Nora’s Eatery: A superstar carinderia

I'm no stranger to carinderias and carinderia food but if there’s one that got my utmost attention, it’s got to be Nora’s Eatery beside the Iloilo Post Office at the former customs building (Aduana). There are many rows of carinderias over the place but as the namesake of a superstar, it stood above the rest.

An impromptu lunch we all agreed to meet at the place where most people from this part of the city converge during lunchtime.

If one can only see the crowd in the area, not only inside Nora’s, you’d wonder why people from all walks of life – from the residents to the office workers in the area to the politicians (we saw a member of the Tupas clan that time having lunch).

And it seems very casual for the people running the carinderia to see this convergence at this time as they almost all the people they serve even to what their favorites are. If I was one of them, I’m sure I’ll be served with Dinugu-an which is the timpla I like and prefer – black and sour. I don’t usually care, what’s the meat part whether the usual pork meat and fat or the entrails as long as it is black and sour then I’ll have it anytime – extra rice please!

Their tortang talong as simple as it may seem was also good though almost all tortang talong taste like that, a little drizzle of the sawsawan I concocted, it was like heaven. Just like the grilled pork belly, tastes like the usual but for the hungry it would taste very delicious.

We also had grilled pantat and a vegetable medley of calubay, togue and patola completing our menu. Along with 5 servings of rice, 2 liters of soda (and a broken glass) our bill totaled around PhP550. – which is not the typical carinderia price as I found out then.

But the whole experience is priceless for me as a food blogger since breaks my usual food reviews of fancy restaurants and their offering offerings as well other food items. As Ilonggos have a rich heritage and culture to be proud of, our gastronomy and the businesses that built within them also have stories to tell which makes (food) blogging a lot more meaningful for me which I can share and be proud of as my little contribution to the tourism industry of Iloilo City and beyond …

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