We often complained about the salmons going all through the hard ships to get back to where their ancestors spawned them. It’s no joke. We’re talking about hundreds of miles from sea to the freshwater lakes on the mountains. Watching them swimming against the current and dodging hungry Grizzly Bears is kind of too much to imagine, to be honest. I’ve been away from home for 9 months now and for the first time I understood why the salmons do it: There’s no place like home.
While I’ve got no complaints living here in the Queen city of the South, I terribly miss Iloilo city; its conservative lifestyle, the frequent power outages, the running track in Sports Complex and of course, the native dishes! There are many home grown resto and food house brands in Iloilo City (Mang Inasal as the most popular) that it's quite hard to decide which has the best delicacy in town.
College days were spent in the city and when you’re a student, Jollibee and McDonalds were the go-to places. In my first year of being a kickass professional, my taste bud spontaneously longed for something else now that I have the financial capacity. These are the 4 food houses I’m going to visit when I go back to the City of Love:
JD Bakeshop
Its cordon bleu and sotanghon guisado were the best! I’m actually salivating by the thought of this combo I introduced to my friends and office mates 2 years ago. The fried chicken is a must, too. Instead of gravy or catsup, JD serves its secret-recipe fried chicken with vinegar. I thought it was weird at first. However, after a few bites I understood why people are rushing for it. One bite was like having a taste of that 13th month pay released in February! Typically, JD Bakeshop's main products are bread and pastries, but I’m glad they’ve tapped into the main course menu, for they were top notch!
Teds Old Timer La Paz Batchoy
Teds serve theirs with tasty pork meat, liver, chicharon, eggs, veggies and herbs. Drizzle it with calamansi and you’re ready to go! The serving is very ample. It’s heavy, but that’s exactly why I liked it. Its perfect partners are hot pandesal and Coke. Also, the atmosphere of the place stays true to its banner. Old timer at its best, many of my happiest memories happened in Teds.
Floyds Barbecue
My liking for this one wasn’t the love-at-first-taste moment I’ve come to experience with JD Bakeshop or Teds. For one thing, I don’t really like the set-up of a BBQ resto inside the mall (it’s in the 2nd floor of Atrium). For another, I’m kind of not into BBQs especially when they're not enjoyed under the sun (meaning I’ve grown associating BBQs with beach outing). My irk for the mid noon sun during lunch breaks led me to try Floyds, and all of my misconceptions were just misconceptions!
The pork BBQ is sweet and tender while its chicken version oozes with flavor and juices. It also serves sizzlers, but my favorite is the Floyd’s Famous BBQ Burger. For 39 pesos, you get a thick flavorful 100% beef patty burger so delicious it would make your grandma say “Ginoo Ko!” This is one of those moments I get lessons after: critique only after when you’ve tried it.
The pork BBQ is sweet and tender while its chicken version oozes with flavor and juices. It also serves sizzlers, but my favorite is the Floyd’s Famous BBQ Burger. For 39 pesos, you get a thick flavorful 100% beef patty burger so delicious it would make your grandma say “Ginoo Ko!” This is one of those moments I get lessons after: critique only after when you’ve tried it.
Dapli (By Breakthrough)
Dapli is viand in Ilonggo. Basically, the set-up is turo-turo but in an air-conditioned environment. The first thing I noticed was all the male servers have semi-bald hair style (the ladies were in their usual hair nets). The place is very neat and clean, which I liked very much. Don’t be misled by the word turo-turo, for the selections are far from that notion. Lechon Kawali, Diniguan, Bangus Belly, and Kansi were among my many favorites in Dapli. You could request for a re-heat and they will be fast. My friends loved it there, my siblings more so. It’s a great feeling to be able to confidently invite them to a place you know that serves great food and exemplary service and all is happy. Kudos!
These 4 food houses are a culmination of my transition from a scrawny college jerk to a conservative democrat I am today. Yes, my taste is simple. There's nothing wrong with that. People may argue French or Italian cuisine is the superior taste, but there is something about the 4 food houses that these so-called superior tastes don’t have: memories.