The Ilonggo specialty La Paz batchoy has spawned many prototypes, but only one version became the yardstick of what an authentic batchoy should taste like—Iloilo City’s Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy.
Batchoy is a noodle soup variant topped with pork innards and beef. The steaming kaldo (Hiligaynon for broth) is poured over the mixture before being garnished with a generous serving of pork cracklings or chicharon, garlic and leeks. Founder Teodorico “Ted” Lepura added his own imprints to the meal by giving the recipe a tweak. The customary guinamos or Ilonggo bagoong was set aside and only premium ingredients and the crunchiest of chicharon are used. And while other batchoy broths are notoriously oily, he made sure that his kaldo comes without a greasy aftertaste.
Ted's Oldtimer Beef La Paz batchoyWhen the company decided to expand to Mindanao, they were faced with the challenge of conquering non-pork eating clients in the area. Thus, the beef batchoy was born. “We developed the 100 percent beef batchoy to cater to our Muslim brothers,” says Adelfa Lepura-Borro, the current chief and youngest daughter of the founder of Ted’s Oldtimer.
Ted's Oldtimer miswa La Paz batchoy“Although the basic ingredient is beef, it still embodies that distinct flavor that Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy is famous for.” The beef batchoy became a hit. Along with other innovations like miswa, sotanghon and bihon batchoy, the beef variant is offered at all Ted’s Oldtimer outlets nationwide.
It All Started with Ten Pesos
Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy originated from the district of La Paz in Iloilo City. Lepura has been churning out batchoy since the 1930s. When he was still in his teens, he apprenticed with various Chinese merchants who taught him how to create batchoy. He then refined the recipe and peddled the resulting concoction around town.
Buoyed by a growing number of loyal clientele, he cracked his proverbial piggy bank and used his life savings of 10 pesos to open his first stall in La Paz Public Market. The 5 square meter-kiosk, which was made of nipa and bamboo, was manned by the Lepura couple and their children.
Today, the company’s first store still exists, along with 34 more branches nationwide. It first ventured outside Iloilo in Bacolod City, and the successful outlet eventually snowballed into five branches. They experienced a slight setback when they opened their first store in Metro Manila. But their excellent reputation prevailed in converting Luzon residents into fans of Ted’s Oldtimer batchoy as evidenced by seven company owned and three franchised units currently operating in Metro Manila.
Success Secrets
Borro and her husband practice hands-on management. “If you are hands-on, you’re in tune with everything that’s happening in your business,” Borro emphasizes.
“Being hands-on also means knowing every aspect of your business so that even if you lose several employees at once, operations will not be disrupted.”
Puto and Ted's "home made" pan de sal are perfect partners for a steaming bowl of batchoyIn addition, Borro points to “having a bank partner that complements our long-term plans” as another factor for the company’s success. “Planters Bank has been very helpful to us. It is very efficient and has a flexible line of products and services that complement well our daily operational needs and expansion plans,” shares Borro.
Declared as the Best La Paz Batchoy by the National Shoppers Choice Awards, Ted’s Oldtimer will continue to sate the Filipinos’ craving for batchoy. This year, they are set to open several more outlets in Iloilo and Luzon. Ted’s Oldtimer vows to continuously innovate while maintaining the quality and taste that defines the company.
News article courtesy of
The Manila Bullettin | The Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Manila Bullettin | The Philippine Daily Inquirer