Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events |

Pinoydon is a very casual, informal restaurant that gives a whole new twist to Japanese cuisine by cooking it Filipino style. Or is it the other way around? In this restaurant you’ll find an interesting combination of familiar Filipino food and the not so unfamiliar but not quite native Japanese food. On first glance you’ll see that the menu contains what you’d find in a typical Japanese restaurant – but look closely. Instead of California Maki they have Manila Maki, made up of tinapa and aligue, and their donburi has sisig.

I wish I was able to try out the more exotic dishes the first and only time I went there, but it was raining and I was in the mood for something hot. Upon a friend’s recommendation, I ordered a bowl of Batchoy Ramen, which I devoured instantly. Unlike other la paz batchoys from other restaurants, the soup wasn’t congealed with oil and the saltiness was just perfect. They didn’t scrimp on the ingredients either!

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Despite never having gone to Iloilo, one of my favorite Filipino dishes comes from that province. Named after the district from which it originated, the la paz batchoy is a soup broth made out of chicken stock, shrimp broth, pork innards, crushed chicharon, vegetables, and noodles. It’s not a very difficult dish to find in Metro Manila since a lot of Filipino restaurants and carinderias carry this on the menu. And I’m guessing that I’m not the only one who thinks soups like la paz batchoy and beef mami make the best rainy day afternoon snacks.

Just recently, Pinoy fast food chain Jollibee launched their own version of the la paz batchoy, which you can add on to your meal for Php 25 or get as a solo dish for Php 28. My curiosity was stronger than the searing noontime heat, so for lunch I went to the nearest Jollibee I could find to try it out.

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