Alicia Special Batchoy and Pueblo de Alicia's Restaurant: Game-Changing Spicy Batchoy (Jaro Iloilo)
Jaro, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Philippines
Iloilo city is the home for La Paz Batchoy — the most popular variant of Batchoy in the Philippines. La Paz Batchoy is now world-reknowed as it has recently been hailed as the world's best offal (internal organs) soup by TasteAtlas - an online food travel guide.
To date, the three claimants of being the originator of this popular dish has maintained its iconic stores in the La Paz Market, namely Deco's Original La Paz Batchoy (Since 1938), Ted's Oldtimer La Paz Batchoy (Since 1945) and Netong's Original Special La Paz Batchoy. It is a noodle with strips of pork meat and organs, chicharones (crushed pork cracklings), egg, garlic bits, onions, chives and guinamos (local shrrimp paste) in savory and well-seasoned pork caldo (broth). Each of them has stood the test of time and have garnered a lot of followings for their distinct dish renditions.
For practicality, we spared ourselves from going all the way to La Paz Market and just took a short grab-ride from our hotel to Alicia Special Batchoy in Jaro, Iloilo.
We were expecting a humble carideria-style place so we were a bit surprised when we arrived at a full-scale airconditioned restaurant.
It was easy to spot because it is a big complex that houses Alicia's Car Wash, Pueblo de Alicia's Restaurant and Alicia Special Batchoy.
Later on, we discovered that you can cross-order from both. So, if you are ordering from the two food establishments, you can choose where to dine.
Food
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| Super Batchoy Pancit (130 php) |
So for the Special Batchoys, you can them in two sizes: 1) super served in a white shallow bowl, or 2) extra served in a green deeper bowl. The price disparity between the two is only 10 php. As you can observe, the difference in serving portion is also hardly noticeable.
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| Extra Batchoy Misua (140 php) |
You also have four options for noodles: 1) pancit (a.k.a as egg noodles), 2) bihon (a.k.a as rice noodles), 3) miswa (a.k.a as wheat vermicelli), and 4) sotanghon (a.k.a. as glass noodles).
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| Special Chili Sauce |
Those types of options are commonly shared across all batchoyans in Iloilo.
What sets Alicia Special Batchoy apart is its really spicy Special Chili Sauce.
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| ♥ Extra Batchoy Pancit (140 php) |
And, adding some of its Special Chili Sauce on its rightly seasoned Special Batchoy works for me! It was served piping-hot with a smooth and well-balanced taste — from the subtle hints of flavorful marrow without the artificial sharp kick of you can from too much MSG.
Pueblo de Alicia's Restaurant
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| Puto Manapla (30 php) |
The Special Batchoy is best paired with the Puto Manapla. We spotted a bulk of the Puto Manapla displayed just outside Pueblo de Alicia's Restaurant so we ordered it and it was delivered to our table.
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| Baked Talaba (250 php) |
We also ordered a plateful of Baked Talaba. As you can see, the oysters are plump and juicy underneath the rich layers of garlic bits and creamy cheese that complements its natural briny sweetness.
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| ♥ Special Lumpia (200 php) |
The unexpected standout among our orders is the Special Lumpia. The Special Lumpia is a common household dish so we honeslty did not expect much from it. Yet, Alicia's Special Lumpia is oh so good! The lumpia wrapper is so light, crispy and flaky effectivenly locking in the grounded pork meat’s succulent juices.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
We were so glad to have had our chance food stop at Alicia Special Batchoy and Pueblo de Alicia's Restaurant. As it gains more success we hope the next time we could come back for a revisit, it still carries with it the same charm for serving quality, home-style dishes.
| Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Alicias Batchoy Iloilo Menu | |
| Ambiance | ★★★ | Menu |
| Taste | ★★★★ | |
| Service | ★★★★ | |
| Price | ★★★★ | |
| ♥=Favorites or Recommended | ||
| Alicia's Special Batchoy | |
| Business Address | Alicia's Batchoy Jaro Branch Washington St, Brgy Democracia, Jaro Iloilo City (Left side before crossing Tabuc Suba Bridge coming from Jaro Plaza) |
| Business Hours | 7:00 am - 8:30 pm |
| Payment Options | Cash |
| Service Charge | N/A |
| Budget/Person | 150-500 |
| Free WiFi | No |
| Contact | (0999) 880-5529 |
| Other | |
Café Ilang-Ilang at Manila Hotel Buffet Dinner (Manila, Metro Manila)
1 Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila, 0913 Metro Manila, Philippines
After a decade since my last buffet dinner at Café Ilang-Ilang so it's was time for a long overdue revisit!
As expected, everything has changed from interiors to food selections.
Food
Bread Station
Café Ilang-Ilang's Bread Station has offers delicious baked breads selections which includes Black Sesame Rolls, Hard Rolls, White Sesame Rolls, Wallnut Rolls, Laugen, Rye Roll, Sour Rolls, Rye Bread, Original Six Grains, High Fiber Bread and French Bread.
