Seven Thousand One Hundred Islands… continuation

How do you spend 24 hours in a place filled with great culinary spots?

Eating.

The moment you board the plane bound for Iloilo, two things hit your mind. Chicken Inasal. And the real Batchoy. Those were top of my list. And we had 24 hours to find them both.

First Stop — La Paz Public Market

We landed from Manila just before lunchtime. No hotel check-in first. No rest. Straight to the La Paz Public Market — said to be the home of the best Batchoy in the country.

Everyone at the market claims to be the original. Everyone claims to be the best. But we were going with the locals on this one. It was either Deco’s or Netong’s. We went for Deco’s.

The Batchoy arrived and it was like a warm Ilonggo welcome. The broth, the meat and offals, the garlic, the spring onions, and the chicharon on top. Everything complementing each other in a way that makes you want to lift the bowl and just slurp the soup directly from it. It was that good.

And here is the detail — the Batchoy is eaten with puto dipped straight into the soup. Some people do it with bread. But the puto just goes better. Trust me on this one.

Culture, Churches, and Biscocho House

After that wonderful welcome we headed to Museo Iloilo and did all the things a proper tourist should do. Molo Church. The Mansion. The Esplanade. Kalye Real. Iloilo has a way of making you feel like you are walking through history — every corner has a story.

In between the churches and museums and old houses we stopped at Biscocho House — famous for their Ilonggo sweets. Butterscotch, yema, pinasugbo, mango tarts, and of course the biscocho itself. We left with a bag full of things that did not survive the trip home.

Merienda at Kap Ising — Molo Soup and Empanada

Since we were in the area and it was merienda time, we went to Kap Ising for Molo Soup. Yes — another soup in Iloilo. No apologies.

Molo is very much like your wonton soup but with an Ilonggo touch — a rich, savoury broth filled with pork dumplings, topped with garlic and spring onions. We paired it with the empanadas. What a lovely pair for merienda. Light enough to keep going but satisfying enough to remind you exactly where you are.

The Inasal — Finally

More walking, more catching up with people, and then it was time for food again. We headed to Barrio Inasal for the Chicken Inasal. The real one. The Iloilo one.

We ordered both the “Paa”, the leg and the “Pecho” — the breast. And from the very first bite you could taste what makes Iloilo Inasal different from anything you get in Manila or anywhere else. The marinade speaks. The lemongrass. The garlic. The suka. Every flavour pulling its weight.

The Paa was grilled perfectly. The Pecho was a touch on the dry side — I will be honest about that. But the experience as a whole? Worth every minute of the flight.

Dinner and Done

We finished the night with crispy pata, grilled squid, and lots of rice. The rest of the group wanted to head to Alicia’s and then a famous coffee spot in the city. I had nothing left. My stomach had reached its limit and I was completely at peace with that.

Twenty four hours. One city. More food than most people eat in a week. Iloilo — I will be back.

Batchoy

Cold weather here in Melbourne makes you crave for something like that bowl at Deco’s. So I made my own. Here is the recipe.

For the Broth

1.5 kg pork bones
2 chicken frames
Water — enough to cover
120 ml patis (fish sauce)

For the Batchoy

500 g pork shoulder
200 g beef tripe
200 g pork liver
1 red onion, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
15 g sauteed shrimp paste (ginamos)
25 g sugar
2 g MSG
Salt and pepper to taste
2 packs fresh Singapore noodles (thin egg noodles)

Toppings

Crushed pork chicharon, fried garlic bits, sliced green onions, boiled eggs

Step 1 — Make the broth. Place the pork bones and chicken frames in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Add the patis and simmer on low heat for at least 2 hours until the broth is rich and deeply flavoured. Strain and set aside.

Step 2 — While the broth is going, cook your meats separately. Simmer the pork shoulder and beef tripe until tender. Slice the pork shoulder into thin pieces. Cut the tripe into small pieces. The pork liver can be sliced thin and cooked briefly in the broth just before serving — do not overcook it.

Step 3 — In a separate pan, sauté the garlic and onion until aromatic. Add the ginamos and cook for another minute. Add the sugar and MSG. Stir this into your broth. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.

Step 4 — Cook the noodles according to the packet. Place in a bowl. Top with pork shoulder, tripe, and liver. Ladle the hot broth over everything.

Step 5 — Finish with crushed chicharon, fried garlic bits, sliced green onions, and a halved boiled egg. Serve immediately.

It will not taste exactly like Deco’s. Nothing will. But it will take you close enough to feel it. Namit Gid!!!

Happy Cooking and always remember to cook with your Heart…