Food Trip in Iloilo...

One of the highlights of the trip to Iloilo was the food trip. Thanks to friends of friends, we got to try out a number of popular restaurants around (and just outside) the city.

For our Sunday dinner, we drove all the way to Dumangas to look for Joy-joy. It wasn't that hard to find since it's located along the main road. The restaurant took its name from the only daughter (kid) of the owners. The restaurant looks very countryside with its bamboo walls and flooring, and because it's right beside a river. We had a seafood feast from fish to shrimps.

The following day, we headed to Villa beach in the Arevalo district and had lunch at the Breakthrough restaurant. It's much bigger than Joy-joy, and looks more modern but you still get the countryside feel because of some of the furniture and because it's located by the beach. It was another seafood feast once again - grilled local fish managat, skewered cat fish, sizzling squid, oysters. Everything was really good.

For dinner, we stayed in the city and enjoyed an evening of pizza and pasta at Afrique's. We were told that the restaurant had a number of branches, but I'm guessing the one we went to was the nicest because it was an old house transformed into a restaurant. I don't know how much of the original house was retained, but the present decor and interiors were enough to tell you you weren't in Manila. The food was naturally yum. We had the special Afrique's Special Pizza and a Seafood Pesto.

The other restaurant I liked was the JD bakery/cafe just beside the hotel lobby. It looks like your usual bakery/canteen but I absolutely enjoyed their callos. There were several pastries to choose from also and the ones I tried (cinnamon roll and ensaymada) were good. What I like most about it is that the prices are so cheap. The amount I paid for three people was equivalent (even less) to what I would pay for a solo meal here in Manila. It's that cheap.

Alright, so those are some of the restaurants worth a visit the next time you visit Iloilo. I'm sure there are more, but I just didn't have enough time to really go around since I was there for work and not (so much) for leisure. Haha!

Next post, some houses. REALLY HUGE houses.