Charcuterie Station
There's also a Charcuterie Station featuring a Cheeseboard (with Gruyère, Emmental, Manchego, Blue Cheese and Brie Wheel), olives, dried fruits, and honey.
Cold Salad Station
Cold Salads include Coleslaw, Shrimp Salad, Macaroni Salad, Kani Salad and Mangang Hilaw with Bagoong. There are also Cold Meats like Beef Pastrami, Chicken and Pork Terrine.
There are also some cocktail-style appetizers like the Melon Lassi, and Shrimp Mango Salad.
Fresh Salad Station
Admittedly, the Fresh Salad Station isn't my favorite in the past. Now, its my first stop in every buffet so having so much variety of fresh greens and sauces is much appreciated!
Seafood Station
The Seafood Station offers Butter Garlic Prawn, Butter Garlic Crab and ♥ Cheese Baked Mussels.
Churrasco Station
Café Ilang-Ilang has a different dinner theme per night. Since it was Surf and Turf Night, we were fortunate to have the ♥Blue Marlin available at the Churrasco Station. There's also heavy meats like Smoked Pork Loin, Churrasco Beef and Sausages.
Korean Station
The Korean Station ranged from main dishes like Spicy Mud Crab and Korean Grilled Lamb, a soup — Beef Radish Soup, and side dishes like Pajeon, Fried Zucchini, Fried Tofu, Kimcheon, Dried Squid, Fishcake, Kongnamul (soy bean sprout), Spinach and Kimchi.
Chinese Station
The Chinese Station highlights Chinese Dimsum of Pork and Shrimp Siomai, Choco Bun, Chicken Feet, and my favorite — ♥ Century Egg. There's also Chinese Corn Soup.
Japanese Station
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| Sushi Station |
The Japanese Station is the biggest food station. Check out the Sushi Station with Vegetarian Maki, Cheese Tamago, Spicy Kani Maki, Salmon Cream Cheese, California Maki and the must try ♥ Aburi.
There's also fresh Tuna Sashimi, Salmon Sashimi, Spicy Tuna, Spicy Salmon, Kani Salad and Tamago.
For the mains, there's Vegetable Tempura, ♥ Shrimp Tempura, Yasai Itame, ♥ Miso Cream Chicken, Salmon Teriyaki. And, to complete your Japanese meal experience, pair them with the Miso Soup and Japanese Fried Rice.
Italian Station
Among the popular stations is the Italian Station because of the specialty pasta dishes such as ♥ Gnocchi with Truffle Sauce and ♥ Pasta Al Forno. There's also an inviting display of Mixed Cold Cuts, Bruschetta with Basil and Tomato, Panini, Sacciata Sandwich, Salad Caprese, Foccacia Bread, Parmesan Cheese Wheel. I also loved the ♥ Leeks Potato Soup.
The pizzas are freshly oven-baked. Highly recommend the ♥ Spinach Pizza and ♥ Mushroom Pizza!
European and Mediterranean Station
Like other stations, there's a soup — Swiss Barley Soup, mains — Honey Garlic Prawns, ♥ Shepherd Pie, side dishes —Butter Vegetables, Marble Potato, and staple — Brown Rice.
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| ♥ Lechon |
For every Filipino feast, there's the Lechon.
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| ♥ US Angus Beef |
With the longest line, the US Angus Beef with your choice of sauce mustard, horse radish or mint is what you can't miss!
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| ♥ Foie Gras on Brioche |
Best to save space for dessert because there's many to consider. The spread includes a Cathedral Gelatin, Pistachio Sanrival, Carrot Cake, Mochi Buttercream, Ube Cake and Red Velvet. Then, there's the Artisanal Ice Cream Station and Crepe Station. So happy that there are gourmet ice cream flavors like Pistachio, Matcha, ♥ Durian and ♥ Black Sesame.
On the side shelves, there's Fruit Tarts, Mixed Berries Pavlova and Kakanin. The Bibingka and Puto Bumbong are no longer part of the buffet though.
Instead, there's Assorted Chinese Cookies, Assorted Cookies, Assorted Fruits, Chocolate Truffle, Marshmallow and Chocolate Fountain.
Drink Station
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
The Drink Station can be found by the entrance and beside the Halo-halo Station. Drinks include Detox Water, Cranberry Juice, Orange Juice and Apple Juice.
The drinks above go well with your meal. To complement your dessert, enjoy a cup of coffee—choose from Brewed Coffee, Cafe Americano, Decaf Coffee, Cafe Latte, Cappucino and Espresso.
