In the Saturday celebration of the Dinagyang Festival 2020, my itinerary was to visit the Kaon Ta Iloilo Food festival along Arsenal street and after that was to check the Ilomination of the heritage buildings along Calle Real. I posted earlier the one on the Ilomination event and for today, I will share my experience of the KTI food festival. Fyi, the term “Kaon Ta” means Let’s eat in English.

I initially planned to head out that morning before lunchtime to see the new features of the Saturday festivities as initiated by the IFFI and Iloilo City government. Unfortunately, I woke up that morning with fever and asthma and combined with a broken stomach so I had to take time to rest. I then went out around 4:00 pm where the weather is not that hot and humid. I dropped by Reis place first before walking to Arsenal street which is quite a few blocks away.

Entering the street, I saw their welcome arc and sort of an entrance where there is a guard to check your bag and to make sure you are safe to enjoy and dine inside. They have also posted a list of guidelines and house rules. Unfortunately, I was not able to take a picture of those.

The place was somewhat crowded with all the people eating and ordering their food at the participating stalls. I decided to go around the place first to see all of the dishes, local cuisines and delicacies available and it was difficult to walk through the crowd as there was only a thin line between the tables and the stalls. The people ordering were blocking the pathway so you will have to say excuse to pass.

My first stop was the stall serving shabu-shabu or those various kinds of shrimp, fish, meat and lobster balls and vegetables which were then boiled on a hot pot. You can pick the ingredients that you like to add in your bowl and each one is priced accordingly. I think the total amount of my bowl was around P120. Here are the pics I took while ordering and waiting for my shabu-shabu bowl. I topped mine with green onion leaves, garlic and a little of their chili sauce.  

After finishing that shabu-shabu bowl, it seemed that I was already feeling full but then I have thought to have one more dish so my KTI experience will somewhat be fulfilled. I checked on some of the burger stalls and in the hopes to order one. I inquired to a few of them and unfortunately, their burgers were quite pricey. I understand that it was a special food festival but then I let my practical self to do the decision.

I ended with the stall named “Chori Chori” which served various chorizo dish along with a chorizo burger. The price of one burger was only P50 and so I went with it. It was an ordinary taste with basic ingredients and sauce.

Total money spent: P200. I know I was a cheapskate at that time but I was concerned more about what I eat as it might trigger a stomach ache. I was not feeling 100% at that time so I had to be more careful.

Overall I think most of the people who attended the food festival pretty much enjoyed the food and the music from the live bands. I would personally prefer that the area would be more spacious next time but I know the organizers would have to work to optimize the current resources at their disposal. Still, good job and a thumbs-up sign to them.

That is a wrap for this Kaon Ta Iloilo Food Festival blog post, until next time.

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.

Last Friday, my officemates decided to lunch out at a nearby Carinderia and I decided to join them since I haven’t visited that place yet. This is one way for me to promote the local food spots along with what delicious recipes they can offer for the tourists. I have not yet blog posted about it on my recent food trips which I only done on Facebook but this time I will try to post in detail along of course with the pictures.

Going back to that Carinderia spot, the name is Beige Eatery and it is located just across the National Economic and Development Authority Regional Office 6 and within the road going to Fort San Pedro. It was jam-packed when we arrived since it was nearing 12noon and we had to wait a few minutes for a vacant table. There was a variety of pork, chicken and fish dishes served at their front display rack and they also have steamed talaba being prepared beside it.

After ordering, I then noticed the lady hauling the sliced chunks of beef that were boiled for their Nilaga dish along with the diced jackfruit. I should have waited for it before we had our orders but knowing that my officemates won’t eat pork or beef, I will just reserve it for the next visit. I took this pic below.

We ordered biga-biga, grilled Bangus and kinilaw tangigue and rice and the total cost was around 500+ for the five persons. It was quite cheap given the quantity and quality of food.

Come Saturday, I went to SM Delgado to check on a semi-Barong Tagalog outfit which we needed to wear for the University of San Agustin event that night. After buying the suit, I walked past the Valeria Street side of the mall and noticed a small Thai Resto across the road. I was thinking of getting a cup of coffee that time but since it was nearing lunch time, I decided to just check the place and the menu.

Sen Lek Thai’s menu was mostly composed of different style of Thai Noodles with side dish of Thai Spring Rolls, meatballs and siomai. See it below for the individual prizes.

I ordered the Mix Thai Noodles (costs P120) for an initial taste and it did not disappoint. The noodles ain’t that firm and soup mostly tasted like an ordinary beef but the added mix of legumes and herbs made the flavor more interesting. I just wished I also ordered a side dish for an added appetizer.

I might come back there by next week if given the time and try their other dishes. The location is across SM Delgado Valeria Street and is situated between the BPI bank and the Dapli food house which is currently being renovated.

That is a wrap for now. I promise to post more food trip content to promote local Iloilo food and related events so just stay tuned for those. Until the next blog post.