Can you imagine quality restaurant cuisine being served at a fraction of its usual price? This restaurant, located at Barangay San Vicente in Tarlac City, does so. No, they’re not on sale, nor are they closing up, that’s just how they price their servings. And they do it every single day of the week. Welcome to Primadeli Ristorante, one of Tarlac City’s best kept gastronomic secret.

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CHEF JAMES OF PRIMADELI RISTORANTE TARLAC

This open-aired fine-dining restaurant started serving Tarlaqueños with their Sicilian-inspired cuisine two years ago. The kitchen crew is orchestrated by Chef James, the very hands-on restaurant owner, who whips a fusion of Italian dishes mixed with Western and Asian flavors.

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In Manila, the word dampa is synonymous to a single thing, seafood. I didn’t know that the same is true when I headed north to the province of Tarlac. Located on one of the main thoroughfares of the city is a seafood restaurant with the word dampa linked to its name.

DAMPA SA TARLAC SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

The Dampa MOA and its neighboring Dampa Macapagal have always been my favorites when it comes to pigging out on seafood dishes. The prices are relatively cheaper compared to restaurants, so I can eat as much shrimps, squids, and all things that swim under the sea as much as my belly can hold.

Literally just a few hop away from Microtel Luisita, our home for two nights in Tarlac, is the first destination for the Tara Quin Tarlac tour, the Aquino Center and Museum. I had no idea there’s a museum dedicated to the Aquino’s, one of the most prominent and loved—or hated, depending on where you stand—political names in the Philippines.

THE AQUINO MUSUEM AT TARLAC’S HACIENDA LUISITA COMPLEX

The Aquino Museum is housed in a spartan modern structure inside the Hacienda Luisita Complex. The center is not government owned nor government run, as was made clear to us before the tour started. Funding from it comes from the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation.

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The familiar red and cream façade of Microtel Inn emblazoned itself against the bright blue Tarlac morning. We hauled ass from Manila and arrived at Tarlac City after two hours of straight driving through the highways of North Luzon. The local government of Tarlac, together with Microtel Luisita, has invited us for Tara Quin Tarlac (Tara na sa Tarlac), the first ever media tour of what this familiar but not-so-explored province in Central Luzon has to offer in terms of tourism.

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TYPICAL BREAKFAST ON ANY MICROTEL HOTELS

Before anything else, the first order of the day was breakfast.

After dropping our bags at our assigned rooms, everyone trooped back to Microtel’s lobby for the buffet. The staple corned beef, sausage, egg, and crispy danggit filled our plates; it was gonna be a full day of going around Tarlac and we’re packing in as much as we can for the day.

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It was the sixth night of Lakbay Norte and everyone was already feeling the effect of non-stop traveling through the roads of north Luzon. After a full day of cruising through the Dawell River in Dagupan and speeding through the race tracks of Kart City Tarlac, the group called it a day and retired to the La Maja Rica Hotel.

This 40-room boutique hotel at the heart of Tarlac City was once a junkyard of sorts. Before the hotel, a half-century old warehouse once stood on its ground. The Pascual Family took notice of this and decided to transform the eyesore into something beautiful; the La Maja Rica Hotel.

The flag was waved and I pushed the gas of my go kart as hard as I can. Hard right, full throttle forward, an s-curve, hard left and a looping right curve; the wind was whipping hard through the open kart, everything’s a blur and my adrenaline was pumping high. Welcome to Kart City Tarlac!
The Lakbay Norte crew was welcomed by Mr. Pio Arugay, one of KCT’s brainchild and he immediately led us to their videoke room.

Kart City’s fame is not limited to high-speed chases; they also serve a mean panizza. It’s basically a thin crust pizza sliced into strips that you then roll into bite-sized balls. We never minded that we’re still full from our lunch at Matutina’s Seafood, KCT panizzas (and regular pizzas as well) are simply superb.

It was hard to leave the comfort of Baguio’s The Manor, but we had to go. However, we of course wouldn’t leave without eating platefuls of their breakfast servings first. This must be the best breakfast buffet I have ever digged into.

Our Lakbay Norte coach was waiting for our heavier selves as the sun starts to top the pines of Baguio. We’re off for a three-hour ride to Pangasinan!
We alighted at Dagupan to try out their newest attraction, a river tour not unlike that of Bohol’s river cruise. The difference here is that there’s no buffet included on the raft but the tour is free (you’ll just have to arrange it with the local tourism department).

Lakbay Norte wouldn’t be Lakbay Norte though without food, so instead of the usual buffet, we got some local treats in the form of various kakanins.

We plied the greenish water of Dawell River then transferred to a smaller boat to visit a bangus farm. I’m really not into boat transfers since I find it to be quite a chore with my bulges and all, but this one proved to be easy.