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Buto't Balat Restaurant near Jaro Plaza

I have always loved the al fresco ambiance of Buto't Balat Restaurant and no matter which branch, it still has the signature "oasis" in the city feel.

But if there's something more I love about this restaurant, it it their Sizzling Pork Sisig. 
This particular one, from the branch near Jaro Plaza, reminds of the original sisig concocted by Aling Lucing's in Angeles, Pampanga

With almost finely chopped maskara (pig's face) and ears mixed with other meats plus onions, chili and spices, it's one sizzling plate of cholesterol-laden delicious treat.It's my choice for the best pork sisig in town!
Buto't Balat near Jaro Plaza is the newest branch among the three existing restaurants (one is located beside Plazuela de Iloilo and another at the Amigo Plaza Hotel carpark), but it's actually the original branch that was just transferred a few months ago.

It exudes a leisure gastronomic experience perfect anytime of the day, any occasion it may be or even without any occasion!
And that's how I discovered something and another would be staple in my Buto't Balat orders to come - Halang-halang. That's the Bisaya for "spicy"

It's actually just chicken meat simmered in coconut and spices but serving it on top of freshly made potato chips was just heavenly - imagine the texture and flavours mixing in just one bite! A perfect appetizer to shet up one's appetite.
They also have Sinuglaw - a mix of sinugba nga baboy (grilled pork) and kinilaw nga isda (fish ceviche).


The spiced vinegar plus the vegetables complement the grilled flavour and aroma of the pork and the tenderness of the raw fish "cooked" in "liquid fire".
Moving to the side dishes, I love their Apan-apan. It's just adobong kangkong but with lots of guinamos (the Ilonggo bago-ong).

Almost the same is their version of Pinakbet which also utlizes guinamos. This mix of ampalaya, sitaw, talong and squash, among others, may be of Ilocano origin but the guinamos makes it somewhat Ilonggo.
To the main dish galore we go and I almost didn't recognize their Crispy Pata for it was topped fried eggplant that I thought they gave us a wrong order.

But underneath were the usual slices of deep fried cholesterol-laden goodness of the crispy pata we all love.
The Grilled chicken liver is also one of my favorites though the last one was maybe undercooked in the inside but still tasted good. I'll just request for it to be grilled longer next time.
Their Pork Adobo looks and tastes really delicious. If you prefer a flavourful adobo with a crunch - this is your best bet.
Their Grilled Managat, served whole, also tasted good with the essence of the calamansi powering the flavourof the grilled fish. It was once considered as pest for these fishes ate the bangus fingerlings in some punongans (fish pens).

But then after some experiments in the kitchen, it was later found out that it tasted better than bangus. Managat is among the signature fish of the Ilonggos together with bilong-bilong.
And my favorite drink whenever I'm at Buto't Balat isthe Lychee shake. Just some lychees (I assume those in cans) blended with ice and little sugar. Maybe next time, I'll request for no sugar at all.
At night Buto't Balat exhibits a different kind of music as nature plays an orchestra of music and sounds for the diners. Frogs in the pond, crickets on the trees and maybe some tuko, tucked somewhere.
 Buto't Balat has defined leisurely eating to a tee - with good food and nice ambiance. Though I hear feedbacks about how long the wait for the food to be served, I haven't experienced that kind especially in their Jaro branch.

Maybe I am just patient most of the time or maybe just distracted by the fact that I'm inside an oasis, in the middle of city!
Buto't Balat's iconic logo


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