I am an oral person and I love to eat. The whole family loves to eat, even when I go to places, I try to eat on restaurant or fast foods which I couldn’t find at home. However, of course, there is no place like Iloilo. Besides the churches, tourist or newbie here should try to eat at several restaurants found in the city. They’d be craving for more, I am sure. Try out the famous La Paz Batchoy first, a choice from the two famous here: Ted’s La Paz Batchoy and Deco’s (trust me, the instant La Paz Batchoy in cups could not compare). I once saw in Cebu their version of batchoy with cabbage – what the?!!! Even those instant cups don’t have cabbage, right? Anyway, after trying out the sinful batchoy, off you to several others.
Gerry’s Grill – I so love their sisig. It’s sinfully delicious, especially with the chicharon, I couldn’t have any egg to go with my sisig, thanks to the allergies. There is no Gerry’s Grill in Iloilo, but every time I go to Manila or Cebu, I make sure I get to have a stop here.
Afriques – Never leave Iloilo without dropping by this Italian Restaurant. Their pizzas are fantastic with their very own Afrique’s sauce. The ambiance is quite homey for the Jaro branch, the rest – well definitely commercial but still they tried their best to make it look like their original branch. I love their pizza especially the Afrique’s special. Their carbonara is to die for, as well as their penne.
Mooon Café. I love Mooon Café’s steak and sisig. This is my 2nd favorite sisig. This Mexican-inspired restaurant is awesome. Their prices are reasonable enough because their servings are big. The service is superb.
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| Pork Belly |
Ramboy’s – What I love about Ramboy’s is their Liempo. It is super crispy and delicious. It might cost over 200, but it is big enough for five people.
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| Liempo |
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| Sisig |
Pueblo de Alicia’s. This sanctuary is just a step outside of home. At night, it might look like a place to drink, but don’t be deceived. They serve the best Tuna belly and Managat Sinugba (grilled) I have ever tasted.
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| Grilled Managat |
Tatoy’s. An ancient restaurant where several Philippine presidents have dined in when they went to Iloilo. It is a little expensive (for my taste, I guess), but they do have very delicious native chicken inasal.
Buto’t Balat. The ambiance is garden-like, they have nice landscapes and dimmer lights for a restaurant. Their foods are very nice, ranging from their crispy pata down to their sizzling gambas. The prices are just great, it is cheap, especially when you are with a group, and you get to share the tabs.
Nato and Helen. I have been here twice, but their grilled squid always left me at awe, not to mention, in need of my antihistamine tablet. Well, the place might look like any local carinderia but again, it is pretty clean and the foods are nice. They serve a lot of fresh sea foods including talaba.
Cabugao (I forgot the rest of the name). If you are coming from the Iloilo airport, this place is nearer since it is in Pavia, but if you are coming from the city – you really need a time to travel. They serve sea foods at a very affordable price and they are even far from the sea (I think so). They have nice cottages where you and your friends can eat in private (and take pics without minding the rest of the world)
Esca’s They have the same owner as Afriques, the only difference is the setting. If you don’t like the ‘homey ambiance’ of the latter, try the garden ambiance of Escas. Dine under the stars, I think the place is romantic, and of course, they do serve nice food as well.
And for dessert: I usually choose between coffee or cakes or both :D
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| Bo's Cafe @ SM City |
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| Dulgie's @ Delgado |
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| Nothing but Dessert |
Many thanks to Ron Ron & Des for allowing me to post some of their shoots here.
