Guam: Hafa Adai! Dinner at the Chamorro Village Wednesday Night Market

Hafa Adai, Guam! I found myself on another trip to Guam, organized by the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) and Continental Airlines. The GVB gathered social media people from Asia and the U.S. to experience Guam's unique cuisine at the Maila Ta Fan Boka Festival. Together with Nina Fuentes of Just Wandering, JJ Yulo of Pinoy Eats World, and Angel Bayona of Travelife, we took the afternoon Continental Airlines flight to Guam.

We checked-in at Fiesta Resort Guam, which I would later find out is a Filipino-owned hotel chain. It was a room with a scenic view of Tumon Bay. I had an hour or two to relax and freshen up before our visit to the Chamorro Village Wednesday Night Market in Hagåtña for dinner.


Chamorro Village is a public market that showcases Guam's culture with handicrafts, souvenirs and local Chamoru cuisine available to visitors. Every Wednesday night, the I Sengsong Chamorro, as the market is know to the locals, comes alive with the Chamorro Village Wednesday Night Market.


While walking around, I got me to meet Guam's Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio and visiting U.S. Virgin Islands Governor John de Jongh.


I immediately noticed the many food stalls which served local food, specifically the grilled meats and kelaguen, which can be cooked chicken, raw shrimp, fish, or beef, or even spam, pickled in a marinade of lemon juice, fresh coconut, green onions, salt and hot red chilies, served with a flour or corn tortilla. The dish is closely related to kilawin of the Philippines or ceviche of Latin America.






We weren't able to sample the food from the market stalls though because a sumptuous Chamoru buffet spread for the participants. Aside from Kelaguen Mannok (Chicken Kelaguen) and Kelaguen Guihan (Fish Kelaguen), among the dishes served to us were Buñelos Uhang (Shrimp Patties) which was similar to Ukoy but less crunchier, Golai Hagon Suni (Spinach Leaves in Coconut Milk) which was their version of Laing, Lumpia (Fried Spring Rolls) and various barbecued and grilled meats which I noticed are a mainstay of any buffet spread in Guam.


During the night market, there are also Chamoru cultural performances to entertain visitors as you shop and dine. Indeed, a visit to the Chamorro Village Wednesday Night Market is a must if you happen to be in Guam on a Wednesday.

Note: This familiarization tour of Guam, USA was organized by the Guam Visitors Bureau in cooperation with Continental Airlines.