26/03/2026
The UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy did not disappoint. 📍Iloilo City
Food stops we tried and what we love. Honest POV. Might be unpopular but this is what we experienced.
📍Tatoys - Oh the story behind this. Did you know tje owner even have a movie about his life called Bugsay. A staple for tourists. Honestly, dropped by because other tourists recommended this. Although our expectations were higher than what we experienced. Maybe because a lot of people recommend this and we find their menu a but pricier (usually above 400 for the other viands we chose - mostly seafood and grilled items) than other restos offering the same items. Nevertheless, we loved the Valenciana and the famous Native chicken.
📍Pecho Pak - i think this is popular among locals. Tried this as recommended by Ilonggo relatives. Loved the chicken inasal and grilled tanigue! Prices are addordable too.
📍Robertos - we understood the hype. People go for their siopao, especially the Queen one. It reminds us fo the Emerald siopao in Manila. But, what we love is the lumpia (25 php per pc) and the meatballs (45 php per stick!
📍Ilochon - basically crispy lechon in a packaging. We brought this for roadtrip and we loved the taste. We got the gravy for sauce and we were told the other two sauces are better. The packaging in the photo below is large order for 800 php. It fed the five of us hehe.
📍Agatona 1927 Museum Cafe - Loved the ilusyrado dining experience lol. We initially thought the cafe was just an add on for the experience. But, it made our day! The Jaro Platter was the bomb and the Don Carlos Chicken Sandwich (sourdough bread). Note: if you get the entrance with 200 php consumable amount, they still honor pwd, senior discounts.
📍Hello halo - tried the Molo Mansion branch. And it did its job to bring coolness to the hot weather plus delicous flavors in the Overload Hello Halo. Grab drivers frequent the store too for delivery.
📍Balai Esplanade - this restaurant near the Esplanade gave more than what is expected. Gastronomic from their scallops and fish dishes.. even down to the simplest part of the menu like the tortang talong which became our fave!
📍Joanne’s fishballs - we really planned tofund their stall in Jaro but good thing we saw them in Molo! This 10 pesos goodness in a stick gives 100% streetfood happiness.
📍Ocean City - love their set menu which we find affordable at 1,300 php for 4 pax. Enjoyed their bangus sisig, scallops and ofcourse buttered chicken!
