Aling Lucing: This Legendary Food Spot in Angeles City (Pampanga) is the Origin of the Modern Sisig!

I’ve visited Aling Lucing several times but haven’t written a solo article about it. So this piece is about the Angeles City institution that gave birth to one of the most iconic Filipino dishes, the Sisig!

Sisig is traditionally a dish made of chopped pig ears/cheeks and chicken liver, mixed with onions and seasoned with calamansi and sili (chili). It came to existence when the locals purchased unwanted pig parts from the commissaries in Clark Air Base (this was during the time when the U.S. Air Force was still stationed there). Then the locals would boil the pig parts and seasoned it. It would turn out to be the precursor to the modern sisig.

The sisig we now know today will find its roots to Aling Lucing. The founder, the late Lucia Cunanan a.k.a. “Sisig Queen”, brought the dish to another level by grilling the boiled pig ears and cheeks, adding pig brains and chicken livers, and serving it in sizzling plates. Fortunately, the restaurant is still open, serving the iconic dish.

Aling Lucing ranked fourth in Top 50 World Street Food Masters of the World Street Food Congress. It is the highest out of five Filipino awardees.

Because of its success, Aling Lucing now has several

branches across the city. Recently, we visited its branch near the Clark Parade Grounds.

But just how good is their sisig? For one, Aling Lucing’s sisig received the praise of the late Anthony Bourdain during his visit to Pampanga.

Their Sizzling Sisig is fatty, smoky, and has a nice acidity from the calamansi. It also has a creaminess coming from chicken livers, and a nice play of textures with the gelatinous pig parts and crisp onions.

This is extra rice-worthy and perfect with beer! No wonder it got a good praise from Bourdain!

Aside from sisig, Aling Lucing has tasty grilled items on their menu. Among my favorites are the Chicken, Chicken Ass, and Tenga (pork ears). They serve it smothered with banana ketchup-based sauce (yes, we have ketchup made from bananas in the Philippines).

But don’t be deceived because this sauce, even though it looks simple and tastes like ketchup, brings the grilled items a higher notch! It gives a nice sweetness to the grilled items!

A new discovery in Aling Lucing is their Sizzling Pusit (squid). It’s tender, stuffed with vegetables that give different textures, and is cooked in…drumroll…butter/margarine!

From now, I would always order this amazing squid dish!

We also tried their Papaitan, an innards soup made bitter with bile. I like that it’s not as bitter as other versions I’ve had, and it tastes clean and has no gaminess at all!

Finally, to offset all the delicious “bad” stuff that we had (LOL), we ordered their Pako (Fern) Salad. It’s refreshing and has a nice acidity.

It also comes with salted egg, adding a creamy and salty factor to the salad.

Some would compare Aling Lucing’s sisig to that of Mila’s Tokwa’t Baboy’s crispy sisig, and choose the latter. I respect their choice. But they’re both great so let’s not compare and choose, okay? LOL.

Anyway, if you want to taste the original (modern) sisig, then start with Aling Lucing. And while you’re there, maximize your visit by ordering other dishes. I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed. Needless to say, I highly recommend Aling Lucing to you!

For branches and operating hours, kindly visit Aling Lucing’s Facebook page here.