Food Review: "Samsaram Cafe's Poque-poque Pizza" (2008)

Samsaram Cafe's delicious Puki puki pizza
(No pun intended)

by Rob San Miguel

This article was first posted in "Sardonique" [2008]

A food connoisseur should not only be bold, but he should also have a sense of humor. Food is as varied as the people so you must be prepared for the unexpected. Some dishes will make your stomach turn while other will tickle your curiosity. When you encounter something amusing, be a man. Take it and enjoy it. After all, part of enjoying food is having a good laugh about it. As they say, food becomes more pleasurable if you share it with your loved ones. This expression has become a cliché but it is the truth. You giggle, tease each other, make jokes or just generally have a fun time with people close to you.

Last March, I went to Laoag City for a solo vacation.  I was supposed to meet some of my co-workers in Pagudpud but our schedules did not match. Anyway, that is another story. One evening, I had dinner in Saramsam Café near Texicano Hotel in Laoag. I ordered “Puki Puki” Pizza. Puki Puki (sometimes spelled “poki poki” or “poque poque”) is an Ilocano dish that consists of eggs, tomatoes, onions and eggplants. In this restaurant, they turned this dish into a pizza.  Well, it tasted great. It was scrumptious. It had the right amount of spiciness that I like. The crust was thin and had the right crispiness that would make anyone bite for more. 

The staff members were also very friendly and helpful. Saramsam Café served other fabulous dishes but puki puki pizza was the one that captured my fancy. It called out to me like an enchantress from the mountains of the Sierra Madre.  It made me wonder, “Bakit masarap ang puki puki pizza ng Laoag?” 

Sunnset at Saramsam Cafe. Click Image to enlarge