The Usual, Please: Kookie’s LU Rituals
Kookie’s guide to her favorite eats, familiar spots, and simple pleasures of San Juan, La Union.
From go-to coffee orders and longtime comfort food favorites to slow days by the sea and sunsets that never get old, we explore the little rituals that keep bringing her back.
Walk us through your ideal, unplanned day in San Juan. Where does the day take you?
I’m a creature of habit, and I have a simple (and boring) routine whenever I’m in LU: get breakfast at Seabuds La Union, go for a walk along the beach (to get my steps in), and then afterwards, alternate between swimming and sunbathing. After lunch, I go back to the beach to swim and sunbathe some more. I then either walk a bit or head back to my accommodation to watch the sunset. On some days, I might venture to Ili Norte for coffee or a good poke bowl.
Where’s the first place you eat when you arrive?
Since I always arrive in LU in the early morning, I would always get a smoothie bowl & iced Americano at Seabuds La Union.
What’s your go-to coffee stop in San Juan, and what do you always order?
My fave café is Irugi for their coffee-forward specialty coffee drinks. I always get their coco jam latte. The jam & desiccated coconut rim makes it fun to drink.
Where do you go when you want something comforting, not trendy?
Definitely Clean Beach. I need to have my spamsilog and iced tea fix.
Where do you end up eating when it’s late, you’re tired, and you don’t want to think too hard?
I go to Coast Call because it’s just a few steps from my accommodation. I always order inihaw na liempo and talong ensalada (I’ve been ordering this for more than 15 years already!)
What’s a small habit you only have when you’re here?
I won’t say that it’s an LU-specific quirk, but whenever I’m at the beach, I tend to wake up and sleep early (I’m quite the insomniac when I’m in the city). I think the calming vibrations of the sea do that to you.
What does San Juan give you that you don’t get back home?
I can decompress and move at an unhurried pace whenever I’m by the sea. Also, during surf season, I get to watch surfers against a beautiful sunset backdrop. I’ve witnessed the most beautiful sunsets in LU.