Where To Eat in Bicol: Sibid-Sibid Food Park

I mentioned from my previous post that we went to a restaurant in Bicol which serves really good laing. I was initially hesitant in making a post about it because all my photos were really bad. I was so exhausted because we traveled to Donsol (that on a separate post) and the restaurant has very dim lights making it impossible for me to take decent photos. Ang dami ko pang sinabi, bulok lang talaga ang camera ko! =)) Anyway, I decided to post this despite the crappy photos because I want travelers and foodies to get to know this awesome place!

We were supposed to go to a restaurant which was included in Jeff’s list. Jeff came up with this really cool and thesis-like travel plan which included our itineraries and restaurants to try. The said restaurant is just one tricycle ride from our hotel. But when we arrived, it was already closed! We were supposed to return to the hotel, but the tricycle driver suggested that we try Sibid-Sibid Food Park which is just across the street.


We initially thought that Sibid-Sibid was already closed because it was really quiet when we arrived. I even had to say, “Tao po! Bukas po ba kayo?!” HAHAHAHA!!! When we entered the place, we saw a big group of customers seated at the farthest end of the restaurant.

Sibid-Sibid is a quaint restaurant which reminds me of the usual setup in the province. I love the sturdy chairs and tables and those cute little boats on each table which serve as napkin and toothpick holders.

I went to Bicol to fulfill my lifelong dream, and that is to eat Bicol Express in Bicol. I am dead serious! Being a lover of spicy food and anything infused with coconut milk, Bicol Express is one of my favorite dishes. My mom does it so well so my expectations were really high.
Instead of having the usual Bicol Express with pork, we had their Sibid Express which has fish instead. It is a healthier alternative after all. I don’t really like eating fish, but this one is an exception. If you’re going to Sibid-Sibid, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the green chili is harmless. It’s not! But since I love spicy food, I didn’t mind at all.

We were disappointed when we could not find laing from their menu. But as we read each line, we noticed that Sibid-Sibid has a dish called pinangat. The description says it’s taro leaves with coconut milk. Close naman e! :p Wikipedia tells me that pinangat and laing are the same.


Anyway, this was also good. But the Pinangat and Sibid Express were both overshadowed by the biggest hit that night – the Tinutongan!

Tinutongan is native chicken in smoked coconut milk. Since Jeff and Joie were both curious as to how a native chicken tastes like, they asked if we could try it. I wanted to discourage them because I know that native chicken is usually chewy, but my curiosity was piqued as well because I wanted to know how Bicolanos do it. Napansin nyo bang puro gata ang kinain namin?! :p


It was the star of the night! The chicken isn’t rubbery although its texture is evidently different from the normal (basta ‘yung hindi native hehe) chicken that we usually have. The dish has a hint of sweetness, probably from the coconut milk. Everybody could not stop raving this dish. So if you have plans of going to Bicol anytime soon, don’t miss the chance to try Sibid-Sibid’s Tinutongan.


Sibid-Sibid Food Park 
328 Penaranda Extension,
Legaspi City, Albay