Comments on: Riding on the Bicol Express

By: juan

juan — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:11:47 +0000

it makes me smile whenever i see blogs written about bicol express… i just hope somebody would make it more available in the supermarkets where one’s craving for it can be met.
i read that somebody from Zamboanga (Atchin’s) is already marketing it but I haven’t tasted it yet… hope it would be available here in Mnla.

i can cook bicol express and those who had tasted it claim that it’s one of the best that they’ve tried… well, let’s see if it has a market or following in Manila… what do u think?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 13:32:00 +0000

is it possible that train commuters or bicolanos were looking for a bicol fiery dish as they dine on that restaurant?
is it possible that they call it bicol express because they dont know its real name as a viand from bicol?
well, what i meant is nobody could attest to its historical origin. so why all the claims?
but there is one thing i am sure about. its not from america or japan. it is from BICOL, hence the name Bicol Express…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:00:00 +0000

My reliable source, a bicolana & her forebears can really never tell if bicol express originated in Bicol. At least you qualified â€œthe STORY is that Tita Cely and her brother Demitrio (Kuya Itring) invented Bicol Expressâ€¦â€ In the same manner that we Filipinos claim that the fluorescent was invented by Agapito Flores. If it makes tita Cely & some Filipinos happy, so be it. Letâ€™s tone it down tho.

Here in Cebu, tiyo Ben cooks the best (for me) bulalo, lechon kawali and bicol express BUT we hardly attribute that he invented/coined those dishes.

Bicol region though have great tasting food especially those cooked with gata, e.g., gulay na langka, calabasa, gabi/natong/lada, pinangat, pusit, alimango, pating, dinuguan, and even guava cooked w/ gata â€“ to name a few.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 05:36:00 +0000

Bicol Express is a dish all Bicolanos are proud of, and to say that it came from Laguna is deemed as a total disregard for the region’s flair for amazing dishes.My dad is a Bicolano, and ever since we were kids, we eat spicy foods without batting an eyelash. Bicol Express recipe is a family legacy. So please understand if we react rather strongly to this post. To recognise someone for being a great cook is commendable, food should be celebrated, more so the hands that made them. But it is a different thing to say that Tita Cely is a great Bicol Express cook, and to credit the history of the dish to her. I can never tell you how the dish started, but I can assure you it’s an authentic Bicol dish. Let’s get our facts straight, especially since it seems alot of people take your opinion about food very highly. This is the first time I read your blogs, and by the way, kudos to you for promoting and featuring local stores/people who concoct great food.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 07:12:00 +0000

surely the name “bicol express” is coined or invented by aling lucy. her version of the dish she called “bicol express” is her version though may not be the original one.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 07 May 2006 08:37:00 +0000

the name may have been invented in laguna but the dish itself has long been concocted for centuries in albay, especially in the first district where scalding-hot peppers make up the main ingredient of every vegetable dish.

for those who post comments, please make sure that you check your facts well before engaging in a myth-spreading scheme.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 20:11:00 +0000

I am not really convinced that bicol express came from from laguna, and was invented in the 1960′s. I am a bicolano, now residing in toronto. The way I know it, bicol express really came from bicol even since 1960′s. My father was born in 1930 and bicol was alraedy there. And this dish takes a long time to stale since it had the oily syrup from the coconut. Besides bicol, albay more in particular has the finest laing in the world. Just say “Laing Budiao” albayanos know what you mean. This is grown within the running water coming from the fresh upstream spring water. Even here in Toronto they have good quality of laing from Trinidad but they are nothing comparable to albays laing. For your info please

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 06:49:00 +0000

bicol is not a province. it is a region composed of six provinces. however, its a nice blog about the bicol express.

By: Midge

Midge — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 03:29:00 +0000

Holy pamintang durog, Lori! Bicol Express is one of my absolute faves. Suddenly, I want a huge helping of it along with an equally huge bowl of rice.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 22:48:00 +0000

When the UP Judo Club had a delegation of Japanese black belts visiting, we took them to Bakahan at Manukan, and our coach ordered Bicol Express.

When it arrived, one of the players asked, "Excuse, please. What this?"

One of my teammates answered, "Sensei, it's like your wasabi," which Ikeshima-san vigorously denied. So he took a big heaping spoonful.

And promptly grabbed his glass and drank it down.

In a more muted voice, Ikeshima muttered, "It like wasabi."