Batchoy

Batchoy, or batsoy, is derived from the Chinese ba chui, meaning “meat water.” The batchoy of La Paz Market, Iloilo’s signature dish, is a rich pork and beef-based broth filled with yellow noodles and topped with cut-up roast pork, chicharron, fried garlic, and scallions. Reynaldo Guillergan owns the original batchoy stand at the La Paz Market in Iloilo City. He inherited the recipe and business from his father, who worked for and later bought the original noodle stand from its Chinese owners who started it fifty years ago.