Jun Jun’s Restaurant: This San Fernando (Pampanga) Legend Serves Amazing Barbecue and Bibingka!
When I’m in Angeles City (Pampanga) and craving for Filipino barbecue, my go-to spot is Jun Jun’s Restaurant. But this food spot didn’t originate there but in the neighboring San Fernando City, the capital of the province.
Jun Jun’s Restaurant Kalayaan Branch
Jun Jun’s started as a food stand in 1968, selling Filipino barbecue and bibingka (rice cake). Today, it’s an institution with several branches across the province.
Inside Jun Jun’s Restaurant Kalayaan Branch
The restaurant is famous for its barbecue, especially chicken and pork. It’s smoky and rightly sweet, unlike others that are overly sweet.
Chicken BBQ (PHP100)
Their Pork BBQ is humongous!
Pork BBQ (PHP100/stick)
Like any Kapampangan restaurant, Jun Jun’s also offers Sisig, the iconic Filipino dish made with chopped pig parts and seasoned with calamansi and other ingredients.
Sizzling Pork Sisig (PHP280)
Their version has a smokiness that hits at first bite. It’s also fatty and has a nice acidity that cuts through its richness. I also love the textures—soft, cartilage-y, and has a crunch from the red onions. It’s easily among the best sisigs I’ve tried in Pampanga, competing with Aling Lucing Sisig (see my review here) and Mila’s Tokwa’t Baboy (review coming soon) of Angeles City.
To offset all the deadliness (LOL), order their Chopsuey (stir-fried vegetables). It has crisp veggies!
Chopsuey (PHP210)
And don’t forget to end your meal with their classic Bibingka. This rice cake is made with galapong (glutinous rice flour), which is turned into a batter along with other ingredients. Then it’s baked with charcoal below and above, and topped with sliced salted egg, niyog (desiccated coconut), and sometimes cheese. While this is traditionally sold during the Christmas season, it’s available all year long at Jun Jun’s.
Jun Jun’s version of bibingka is caramel in color, contrary to the usual yellow. It’s fluffy and rightly sweet. I maybe wrong but I think the salted egg is mixed inside instead of being topped outside.