When in Bacolod: Bilbao Cansi House

Bacolod is one of my favorite provinces in the Philippines. The City of Smiles is not just known for its hospitality or the anticipated Masskara Festival. It is also a popular destination for foodies. With every corner offering scrumptious and bang for the buck dishes, Bacolod is a haven for anyone who enjoys good food. And I always take note of the locals' recommendations. One of which is Bilbao's, a strong competitor of the famous Sharyn's Cansi House. Or so what our acquaintance told us. 

Hello, Bilbao's Cansi House. 

This cansi joint is located along the bustling Lacson street. With it being just a couple of blocks away from Robinsons Bacolod, I'd say that it has a better location than Sharyn's. 

Bilbao's also offers an air-conditioned dining area as well as an al fresco one. However, the small air-conditioned dining room was packed when we arrived. We were actually lucky to even score the last table at the al fresco. 

We went with Cansi (PHP180), Soup #5 (PHP80), Linaga (PHP70), Spare Ribs with Rice (PHP105), Bilbao Chorizo Meal with Rice and Egg (PHP120) and Daing na Bangus with Rice (PHP90). 

Service was fast despite being full house during lunch. We got our food within 10 to 15 minutes. 

I was excited to try Bilbao's cansi to know if it is indeed an alternative to Sharyn's cansi. Unfortunately, it didn't meet my expectations. It was a bit watered down and lacked the delectable sour batwan flavor Sharyn's was able to perfect. 

The meat chunks were tender though and I went to bone marrow heaven with the gigantic piece our bowl had.

I wasn't too crazy with Soup #5 and Linaga. Linaga also had this spicy taste that I didn't enjoy. I guess I was just in the mood for cansi that day. 

R enjoyed his plate of chorizo but was a bit disappointed with its small serving size. 

Spare Ribs would have been more bang for the buck and J enjoyed his meal. 

My Daing na Bangus was pretty straightforward. It was beautifully seasoned that it had this salty and tangy taste even without any condiments. 

Though Bilbao's offers more affordable dishes and variety, I think I'll stick with Sharyn's for its to die for cansi. And for some reason, I felt that Sharyn's also has cleaner dining area. Despite it being an open restaurant, we didn't have any problems with flies unlike at Bilbao's.

Bilbao's Cansi House is located at Lacson St, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.