Eats got to be Iloilo!

By A Not So Secret Life and Randomly Candid

When we talk about Iloilo City, aside from the friendly soft-spoken people, the first thing that visitors think of is food. It is probably the reason why Iloilo City is not just tagged as the “City of Love” but also as one of the country’s gastronomic capitals.

With the diverse food offerings of Iloilo City, a lot of foodies have been searching for must-eats in Iloilo City and there is always one blogsite that serves as a one-stop reference of all the local food and recipes that you can probably find in Iloilo.

What to eat in Iloilo City? “Flavours of Iloilo” has the answers. It’s the ultimate guide for both travelers and locals who want to challenge their palates with Ilonggo dishes.

As one of the pioneers of Iloilo Bloggers, Inc, “Flavours of Iloilo” continues to share mouth-watering delicacies of Iloilo. And to give tribute to this very useful food blog, let’s have a food sidetrip this weekend with the “Top 10 Ilonggo Dishes” recommended by “Flavours of Iloilo”.

1. La Paz Batchoy

Originated in the Lapaz District, La Paz Batchoy is probably the food that is mostly associated with Iloilo City. It is made of noodles with pork, liver, innards topped with chicharon and served in pork broth boiled with onions, seasoned with guinamos (shrimp paste) and made even tastier with soy sauce and ground pepper.

2. Pancit Molo

If Lapaz Batchoy was named after Lapaz District, Pancit Molo was named after Molo District, where it originated. It is literally a “noodle-less” pancit dish with Chinese influence because of its wonton like Molo balls made with ground pork, chicken, shrimps and vegetables seasoned and wrapped in Molo wrapper served in chicken broth with chicken strips.

3. Chicken Inasal

Here’s a little trivia. Did you know that the first branch of the famous fast-food chain serving Chicken Inasal is found in Iloilo City? And yes, Chicken Inasal has been an Ilonggo favorite even before the said fast-food chain spread the dish across the country.

Marinated with some spices and grilled to perfection, Chicken Inasal is best paired with the local spiced vinegar called sinamak, soy sauce and calamansi.

4. Tinu-om nga Manok

Another Ilonggo chicken dish, Tinu-om nga Manaok is the only dish that has its own festival celebrated every September in Cabatuan, Iloilo. Tinu-om nga Manok is basically chicken pieces in packets of banana leaves with potato, ginger, lemongrass, onions, garlic and tomatoes cooked in seasoned plain water.

5. Chicken Binakol

Traditionally, Chicken Binakol is cooked inside bamboo tubes over a fire. The chicken meat is placed inside the bamboo together with the ingredients such as ginger, lemongrass, onions, coconut water, and coconut meat, making the soup naturally sweet and flavorful.

6. Kadyos, Baboy, Langka (KBL)

An all-time Ilonggo favorite dish, Kadyos, Baboy, Langka or KBL, as it is popularly known, is the common home dish of the Ilonggos whenever there are special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and fiestas. Literally, the ingredients include kadyos beans, boiled pork and unripe jackfruit. It is usually soured with batuan, a local fruit only found in Iloilo and other neighboring provinces.

7. Laswa

The Ilonggo version of mixed vegetable soup, laswa is a clear proof of how rich Iloilo is in terms of agriculture products. Basically, it is a quick dish to cook with a variety of backyard vegetables such as squash, okra, patola, string beans, eggplant, saluyot, malunggay and alugbati with shrimps, crabs or local snails called bago-ngon as the main ingredient or sahog.

8. Baye-Baye

Baye-Baye is a popular native delicacy made of glutinous rice mixed with sugar and young coconut then pounded until sticky and well-blended. It has a softer texture than espasol and doesn’t have the white powdery coat.

Baye-Baye is being sold as pasalubong along the highway going to Iloilo Airport but can also be found in some stores in the downtown area and even in malls.

9. Butterscotch

Another popular and best-selling pasalubong from Iloilo City, butterscotch is mainly made from sugar, butter, and nuts. Though not really an original of Iloilo, this has already been associated as a pasalubong from this city along with biscocho and barquillos.

This pasalubong item now comes in different flavors and variants such as mango, coffee, cashew, oats and a lot more. There are a lot of butterscotch brands in the market so it’s up to you to choose the best and popular ones to be sure of the quality.

10. Roberto’s Siopao

One of the icons of the Iloilo food scene is the Queen Siopao of Roberto’s. This is not your ordinary siopao, fully packed with chicken and pork adobo fillings, Chinese sausage, hard-boiled egg, and bacon. Unsurprisingly, it is a must-try for tourists and a favorite of the locals. Truly, the queen reigns supreme.

 

Iloilo City is a haven for the foodies. More than the beautiful destinations and kind people, there is no better way to enjoy Iloilo City than trying its smorgasbord of gastronomic wonders. Through “Flavours of Iloilo,” the Iloilo food scene remains vibrant and fresh.

Let “Flavours of Iloilo” be your ultimate food guide in Iloilo by logging on to https://flavoursofiloilo.blogspot.com or by following “Flavours of Iloilo” on Facebook and Instagram!