The Great Northwest Food Park in San Juan, La Union

The Great Northwest stands to be La Union’s trendiest food hub. It’s where you’ll find those food and drinks your friends post about whenever they visit the province. While the term may be overused (and often times annoying), instagrammable is still the most appropriate word to describe it. Hence, if you want to grace your IG feed with a fresh combination of drool-worthy pics, then The Great Northwest is a good place for you to wander off to.

The Great Northwest is found at the heart of San Juan, Urbitztondo, La Union (see travel guide here). It’s also close to another prime hot spot in the area such which is Flotsam & Jetsam (read more). Given such proximity, you can basically just spend your day within the vicinity, and still have lots of activities to do.

...radiates an authentic beach vibe that makes you want to chill and just let the day run slowly

The Great Northwest is easy to spot. It’s a two-story establishment characterized by this modernized nipa look. With this simplistic design, it radiates an authentic beach vibe that makes you want to chill and just let the day run slowly.

The nipa elements also transform the whole place into a huge backdrop. However, the upper level is the one getting more attention. All thanks to the rainbow stripes that embellish the wooden floor. You’ll be coming across a lot of gals and guys taking their selfies along this hallway.

There’s also a viewing deck here in The Great Northwest giving you a good view of San Juan beach. Similarly, this deck is the spot I highly recommend if ever you’ll be chilling around. It was too bad that it was raining when we visited. Otherwise, we would have been enjoying a couple of drinks there as we just sit back and unwind.

As for the food, I was able to personally try dining/chilling in 3 of the restaurants within.

Sabong Fried Chicken
What to order: fried chicken and chicken rice, budget P250+

The smell of fried chicken wafts around the area, and this definitely tantalizes. However, don’t get your hopes too high. It may really look so drool-worthy in photos, but it might just be your regular chicken. Still satisfactory, but when you get your hopes too high, you’ll end up disappointed like I did.

Makai Bowls
What to eat: Acai or Surfer's bowl, budget P250+

If you really want to bank on the beach-side experience, dining here in Makai Bowls for some refreshments will do the trick. Again, while it seems really photogenic, it lacks this wow factor, considering the price. Hence, just temper your expectation and you're good to go. For the taste, think of Jamba Juice, but make it a little more expensive.

El Union Coffee
What to order: basically any coffee drinks, budget P150+

While there are way better-tasting coffee around Urbiztondo, El Union seems to be the most popular one given its robust crowd. The baristas are all perky as well which give the place this "party" vibe. Hence, if you want that experience, make sure to drop by El Union. Just be prepared to queue up because you'll often come across a jam-packed cafe.

The Great Northwest Quick Guide

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Things to see/do: Surf/view the beach, explore various dishes, chill at night with your friends over drinks

Budget needed: Approximately P750 for a whole day stay covering breakfast, lunch, dinner and a few drinks

Is it wander-worthy? Yes. The food may not be a prominent spotlight, but the ambiance and the entire scenery is lovely and authentic

How to get there: Tricyles are pretty much available everywhere here in Urbiztondo, La Union. If you have plenty of energy, you can just walk as well. After all, the famous hostels and inns are just nearby