TARLAC CITY, PHILIPPINES – Picking a place on where to eat is hard when we have different preferences!
Some people love unli samgyupsal, some people like unli wings, then some people like simple cultural Filipino dishes or Lutong Bahay. Picking the atmosphere is a big factor on choosing where to eat too!
What if there’s a place where families and every member of it will totally agree to dine in together? This paradise and restobar serves all your favorites with the best scenery.
The Place
The best time to visit Iba ng Apu is definitely night, where you get to feel the cool breeze and the acoustic band that plays every day!
The scenery here is exceptional, you can choose whether you’d like to dine in the al fresco, the cafe, or you can choose to sit on the floor, Japanese style!
There’s even a small pool and a playground for little kids, an airconditioned room for customers who spent a minimum of 3,000 pesos, and a huge space for parking!
Whichever you choose, you would feel the coziness of the warm hug of Tarlac City.
During the pandemic, wherein it was limited to travel to places, people were wanting to find the sweet sceneries of the outside – of pasyal. And that is what Iba ng Apu wanted to do.
This scenery is heavily inspired by the Tarlac province Iba, San Jose, Tarlac City. The owners were inspired to bring what’s too-far-to-travel-for to a place near you!
Founded by Mrs. Pamela Rose Lim and relatives, the restaurant got it’s name: “Iba ng Apu” from the Tarlac Province, Iba and for its owner being a devotee of Apung Mamacalulu.
“Place ni Apu” parang sa Kapampangan, “Iba ng apu” pero sa Tagalog “Place [Lugar] ni Apu”
Pamela Rose Lim, Owner
Iba ng Apu also has a chapel where it’s open to everyone, especially Catholic devotees and they also provide pabasa masses during Holy week!
The Extra Offers
Remember the times after church where everyone in the family doesn’t know where to eat because of the difference of preferences of every member? While this restaurant can turn into a bar, a cafe, a Filipino cuisine type of restaurant, this is truly a one-stop place where everyone can have all their favorites!
We weren’t kidding when we said there was an unli-samgyupsal, unli-chicken wings, and tasty, refreshing drinks in the cafe all here for you! And if you feel like drinking, they also serve different kinds of alcoholic drinks!
The Filipino Dishes
However, it all started in their Filipino dishes, which are the best and what we recommend the most!
Started from scratch, every dish is done with pure Kapampangan’s kiss which in every bite and spoonful, your taste buds will be wanting for more!
Starting with the bagis. This is ground meat cooked with spices, calamansi, peppers and onions where it gives off such a sour and malinamnam taste! It’s something you haven’t tasted before especially if you’re from the Metro!
Next is their sinigang. I and our videographer loves sinigang and this sinigang tasted pretty tasty as you can taste every Kapampangan touch on it – cooked with sitaw and kangkong and pork meat as the base meat, it definitely is something worth trying.
Their kare-kare or what we know as the peanut stew of the Philippines is one of a kind too! Packed with tons of vegetables and right amount of that peanut sauce and soft meat, accompanied with shrimp paste or what we know as bagoong, everything tastes great together!
Next is their seafood bilao. This bilao is filled with different kinds of fish you can name, such as fried tilapia, bangus, hito, squid and shrimp! And of course, it’s prepared by the Kapampangans, it’s accompanied with fresh vegetables such as talong, ampalaya, and okra. This can’t be eaten without the famous buro (fermented rice) and ensalada! The samgyupsal of the Kapampangans!
What stood out the most for me is their caldereta – my personal favorite. I’m not a huge fan of tomato-based viands such as menudo, afritada, pochero, and the like. I feel that they all taste the same. However, when I tried their caldereta, it immediately made me rethink my opinions!
The tastiness of the sauce and the softness of the meat accompanied with the huge potato balls and shredded cheese on top just bursting in my mouth makes their caldereta something truly different among any Filipino cuisine!
Where can we find it?
Though this place maybe a little hard to reach and a little hidden as it’s in the deeper centers of Tarlac City, Barangay Matatalaib, your visit will be more than worth it even you came from the North or the Metro!
This is truly a place where everyone in the family is going to enjoy. You no longer have to worry about your kids while you’re enjoying the food – because for sure, they will be enjoying every food and playground and the small pool!
“[This is] for all ages.” Parang ganun, kahit [mapa]matanda, bata, family, magkakatrabaho: lahat p’wede siya [sila pumunta].
Pamela Rose Lim, Owner on the question, “What is one word to describe IBA NG APU?”
As a fellow Kapampangan, I believe this is the place I should bring my Manileño friends (such as our videographer and photographer!) to when I want to introduce my hometown to them.
Visit Iba ng Apu at Centro Matatalaib, Tarlac City where you will find signages and flags that indicate their location when you’re almost there! And for car and/or motorcycle owners, parking is never a problem, because there’s plenty of space no matter what day it is!
IBA NG APU opens daily from 10AM-11PM.
Visit their Facebook page here for inquiries and/or more details: https://www.facebook.com/pamrestobar