Café Ilang-Ilang has long been a distinguished destination for premium international buffet. With its comprehensive buffet selections, you're sure to leave feeling satisfied.
| Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Cafe Ilang-Ilang Rate | |
| Ambiance | ★★★★ | Lunch Mon to Sat 3,295 php Sun 3,445 php Dinner Thurs to Sat 4,090 php Sun to Wed 3,445 php *Child Rate - 50% off |
| Taste | ★★★★ | |
| Service | ★★★★ | |
| Price | ★★★ | |
| ♥=Favorites or Recommended | ||
| Cafe Ilang-Ilang | |
| Business Address | The Manila Hotel, One Rizal Park, Manila Metro Manila |
| Business Hours | 11:30 am - 2:30 pm 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm |
| Payment Options |  Cash |
| Service Charge | 10% |
| Budget/Person | 3,000-4,500 |
| Free WiFi | Yes |
| Contact | (02) 8527-0011 / 5301-5500 |
| Other | Website |
Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅 Pasay: A Cultural Chinese Hotpot Feast To Remember
Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines
There is no other place in the Philippines that offers this kind Chinese culture immersion like Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅.
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| Meat Volcano with Tuna Sashimi and Salmon Sashimi |
Stepping into Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅 Pasay, felt like being transported to an ancient opera house in China.
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| Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅 Pasay Dining Setup |
The elevated wooden stage exudes elegance with its intricately painted beams that's under a majestic golden roof adorned with upturned eaves and ornate carvings.
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| Chinese Folk Art Performance |
Naturally, it fades into the background as the folk performances take center stage at 7:00 PM, 9:30 PM, and 12 MN, bringing the entire venue to life with joyous laughter and rhythmic applause.
Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅 is trully a symphony of traditional Chinese aesthetics — crimson pillars, glowing lanterns, golden-tiled ceiling, beautiful lattice doors, and exquisitely-crafted wooden balconies.
Food
特色火锅汤 / Specialty Hot Pot Soup
Each person can order a personal hotpot with their choice of broth. We enjoyed the ♥ 红运牛油锅 Goodluck Spicy Butter Soup, ♥ 番茄养颜锅 Healthy Tomato Soup, ♥ 松茸菌王锅 Mushroom Soup and 依云水海鲜锅 Evian Water Seafood Soup.
Sashimi/Cold Dish
刺身 Sashimi
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| 三文鱼刺身 Salmon Sashimi, 北极贝刺身 Atlantic Scallop Sashimi and 金枪鱼刺身 Fresh Tuna Sashimi |
As you can see, every sashimi selection we ordered was vibrantly fresh and meticulously presented on a bed of ice accented by florals and greens.
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| 鲜贝组合 Fresh Shell combination |
海鲜姿造 Seafood
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| ♥ 小头龙虾 Small Flower Lobster |
A feast isn't complete without an order of the 小头龙虾 Small Flower Lobster!
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| Mixed Cooked Seafood |
And, to add a natural sweetness to your soup, order the 宿务大虎虾 Manila Big Tiger Shrimp, ♥ 大青蟹 Big Blue Crab, and some 明虾Fresh Shrimp.
牛羊姿造 Meats
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| ♥ 美国安格斯雪花肥牛 U.S.A Angus Snowflake Beef |
They serve the 美国安格斯雪花肥牛 U.S.A Angus Snowflake Beef in iced volcano-style to make it an even more memorable experience.
Assorted 臻选菌菇 Mushroom / 素菜 Veggies Platter
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| ♥ 菌菇双拼 Mushroom Selection |
Our favorite is the 菌菇双拼 Mushroom Selection which includes 杏鲍菇 Pleurotus Eryngii, 金针菇Needle Mushroom, 香菇 Shiitake Mushrooms, 新疆天山羊肚菌 Tianshan Wild Ganodema Mushroom and Golden Thread Mushroom.
甜品小吃 Dessert
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| ♥ 黑芝麻糯米饼 Black Sesame Sticky Rice Cake |
For dessert, there are a lot of choices to chose from. We tried the 黑芝麻糯米饼 Black Sesame Sticky Rice Cake...
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| Fresh Fruit Platter, 酥脆打糕 Crispy Cake and 木瓜奶冻Papaya Milk Jelly |
酥脆打糕 Crispy Cake and 木瓜奶冻Papaya Milk Jelly which were not the usual Chinese Desserts for us. We also got the Fresh Fruit Platter for our elders.
Costumes
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you want to check our the ultimate hotpot experience, you cannot miss out on Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅. It's delivers a whole package of a cultural Chinese immersion where the premium-quality hotpot is just one of its component.
| Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅 Pasay Set Meal Rate | |
| Ambiance | ★★★★★ | For 2 2,880 php | 4 PHP5,880 php / 9,880 php |
| Taste | ★★★★ | |
| Service | ★★★★ | |
| Price | ★★★★ | |
| ♥=Favorites or Recommended | ||
| Good Luck Hotpot 红运火锅 | |
| Business Address | Pasay Branch Nexgen Tower Edsa extension C4 Pasay City, Metro Manila Greenhills Branch Greenhills Mall, Missouri Builiding Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila |
| Business Hours | Monday to Sunday 11am to 4am |
| Payment Options | Cash |
| Service Charge | 10% |
| Budget/Person | 3,000 - 4,500 |
| Free WiFi | No |
| Contact | (0950) 461-8888 |
| Other | |
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