Eats Dinagyang 2009!
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But after the energetic performances in colorful costumes over the pulsating drumbeats have ended …… what now and where to? Don’t fret because Dinagyang is more than that …
And this is what it’s all about: A (rough) guide of where and what to eat during this merry making season. Click here for bigger version
For almost 20 years now, the Iloilo Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Association Food Festival along a portion of Delgado Street, has been the gastronomic event during Dinagyang. The foodfest has long established itself as an attraction wherein families, tourist and revelers gather together to enjoy and take pleasure in the culinary delights. The Foodfest promises an all night party with food and music.
With more than 30 members participating, it will be the one stop gastronomical “shop”. It showcases classic Ilonggo cuisine as well as well loved food items of famous restaurants in and around the city. From pork barbecue, lechon baboy and chicken inasal to grilled pantat, bangus and squid! And don’t forget lukon, kasag and of course talaba! Hotel member also bring their specialties to these event so you don’t have to travel far to these hotels and restaurants in the city as they come to you in this annual food fest. 
A stage with musical bands bring in entertainment to the area to set the street in an all day and night party mood. This will run from January 22 until the 25th and opens 2pm until midnight.
Thematic kiosks
More than 500 kiosks are scattered along the main streets of JM Basa, Iznart, Valeria and Ledesma. Most sell items on the go but this year themed kiosks will be introduced.
Food Festival of Folk Flavors
The Kinaiyang Kalan-on food fair along Yulo Street is a showcase of native foods and delicacies from all over Iloilo and Panay. From the famous Ilonggo dishes La Paz batchoy and pancit Molo to native pasalubong items like bandi and bingka plus Ilonggo faves like kadyos-baboy-langka, valenciana and fresh lumpia to native pasalubong items like pinasugbo and baye-baye, it will be one Ilonggo gastronomic pleasure area.
Famous soups named after two of the Iloilo City’s districts, pancit Molo (left) and La Paz batchoy.One Town One Product
Several towns also have their own kiosk as they sell their “OTOP” products to merry-makers. Each will highlight their respective OTOPs from non food items like accessories and furniture to native food items.
Well known through out Iloilo are San Joaquin’s bandi (left) and Balasan’s bingka.Old Downtown
As the center of the festivity, restaurants in the area will either make a killing-due to large volume of people or be bypassed-either they are closed or “upstaged” by kiosks offering faster gastronomic satisfaction. But do check them out since most of them are considered institutions.
SM City and Robinsons Place
These big malls with its number of restaurants, food outlets and food courts, are easy gastronomic destinations. But during Dinagyang they also have their own food festivals in and out their respective malls. SM City has a bonus attraction as it hosts the Dinagyang 2009 Pyrolympics dubbed as Luces in the Sky.
Gastronomy blockEven on ordinary days, the block bordered by Iznart, Delgado, Valeria and Solis streets is considered to be a one of the best eating areas in town. From fast food chains and restaurants of local flavour to dessert places and coffee shops, one can literally go food hopping. La Salette building boasts of restaurants serving mainly Ilonggo favorites so it’s always a preferred destination. 
Breakthrough restaurant also serves Ilonggo dishes and seafood at Dapli in La Salette building and in foodcourts throughout the city
General Luna
Being almost parallel to the Iloilo River, this street is home to many hotels and restaurants capitalizing on the location. A good number of native restaurants, restobars and cafes plus food outlets of hotels dot this tree lined street.Big or small, old or new, native or modern, eat or drink, you name it; you’ll (almost) find them all.
Nightlife Centrale along Diversion Road.
Contrary to “nightlife”, this area also abounds with native and modern restaurants open throughout the day but this area comes very much alive during nighttime and it will be overflowing this Dinagyang season.Old favorites, banking on their track record, battle it out with new hip and modern restaurants targeting the party people. Dine in style beside Iloilo River at the Boardwalk or party the night away in numerous clubs in the Smallville area. Whatever your mood or your taste prefer, there will be something for you and the thousands that will surely make their way here.
Villa Beach 
Tatoy’s best selling item still remains to be its native litsong manok.
It will be a seafood galore with lechon baboy and manok as this district boasts a good number of restaurants serving them. Leading the pack is the iconic Tatoy’s restaurant with its famous native litsong manok. Another well known food place is Breakthrough as it has been named best Restaurant in Western Visayas. Oysters, grilled scallops and fishes, sizzling crabmeat, kinilaw na isda and pasayan and other Ilonggo favorites like chicken binakol and valenciana would be good orders from these two restaurants. 
Grilled scallops in half shell are must orders in restaurants along Villa beach
La Paz
It’s a battle of batchoy as Deco’s and Ted’s original branches stay alive in the district that gave this famous dish its name. With Gaisano City having a good number of restaurants inside out, another battle also takes few blocks away as restaurants serving mainly chicken inasal or litson manok fight it out on top of fastfood chains also serving chicken.
Jaro
As this district prepares for its annual fiesta a week after Dinagyang, the fair in Jaro Plaza adds more food places to explore to its already vibrant dining scene. Kiosks selling bingka line up the plaza’s perimeter across the cathedral. Numerous restaurants also dot the vicinity of the plaza while some of them are hidden in the side streets.
Also a good number of restaurants abound the street connecting Jaro and La Paz. Most serving native food while a good number serves Korean cuisine.
Pasalubong
And lastly don’t forget to bring home Iloilo goodies for you to share and enjoy more. Jaro and Molo are home to famous bakeshops like Biscocho Haus and Panaderia de Molo but they have branches all over the city and products are found in most malls. Deco’s Pasalubong Shop in La Salette building is a one stop pasalubong shop selling around 10 famous Ilonggo brands.
Butterscotch is now considered to be “it” pasalubong item from Iloilo. But don’t forget the usual items like piaya, barquillos and biscocho. Bon voyage and bon apetit!
Enjoy Dinagyang …..
See the colorful costumes and performances
Hear the beat of the drums
Feel the warmth of the people
and don’t forget …
Taste and indulge in Ilonggo gastronomic delights!
Hala Bira-bira!