FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

The famous La Paz batchoy is a concoction of noodles, pork, liver and innards in broth topped with chicharon , garlic and chives. Among the popular batchoyans in town is Ted's Oldtimer who is credited to be the innovator of La Paz batchoy as it is known today throughout the country. Among the innovations they introduced are batchoys using different kinds of noodles which one can decide upon ordering in their stores. The original and default order is made with these yellow egg noodles known as meke . With a hint of saltiness, these noodles have been chosen as the original maybe it is among the least expensive during those days. Also the noodles compliment the taste and the color of the other ingredients making it pleasing to the eyes. And usually this noodles makes the perfect presentation of the batcho y as it holds firmly the other ingredients that makes the signature mound on a batchoy bowl. Sad to say that the new deep bowls being used now in some branches...

Among the "Namit Meals" combo of Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batcho y, it's this combination that I really wanted to taste. The lure of sisig plus the batchoy combination is more than gastronomical for me, it's also a combination of the famous cuisines of Iloilo and Pampanga. Each represents the best seller of the culinary plethora of among the famous culinary people in the country - the Kapampangans and of course, the Ilonggos. At the same time provides a contrast; the sisig is widely adapted all throughout the country with each restaurant having their own recipe while Lapaz batchoy is among the mroe difficult specilaties to emulate - even here in Iloilo. Going back, the sisig Ted's serves is more of the ulam type than the pulutan genre. It's not as crunchy becasue of the saucy recipe but i really like the taste. It's cooked like sweet adobo and the addition of calamansi gives it a tinge of bistek. It's how exactly I do my experiements at home using what...

Lapaz batchoy is a quintessential ingredient of Ilonggo cuisine. No feature about the culinary plethora of the Ilonggos would be complete without mentioning this mea t-noodle-soup concoction. In fact, batchoy is an attraction itself for tourists visiting Iloilo and almost a way of life for the locals. Here’s a basic guide of what’s in and around a bowl of Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz batcho y. NOODLES While the original recipe calls for miki (noodles mainly made with eggs), La Paz batchoy through the years has innovated to include bihon, sotanghon and miswa noodles. Bihon usually draws out more flavour due to its milder taste while sotanghon gives batchoy a smo other texture, literally. Miswa, on the other hand, brings out the softer side to batchoy-eating but it is still miki that makes an authentic batchoy experience. VARIANTS The original batchoy blend has pork strips, pork liver and intestines with garlic, onions, chicharon, onion chives and pork caldo. As time went by “healthier” versio...

I found myself preparing my very own bowl of Extra Super Lapaz batchoy (with egg) in the busy kitchen of Ted’s Oldtimer along Diversion Road. Together with the able kitchen staff, I did not only learn the assembly but also discovered a lot from my experience inside the most popular batchoyan in town. Place 130 grams of miki noodles in a bowl. Add a helping pork strips. Place 6 slices of pork intestines Add 4 slices of pork liver. Sprinkle a tablespoon of chicharon. Add a teaspoon of fried garlic. Sprinkle a teaspoon of onion chives. Pour in pork caldo. Crack fresh egg. Serve and enjoy with puto or pan de sal. Burp!

Until the very last minute my column remained untitled so when my editor "forced" me give one so I settled for "Food Tourism" which is actually for my next one. So this will just be the first of two parts. F rom promoting the gastronomic delights of Iloilo for the past three years as a blogger, I found myself another medium – print. Now it would be much easier to reach out and share especially to those whose thoughts are still confined to the notion that mass media is just “print-radio-television” and often refer those outside the triumvirate as “illegitimate” media. L et me start by asking what defines the flavors of Iloilo. Is it a bowl of steaming La Paz batchoy or Pancit Molo? How about native delicacies like baye-baye, bingka and bandi ? Or perhaps pasalubong items like butterscotch, biscocho, barquillos and galletas? Can it also be native dishes like KBL, laswa and pinamalhan? Or even vegetables like alugbati, batwan, ubad and takway. Maybe it could be the f...

A subtle yet still flavourful way to enjoy La Paz batchoy is to "chicken out". Not that you give up on it - upon hearing the cholesterol overload it brings, but you just try out the chicken variant. Only comes in "Super" (not Special nor Extra Super), this bowl of hot piping soup can be easily mistaken for being just chicken mami. The eyes only see chicken strips, fried garlic and spring onions on top of meke noodles on a clearer broth but the aroma and the flavour is still very "La Paz batchoy". Adding the usual soy sauce and pepper almost mimics the real batchoy taste and smell that will certainly entice the senses to make this bowl (and every bowl) of Ted's Lapaz batchoy always a truly Ilonggo gastronomic experience. Extra caldo please!

For the “NTH” time, I’ll be blogging about Lapaz batchoy but this one comes with a twist. An article I’m currently working on brought me inside the kitchen of what probably the biggest and the most “high end” batchoyan in town – Ted’s Oldtimer’s branch along Diversion road. With a seating capacity over a hundred plus a cozy and high-ceilinged interior – I doubt if others can or would claim those “titles” as of now. Anyway, my timing was good for it wasn’t quite a busy afternoon. I sort of “disrupted” the operation in the kitchen for a simple photoshoot of everything batchoy. From the step by step process of preparation and to the ingredients used plus the kinds of noodles used and the “sides” that goes well with it. All in the line of a Batchoy 101 I am envisioning … Behind the “Employees Only” door, a well staffed and arranged kitchen greeted me. A large counter was right at the center - where everything’s being done and anything’s just steps away. It’s a shared kitchen with Dulgies (...

From one Ilonggo icon to another, La Paz batchoy is truly the signature dish of Iloilo. Even though the Big Bee came out with its own version, it never can match the batchoy most Ilonggos have grown up with and still the best batchoy for me – Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz batchoy . Another comfort food and automatic recommended gastronomic destination if asked what to do in Iloilo City, batchoy has sealed itself as an attraction when in Iloilo. It knows no time, no occasion, or even location – Ted’s has a 24/7 branch and is on its way of invading the country with more branches to come soon. But I still love the La Salette branch, its proximity and convenience plus the fact they still serve batchoy is shallower bowls that the art of batchoy presentation is still intact. The noodles at the bottom submerged in the broth with the pork, chicharon , intestines and liver . Then with soy sauce and pepper, out comes an explosion of flavours and aroma that is distinctly that of La Paz batchoy an...

Ask Ilonggos (or just anybody who have been to), what to do in Iloilo City, the most likely answer would just be one word – punctuated with an exclamation point. Eat! And it’s nonstop eating one will get with this list of 13 food places, which in my opinion, puts in a nutshell the gastronomic delights of Iloilo City . A useful guide for tourists who want to enjoy the heart of the Philippines through their stomach. Breakthrough Restaurant Among the easiest choice is this restaurant along Villa beach that combines good food and ambiance for a truly relaxing gastronomic experience. It is often one of the first stops for balikbayans and tourists; Breakthrough is synonymous with the freshest seafoods. A row of their cooked specialties is displayed for one to choose but check out their fresh seafood section. You won’t go wrong with grilled scallops , shrimp kinilaw, sizzling crabmeat and diwal on top of the usual grilled fish and squids plus crabs, prawns and oysters. Afriques ...