The province of Iloilo is well-known for being the origin of many famous Filipino dishes enjoyed all over the country today. Discover the city and get Iloilo tours to explore the city’s converging “East-Meets-West” cuisines, a mouth-watering specialty, a proud Filipino delicacies favorited by many foodies and food bloggers alike. Here are some Ilonggo dishes that you might want to try:
La Paz Batchoy
Said to have originated in Iloilo’s La Paz district, La Paz Batchoy is one among the favorite Ilonggo dishes. La Paz Bachoy is a warm noodle soup made with pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock and beef loins. The noodle ingredient is specially made from flour stuff with egg hailed as miki in the Philippines. La Paz Batchoy is specially became tastier because of its boiled-bone-stock ingredient flavored with the local shrimp paste called guinamos, beef loin and pork offal, toasted garlic bits, pork cracklings, and a raw egg. Ilonggos typically end up finishing the soup before the noodles, which is why most establishments that serve batchoy offer a complimentary refill of kaldo or broth.
La Paz Batchoy can be found all over Iloilo, but the best versions can be found at three stalls at the La Paz Public Market, where it is said to have this favorite Ilonggo dish have originated. The most recognizable names in the game are Ted’s Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy, Deco’s Original La Paz Batchoy, and Netong’s Original Special La Paz Batchoy. All three places have been open since the 1940s and are still going strong to this day, with Ted’s and Deco’s having expanded operations beyond Iloilo, opening branches in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, as well as in other locations in the Visayas.
Binakol
Chicken soup is universally comforting dish, and each country has numerous variations of it. Binakol is the Ilonggo version, a chicken soup that at first glance, shares many similarities with the Tagalog staple tinola. Both are flavored with garlic, onion and ginger, and served with leafy green vegetables such as chili leaves and chunks of green papaya or chayote.
With binakol, though, the chicken is cooked in coconut water, and grated coconut meat and lemongrass are added to the soup, giving it a unique aroma and texture. Binakol is primarily had by Ilonggos at home, but for a respectable commercial rendition, Ponsyon from the famous Breakthrough Restaurant group serves an incredible bowl of it. Indeed, Binakol is one among the best Ilonggo dishes.
Kansi
Often compared to the Tagalog dish bulalo, kansi is a fortifying Ilonggo soup dish that deserves to be defined on its own terms. Flavorful beef shanks are the main ingredient here, rich with bone marrow that further enhances the hearty broth flavored primarily with batwan, a fruit commonly used by Ilonggos as a souring agent. The result is a lip-smacking bowl of soup that can be taken on its own as a full meal, though most people prefer to enjoy it with heaps of white rice to balance out its intensity. There is also a dry version of the dish where the beef shanks are served on a sizzling plate and covered with a scrumptious batwan gravy. Pat-Pat’s Kansi House is said to serve the best version of classic Kansi in Iloilo, while the aforementioned Ponsyon also serves up a great sizzling kansi.
Inasal nga manok
Filipinos love inasal. The simple charcoal-roasted chicken dish—popular in both Bacolod and Iloilo—has become famous all over the country, thanks to chain restaurants like the Iloilo-born Mang Inasal that have made the dish more accessible than ever before. Though this famous restaurant flourished all over the country, still, there’s nothing like having inasal nga manok in Iloilo, where they still make it exceptionally well.
The chicken is first marinated in coconut vinegar, calamansi juice, pepper and annatto, the ingredient that gives the dish its distinct bright orange hue. It is then grilled over hot coals while being basted with the same marinade to preserve the chicken’s juicy, succulent texture. You are encouraged to mix and create your own dipping sauce from condiments placed right on the table, where sliced calamansi, labuyo chili, sinamak vinegar, and soy sauce are usually provided, along with a bottle of chicken oil made with inasal drippings.
The dish is ubiquitous in Iloilo and can be found at roadside eateries and high-end restaurants alike. You can hit Mang Inasal’s very first location at the Robinsons Mall Carpark or seek out Barrio Inasal’s similarly worthy version in Iloilo City. Because of its popularity Mang Inasal is a certified favorite among Ilonggo Dishes.
Baked talaba
It’s impossible to talk about Ilonggo food and not to mention the excellent Ilonggo seafood of the region, which are always freshly caught and perfectly prepared. Talaba is the clear standout here, and Ilonggos are indeed very proud of their oysters, which they feature in a variety of culinary preparations.
Baked Ilonggo talaba is a popular way of introducing first-timers to the wonders of oysters. They’re shucked and then topped with a cheese and breadcrumb mixture, which, after baking, makes the oysters crunchy and savory. You can head over to the riverside Punot Restaurant or Mat-Mat’s Talabahan to sample this classic take on this decadent delicacy.
For seasoned mollusk eaters, oysters need little adornment and can be had raw, slurped right off the shell after a splash of vinegar or calamansi juice. If this is more your style, you can go to Breakthrough Seafood Restaurant’s Villa branch, which has the added benefit of being located right next to the beach. Here, you can gorge on fresh oysters while enjoying the ocean breeze at their al fresco dining area.
Indeed, Iloilo Province and its idyllic capital city is a charming location that also doesn’t have a dearth in delicious culinary delights. So what are you waiting for, book a trip in Iloilo and never miss the best Ilonggo dishes in the land.
