One of the Best of LB Nights: IC's Hot Tokwa

As freshmen, we enter the university, just like the "Naked Man" that stands bold (pun intended) in front of the humanities building, selfishly or selflessly offering ourselves to learning and at the same time, well, having as meager knowledge as the "Naked Man" signifies.

But I guess there's one thing that everyone leaving the LB campus, whether as successful graduates or not, knows very well: there are no other nights like LB nights. And there's no other nocturnal nook that embodies the LB culture as IC's Bar and Cafe so it's no surprise that the first food to ever be posted on this blog is one of this bar and cafe's signature dishes: IC's Hot Tokwa. The dish is basically deep-fried breaded tofu served with a special thick sauce and garnished with tomatoes, onions, and green chili pepper.

Personally, I'd say this has got to be one of the first dishes, or pulutan if you wish to put it that way, that you must order when visiting this place for the first time.

Here are 5 reasons why:

1. It's pretty cheap (P69 as of March 2011), making it good for any day of the week and not just Mondays when we still have most of our allowances.

2. It serves 2-4 people. Or even 6 depending on how you see it. On a second thought, this adds to it's cheapness.

3. It's served on a sizzling plate. And whatever is served on that plate not only looks but also sounds yummy.

4. It really is YUMMY. Adding soy sauce and IC's hot sauce makes it extra yummy. Ordering extra onions for P15 closes the deal for me.

5. It's supposed to be healthy. And is good for everyone, even our vegetarian brothers and sisters.

There are more dishes from IC's bar and cafe to choose from but here are the ones that I highly recommend:

IC's Quarter Pounder (I'd definitely write about this one soon.)

Sizzling Bulalo (and this one, too!)

Squiddybab or Squid Kebab (You can order it on a sizzling plate or as a rice topping)

Lumpiang Shanghai rice meal

Garlic Porkchop rice meal

Drinks:

Iced Tea (Yep, you read that right. Their iced tea here is one of my faves.)

Mocha Cremachino (Always worth the money)

Margarita (Alcoholic of course)

Weng-weng (Also alcoholic)

IC's bar and cafe is located on the second floor of the building beside Mer Nel's bakeshop. It opens at 6pm daily and closes at around 12 midnight on lazy days and 3-4am on party nights. Sometimes, they even close at 7am! They also have a branch at the LB Square (Iziz Tea Bar) but it closes earlier than the bar and cafe.

So if you're a freshie looking for a place to have good food at a student budget, don't be fooled into thinking IC's is just for grownup drinking because they sure do serve great food at student prices!