A little bit of a tourist trap, but part of traveling is savoring local dishes that has tagged to a particular destination. You have heard it all “
You have never been in _____ if you haven’t tasted _____“.
In Iloilo of course, it’s batchoy.
Hmmm..comfort food especially this rainy season. Ilonggos eat batchoy as a snack. Yup, snacks is a heavy meal here. haha. Batchoy may sound Chinese plus the miki noodle ( some stores let you choose the noodle like misua) but it is 100% Ilonggo. Batchoy, a local dish of noodles, pork and internal organs like liver and intestines swimming in broth topped with chicharon, scallions and garlic.
It was “invented” by a butcher named Federico in La Paz Market and as a resourceful person like any Filipino ( should I say, madiskarte?) he made a dish that will serve pig’s internal organs which are not really cooked or eaten. And why miki? His targeted market were Chinese living in Iloilo. And the rest is not just history but heritage.
Batchoy satisfied generations of diners…
A bowl of Batchoy costs at least 59PHP, more if you go a bigger serving. I recommend you drink it with soda and manapla puto ( a local rice cake). For non-Ilonggos, just have it as your lunch. It is really heavy. Haha.
Where is the best place to eat batchoy? I personally recommend where it all started, in La Paz Market. Dine at Deco’s ( a popular chain now partially franchised my Mang Inasal) fronting Grand Dame Hotel. If you want convenience go to local malls and you can find Ted’s and Deco’s.
When you tasted batchoy, please come back and tell me how it was. Happy eating!
10 Comments
weee!!!!! thanks my mogi boy! haha.
Have you tried batchoy? Thank you for your comment, I appreciate it.
I have never tried eating Batchoy before. I used to call it Mami with PORKY PIGGY SPARE PARTS! Last May, since it was my first time in Iloilo City, i decided to give it a try. So, I tried Ted’s first, and Decos the next morning. Unfortunately i was not able to try the one in La Paz, but that’s ok I will try it when i get back. Now, i regret not having tried it before! It was really good. When i was in Tibiao, there was a mini canteen owned by Shiela, the caretaker of Kayak Inn. A cheaper version, but another traveller and me agreed that it was good!
I just fell in love with batchoy lately after almost 15 years here in Iloilo. I love their lomi more. When you get a chance to visit Iloilo, go INSIDE the market. They have another batchoy place, air-conditioned. 🙂
Maybe their Lomi is good that’s why you prefer it. Here in Manila, I’m a big LOMI fan, but after trying Batchoy, I prefer the latter. By the way, Thanks for the tip, when i get back, I’ll try that one inside the Market.