables (but prepare to eat smoke! hehe). Inside the building are tables setup for families and large groups. To accommodate our group the staff had to connect about six or seven tables. Once settled the waiter would toss out small menus.

On the menu. All the usual inasal chicken parts you could think of. Since pecho (breast) was my favorite that’s what I ordered. Pecho costs Php 57.00. A cup of garlic rice is about Php 15.00. Side dishes like vegetables are around Php 25.00 to 30.00.

Oh, and you eat using your bare hands!

For Desserts. When the group started to break up into smaller clusters (kanya-kanyang happiness), we ended up searching for the much-raved about dessert stop in Bacolod, Calea.

Locating Calea. Finding Calea during the festival was a bit fun. With crowds on Lacson street swelling by the minute, we had to ask around how to find the intersection of Lacson and 13th Street. Eventually we found it tucked away from the crowds. It was like treasure hunting!

Entering Calea. For food trippers, this is one of Bacolod’s must-try dessert destinations. The restaurant was crowded with people including foreigners who most likely read up on this place too. (read Byahilo’s experience)

On our little plates. Various cakes are available in whole or in slices. We ordered three slices of cake (costing only Php 65.00 to Php 80.00 a slice). Two kinds of chocolate cake and one cheesecake for Hanz and Bea.

The Imported Chocolate Cake (Php 65.00) was the bestseller according to a friendly and busy waitress. Neil described the taste as “sinful”. I couldn’t get over the chocolate icing! It was like indulging in your own birthday cake which was hidden in the ref during your birthday party.

In short, it was the best damn slice of chocolate cake I’ve ever tried. Beats all those in Manila! No wonder people want Calea for pasalubong!

You should also try the espresso and latte offerings. We had mocha and white chocolate latte while Bea tried an espresso shot. All three were delicious. This was amazing comfort food offered in a city already known for its smiles.