Another lure of Iloilo City is its food. This bustling metropolis has a multitude of enticing restaurants and eateries to offer. On a recent trip, fellow travel bloggers and I tried some of the best food pit stops in Iloilo City.
- Netong’s La Paz Batchoy – Mention food trip in Iloilo and La Paz Batchoy immediately comes to mind. The city teems with restaurants serving this hot bowl of noodle soup with beef loin, chicharon, chicken broth and vegetables. Batchoy is believed to have originated in La Paz Public Market sometime in 1938-1945. Some of the best known La Batchoy in Iloilo are : Ted’s La Paz Batchoy, Deco’s Batchoy and Netong’s La Paz Batchoy. We tried Netong’s on our last trip, they serve different versions of La Paz Batchoy: ordinary, special, miswa batchoy, bihon batchoy and sotanghon batchoy. A bowl of this noodle soup costs Php 55 to Php 80.
Netong’s La Paz Batchoy
La Paz Public Market
- Roberto’s Queen Siopao – The modest Roberto’s serves classic Chinese food like dimsum and pansit but the top pick here is Roberto’s Queen Siopao with bacon, chicken, pork adobo and Chinese sausage fillings but is only available three to four days a month.
Roberto’s
JM Basa Street Iloilo
- Madge Coffee – Coffee shops come and go in Iloilo City but one name stood the test of time – Madge Coffee! After indulging on Netong’s La Paz Batchoy at La Paz Public Market, don’t miss this humble coffee shop – a brainchild of Vicente de la Cruz in 1951. It’s a favorite hang out of locals who wants to tell and listen to stories while sipping a cup of coffee. Madge Coffee makes brewed coffee the traditional way – they use a flannel sieve and serve strong coffee, regular coffee, black coffee, and with or without milk coffee. Instead of posh interiors and fancy furniture, this unassuming coffee sanctuary is adorned by plastic tables and chairs and mugs with stenciled names of regular customers.
Madge Coffee
La Paz Public Market
Camiña Balay nga Bato
- Tsokolate at Lola Rufina Heritage Curio Shop – A visit to the old Camiña Balay nga Bato is highly recommended. You get to meet some patadyog weavers, you get to see and buy the best native handicrafts from the region and you also get to have an afternoon snack and unlimited cup of tsokolate boiled in a cast-iron tskolatera. All this for only Php 150!
Camiña Balay nga Bato
20 Osmeña Street, Villa de Arevalo Iloilo City
Phone Number: 033-3363858/033-396-1927
- Steps of Rome – Also owned by the famous chef Pauline Banusing, Steps of Rome is blissfully located in the lively Plazuela de Iloilo. Must-try is there Saturday and Sunday buffet when you can eat all you can of baby back ribs, tempura, calamares, pasta, pizza, cakes and salad for only Php 299.
Steps of Rome
Plazuel de Iloilo
Phone Number: 333-3509
Al Dente Restaurant in Iloilo City
- Al Dente Restuarant – Run by chef Pauline Banusing, Al Dente Restaurant serves heavenly Italian classic dishes. Try their callos, salpicao, baby back ribs, Margherita Pizza,mahi-mahi fillet and marinara pasta.
Al Dente Restaurant
Sarabia Manor Hotel General Luna Street
Phone number: 336-7813
- Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafood – I tried Tatoy’s seafood with a widow I met on the plane back in 2010. Indulge on Tatoy’s lechon manok and their mouth-watering talaba (oysters) and scallops!
Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafood
Sto. NinoSurArevaloIloiloCity
Telephone Number: 3371360/3374276
- Day’s Hotel Breakfast Buffet – Since Day’s Hotel hosted our first night in IloiloCity, who are we to resist their Daybreak Breakfast Buffet!? We feasted on salads, pasta, soup and their sumptuous desserts!
Daybreak Buffet Breakfast
Daily 6-10am at The Promenade
Days Hotel Iloilo
4th Level The Atrium
Gen. Luna Street, Iloilo City
Phone Number: 337-3297 / 336-8801 to 10 / 0917-700-3297
* Disclosure: Day’s Hotel sponsored our first night in Iloilo including the buffet breakfast. Aldente Restaurant and Steps of Rome also hosted our dinner.
* Special thanks to Jorry Palada and Greg Antoine for taking care of us in Iloilo.
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