If you're a foodie, then you certainly have come across Bale Datung by Chef Claude Tayag.  Many have traveled all the way to the outskirts of Angeles Pampanga just to try the Filipino culinary ingenuity it offers.  Dining here is strictly by reservation for lunch time except perhaps if you're Anthony Bourdain. 



Bale Datung means House of Wood. And, that is what you'll expect when you walk-in.




 
Wooden totems, artifacts, furnitures and fixtures add an ethnic vibe to the wooden house itself.


There's a wooden staircase that leads to the second floor.


There's a simply veranda overseeing the garden-front.

Food



We tried the Lechon Menu (1,800 php/head) which represents lechon eaten in 5 ways.
 

♥ Ensaladang Pako

We start with the Ensaladang Pako which is a fiddlehead fern salad.  This is a refreshing starter that's perfect for awakening the taste buds.

Balat ng Lechon at Liver Sauce

The Balat ng Lechon at Liver Sauce is simply sinfully good!  This is the starting point of our savory endeavor.


Lechon Tortilla

Crispy Roast Pork Flakes

The ingredients were served before us.  Chef Claude Tayag's wife Mary Ann taught us how to make the Lechon Tortilla.

♥ Lechon Tortilla

So here's mine...

♥ Lechon Tortilla

Deliciously savory and crunchy!

Sinigang na Lechon
You can add as much vegetables as you want.

♥ Sinigang na Lechon

I've tried Sinigang na Corned Beef before.  This Sinigang na Lechon is an equal rival to that.  One slurp and you'll feel the rich savory wonders of the lechon!

Lechon Sisig

Pig's Brain (Optional)

♥ Lechon Sisig

Freshly cooked Lechon Sisig with pig liver and liver sauce.  Winner!

 

♥ Kare-Kareng Dagat

Hands down the Kare-Kareng Dagat is one of the best kare-kare I've encountered in this lifetime.  The key is the freshness and quality of the seafood ingredients!

♥ Paradiso

The Paradiso is like a local version of creme brulee.  It is a egg yolk in water buffalo/carabao milk topped with balls of yellow and purple yam and coconut (macapuno).

♥ Kapeng Sinaunang Panahon

I love the presentation as well as the flavors of the Kapeng Sinaunang Panahon.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Dining at Bale Datung is definitely a luxurious and a long one (around 3 hours).  Pampanga is one of my favorite food destinations.  I've tried a lot in the area but none of them offers a similar experience to this.  I loved everything that we was served and I really enjoyed this dining experience.  You can bring some wine since they don't charge any corkage for that.