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| Iloilo City, the City of Love. |
Undoubtedly, there's nothing more heartwarming than a place full of love and care.
Considerable individuals would approve that the people of Iloilo are very welcoming, soft-spoken, friendly, and calm even in the worst situations. The Ilonggos are known to be good at making visitors feel safe and welcome. Ilonggos offer good company by offering a good chat, recommending places to visit, and even driving to their destinations without hesitations.
Oftentimes, tourists would frequently ask where is the best place to dine and enjoy local Ilonggo food. So if you're visiting the city, one of the safest places to flock to is the mall. Funny but true, that every time we go to a place, we used to look for familiar places like SM Mall.
Luckily, choosing a mall such as SM City Iloilo when traveling to Iloilo City can already give you a sweeping overview of the City of Love.
1. Taste the local comfort in a bowl
When visiting the city, of course, you shouldn't miss trying the famous Batchoy soup of Iloilo. There are many brands offering the same kind of dish, in different flavors but one thing Ilonggos' can guarantee is that all of them are delicious in their own ways.
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| Batchoy, the comfort food of the Ilonggos. |
You can eat batchoy as a snack or a full meal depending on your preference. It is a heavy noodle soup with pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin, and round noodles. Ted's Oldtimer LaPaz Batchoy offers a good one and is located at the Upper Ground of SM City Iloilo.
Also read: 3 reasons why you should start biking in Iloilo City
2. Experience the "coffee culture" in Iloilo
Ilonggos are crazy fans of coffee. A huge population of the Ilonggos is coffee lovers. In fact, they would be willing to travel miles only to visit a cafe in the middle of a forest or river or even climb up a mountain (to name a few) just to sip a cup of coffee from a unique spot.
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| Bluejay Coffee & Co |
Generally, Ilonggos are always enthusiastic about trying different kinds of coffee beans, brewing styles, and all related coffee innovations. Local farmers grew more and more coffee produce mainly because of the increased demand in the Iloilo market alone.
Drop by the local brand Bluejay Coffee & Company at SM City Iloilo Northwing area and see how Ilonggos gather and enjoy conversations over coffee. It is one of the longest-standing coffee shops in Iloilo City. They have been in the market for 18 years and are still making a good game even in today's generation.
3. Experience the local food of the Ilonggos
Apart from being dubbed the City of Love, Iloilo City is also a satisfactory candidate as the food haven of the Philippines because of its delectable flavors and diversity of food sources.
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| Delicious favorites of the Ilonggos. |
If you are looking for a one-stop-shop food stall that can offer you various kinds of scrumptious Ilonggo food, visit the Breakthrough Restaurant food kiosk in the SM Food Court area to try the traditional style of Ilonggo cooking. They also serve seafood, native chicken, and other dishes.
Must-try dishes are native chicken tinola, KBL (kadios baboy langka), talaba platter, sisig, Ilonggo Laswa, Pancit Molo and other native meals.
You can also experience the authentic lutong-bahay (home-cooked) Ilonggo style of cooking at Casa Ilongga food kiosk located in the same area inside SM City Food Court. It serves delectable authentic Ilonggo cuisine like no other. What's unique about this restaurant is they are using traditional ingredients like batwan, kadios, and other native spices and ingredients.
SM City Iloilo is a mass favorite of the Ilonggos where you can do almost everything from shopping for all your needs, groceries, food, and lifestyle. It is located along the 8-lane road of Pres. Benigno Aquino Sr. Diversion Road, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Iloilo has so many things to make you fall in love with it. Ilonggos are known to be achievers and always competitive. But despite that, the Ilonggos are the sweetest and the most loving human beings you'll know.
Also, read more about Iloilo City and Iloilo Province through IBS Digital.
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