In recent weeks, I have been frequently eating Batchoy. Be it during lunchtime, an afternoon snack, or an early dinner, I took my time to visit my favorite place and buy a bowl of the “extra super” serving of that savory noodle soup partnered with a Pandesal or Puto and a bottle of ice-cold Coca Cola. Truly an Ilonggo delicacy.

For the comparison of the best Batchoy stalls or restaurants in Iloilo City, I would still consider those located in the wet markets for the mere reason of genuinely quality of the ingredients and the broth. You must not disregard the broth as it is sort of the soul of the cuisine.

Next in the category is the noodles in which we usually have two choices of Pancit, and Bihon. I would prefer the former as it reminds my taste buds of that of the Ramen noodles. The toppings, of course, are also important. It is usual Pork bits, liver, and chicharon but a little extra is much appreciated.  I needed to chew on something while enjoying every sip of the soup.

My favorite Batchoy destination is at the Iloilo Central Market, particularly at Joel’s or Popoy’s Batchoy. They are usually located just side by side with the other two Batchoy stands (Mia’s and I forgot the other one). You will notice as you approach the place as there will be people that will call you and ask if you are eating Batchoy and insist to eat at their stall.

It is quite annoying but you cannot blame them as they compete with having more customers than the other. Anyhow, you can just assert that you are going to Joel’s or Popoy’s and they will just guide you on getting there. Once you are there, take a seat, state your preferred bowl size and add-ons and wait for a few minutes before they serve that Ilonggo bowl of goodness. Oh and don’t forget to ask for extra soup or caldo and make sure you finish the first one.

Late afternoon up to early evening is usually the peak hours of these stalls as a lot of people, from students in a nearby university to office workers and even some tourists go there for the Batchoy. Given the quality, it is also affordable as the Extra Super only costs 60 pesos and with the 10 pesos for the Pandesal or 15 pesos for the Puto. Add up the 15 pesos for the soft drinks and you are good to go. Total bill: 85-90 pesos. Solve.

Overall, it is below a hundred-peso budget for a delicious Batchoy meal. A pretty typical price for a quality dish that sometimes those branches in malls are lacking to maintain. Authenticity and price can go hand and hand. What the important thing is you can say “Namit, nabusog gd ako.” post-meal.