My one-day trip to Iloilo City was made much more unforgettable due to Ilonggo dishes that made me wanna go back again and again. 🙂
Our first stop: Deco’s
Batchoy. Namit!
Of course, a trip to Iloilo is not complete without tasting the famous “La Paz Batchoy”. Having read so many articles about this famous soup, we decided to try the batchoy at Deco’s. I’ve also seen Ted’s Batchoy branches in Manila so we opted to have our brunch at Deco’s. This special bowl that we ordered is really “namit” (Ilonggo word for delicious). Perfect after a morning flight. 🙂 Finally, I now understand when they say that a bowl of batchoy is different in Iloilo.
We tried the Deco’s branch located at Robinson’s Iloilo. However, there are other Deco’s branches scattered all over Iloilo City.
Second stop: Jo’s Chicken Inato
Another distinctly Ilonggo dish that we tried is the chicken inato. It’s grilled chicken but with a twist, which makes it different from the usual chicken inasal. What I like about the chicken, aside from the huge chunk served, is the marinade. Rice is unlimited, with chicken oil. You’re allowed to eat using your hands, there are faucets or what we call “tapayan”, where you can wash your hands before and after eating.
Jo’s Chicken Inato is located near Ong Bun, the hotel where we stayed. There are also other branches scattered in Dumaguete and Cebu City. 🙂
Third stop: JD’s Bakeshop
I got to try the clubhouse sandwich of JD’s Bakeshop as recommended by my client. I like it better than the baked macaroni we ordered, which is such a huge disappointment. If you’re wondering about the chips in the middle of the clubhouse sandwich, it’s called chicken chips. I like it so much that I bought it as pasalubong for hubby.
chicken chips
The JD Bakeshop branch where we ate is the one located at Iloilo International Airport. It’s a good place to stop and buy additional Ilonggo products before departure. 🙂 Damn, I miss Ilonggo foods already! 🙂
A Jurist's Life 