Netong's Original La Paz Batchoy, IloIlo City

Part of traveling is to search out for what the town proudly possess. May it be its beaches, nature, people, food, or other famous landmarks. Do you agree? We search out for these and make sure to include it in our travel plans. We do this because we simply want to make our trip the best and worthwhile.

So when I visited Iloilo, one thing that really came up on my mind is the Ilonggo cuisine. The very popular dish of them and its pride, Batchoy.

When you search or ask friends on where to find the best batchoy in Iloilo, all of them will point you to La Paz market. That’s why the term ‘La Paz Batchoy’ is very familiar to us. It’s because the place La Paz is where you’ll find an authentic Batchoy.

How to get there?

Exiting Iloilo International Airport takes you at around 5-10 minutes to reach Sta.Barbara where you can take a ride going to La Paz Market. From Sta.Barbara Iloilo, ride a jeepney going to ‘Terminal’. It would cost 8Php. Then from Terminal, ride a jeepney again going to the City Proper. Just ask the driver to drop you off to La Paz market. Also cost 8Php. The time travel from airport to market is around 40 minutes to 1 hour.

at the entrance

When you reach La Paz market, you’ll be welcome with numerous food stalls lining outside and even inside the market.

And hidden inside the public market, is the very popular Netong’s Original Special La Paz Batchoy. It’s better to ask locals around the area to find Netong’s because it’s located somewhere in the middle. But you won’t get lost anyway.

some interiors inside

the menu

Their menu is simple offering of course their best batchoy. From the menu, we ordered the Mega Bowl for Php120. The mega bowl is also one of their specials and its the biggest one. So the only difference from Super or Extra Special on the menu is the bowl sizes. The serving is really huge, you can actually share for two or more. 

that's how we eat :p

the batchoy

Batchoy is a noodle soup made with pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin and round noodles (miki noodles). Its origins can be traced to the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines, hence it is often referred to as La Paz Batchoy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batchoy

What I love about them is they place a lot of mixture of ingredients on their dish, that’s why you can really experience the richness of its flavor. It’s very tasty! You’ll feel too satisfied or overwhelmed when the food is served. (you can also ask an additional soup and fresh egg if you want).. it's better with egg!

And for some sides for your meal, they also offer add on food like puto, pandesal, pan de leche, etc. We ordered additional Puto, which is a perfect partner on our Batchoy. and it really tastes good too.

Puto wrapped in banana leaf

There are actually other stores in IloIlo that offer Original Batchoy like Ted’s and Deco’s. Haven’t tried it both so I can’t compare it to Netong’s. But I can assure you that Netong’s batchoy will give you beyond satisfaction.



Note: La Paz Market closes early around 7 to 8 PM.

ITINERARY

Day 00

04:30 PM ETA IloIlo International Airport

05:00 - 06:00 PM Check In at Hotel (Fleur De Liz Inn)
06:00 - 10:00 PM Go to City Proper (Dinner)
12:00 AM - Lights Off


Day 01

03:00 AM Early Call Time
04:00 AM ETD Fleur De Liz Inn
07:00 AM ETA Estancia Port
07:00 - 09:00 AM Boat ride to Gigantes Island
09:00 - 05:00 PM Gigantes Island Tour Package --> Click Here Island Hopping at Gigantes Island blog
05:00 PM Onwards Free Time @ Rosewood Place Resort --> Click Here Rosewood Place Resort blog

Day 02

06:00 - 10:00 AM Lighthouse/Caving in Gigantes Island
10:00 - 12:00 PM Boat ride to Estancia Port
12:00 - 01:00 PM Lunch at Estancia Port
04:00 - 05:00 PM ETA IloIo City/Check Inn Hotel
05:00 - 06:00 PM La Paz Market (Netong's Batchoy/Madge Cafe)
06:00 PM Onwards Dinner/Night Life at Smallville, IloIlo 

Day 03
06:00 - 07:00 AM Early Call time
07:00 - 08:00 AM Breakfast
08:00 - 01:00 PM City Tour/Buy Pasalubong

      a.)  Jaro Cathedral @ Jaro Plaza and pass by Nelly’s Garden and Lizares Mansion

      b.)  Museo Iloilo

      c.)   Molo Church

      d.)   Calle Real

01:00 - 03:00 PM Back to IloIlo Airport/Lunch

05:00 PM Flight back to Manila

06:15 PM ETA NAIA