Being a TV-soaked kid in the 80’s, the first thing that came to mind when I heard that the Lakbay Norte gang’s gonna have lunch at Matutina’s Seafood Restaurant was of us eating at a long table filled with all sorts of sumptuous seafood dishes with Matutina of the John & Marsha TV show character doing the serving.

But when in you’re in Pangasinan, ask any of the locals and the same imagery would probably be conjured, sans the squeaky-voiced Matutina character in the background, of course. Matutina’s Seafood Restaurant is a household name in the said province; it equates to good dishes from the sea much like Dampa is for the Manileños.

An hour has not passed since I devoured a whole arm-length grilled bangus  (milk fish) after the Dagupan River Cruise and here we were again, noisily piling in at the Matutina’s Seafood Restaurant branch in Urdaneta City for another round of foodfest.

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.