Netong's Original Special Lapaz Batchoy inside Tinda Lapaz

Right in the middle of Lapaz Market in Iloilo City stands among the more authentic batchoyans in town. There you'll find a busy eatery/batchoyan that proudly announces "The Pride of Iloilo". Welcome to Netong's Original Lapaz Batchoy, where batchoy is still what it was like more than 50 years ago, thus many claim it to be one of the most authentic Lapaz Batchoy.

When I dine at Netong's, I just love how their batchoy still looks original or to be "safe", the batchoy look I grew up with. The noodles form the base and the pork, liver and intestines for a heap in the middle sprinkled with chicharon, garlic and chives. Then you'll see the bone marrows floating around on the caldo.I almost always complain of the "lost art" of batchoy preparation but good thing there's still Netong's, among others, where the art is still alive.

And I never season my bowl of Netong's batchoy with soy sauce and/or pepper since I already am very much satisfied with their concoction. At first it may taste light but when you mix what's in your bowl, all the flavours seem to burst! The chicharon mixing with the garlic plus the meat and the noodles -all in perfect harmony in aroma and taste.

Even just the caldo (broth), which is bottomless is loaded with flavour. Authentic batchoyans have this large container containing broth in constant boil all throughout the day where the meats are placed to add more authentic flavour at the same time maintaining its texture. Most batchoyans have guinamos (the local bago-ong) infused in their broth and other ingredients too. Onions give the batchoy a distinct sweetness that sugar can't give. Though sugar is added in the broth concoction (and not when being served like soy sauce and pepper) to balance the guinamos' saltiness.

I finish this post with big *burp* as I can still smell the aroma and taste the goodness of my Nth bowl of Netong's Lapaz Batchoy and certainly this won't be my last. I could be back again tomorrow...

Netong's Original Lapaz Batchoy is located inside the Lapaz Market and is accessible from both Rizal and Huervana Streets. It is open around 7am until 7pm. The best way to find it is to ask the vendors inside the market.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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