Take home some of Iloilo's sweetness with these specialty foods!
By: Karen Bermejo | April 15, 2020
Due to changing quarantine measures, the activities, destination/s, store/s, establishment/s featured in this article might be temporarily prohibited or closed under the latest government policies. LGUs might also implement health protocols and travel requirements. Please get in touch with the establishment/s before visiting. Stay safe!
Take home some sweetness from Iloilo with these classic treats.
Image: Original Biscocho Haus Facebook page
Iloilo is not known as the City of Love for nothing. The Ilonggos or the people from this city are known for their sweet accent and tender tone of voice. In reality, you can’t even tell if they are already cursing.
But another thing that makes Ilonggos sweet are the Iloilo Delicacies Pasalubong from Iloilo City that that anyone and everyone should taste. If you yourself are traveling to Iloilo for the first time or are already a frequent visitor, here are some Iloilo Delicacies Pasalubong from Iloilo City to bring home to your loved ones.
1. Biscocho
Where to find it: Original Biscocho Haus (multiple branches)
Operating hours: 6 AM to 8 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
With its crisp texture, biscocho is perfect for a hot drink.
Image: Original Biscocho Haus Facebook page
On top of the list of Iloilo delicacies is the classic Pasalubong from Iloilo, The Biscocho, which is a slice of toasted bread with butter and sugar. It is perfectly paired with coffee because of its crispiness. Also because it is lightweight, you can carry boxes of Biscocho without paying for excess baggage. While there are already a variety of versions of Biscocho available, the most popular is still from the Original Biscocho Haus. You can find the store in malls and in various locations in the city. But their main branch in Jaro which has been there for four decades already.
How to get to the Original Biscocho Haus: If you’re coming from the City Proper, take a Jaro CPU jeepney and get off at Jaro Plaza. Walk towards Lopez Jaena Street for at least two to three minutes to reach the shop.
Note: Due to the community quarantine, the operating hours for the Jaro branch are adjusted to 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM until further notice.
YOU MAY LIKE:
Find Local Products and Dishes at These Iconic Districts in Iloilo
2. Butterscotch
Where to find it: RGies Delicacies, Kamantigue Street, Gran Plains Subdivision, Jaro, Iloilo City
Operating hours:
8 AM to 5:30 PM on Mondays to Thursdays and Saturdays
9 AM to 5:30 PM on Fridays
Closed on Sundays
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
Aside from original, you can now enjoy butterscotch in other flavors such as walnut.
Image: RGies Delicacies Facebook page
One of the favorite Iloilo delicacies you should not miss is butterscotch or the soft and chewy brownies. Usually wrapped in bite-sized form, butterscotch is perfect as snacks or desserts. With its popularity, there are also numerous versions available in the market. The original butterscotch flavor only has cashews. Nowadays, there are also other variants you can try, such as with mango, almonds, dates, calamansi (local lime), and other local fruits; the sweet delicacies are perfect pasalubong from Iloilo to take home.
How to get to RGies Delicacies: From Iloilo City Proper, you can take a Jarol Liko Tagbak or Leganes jeepney and get off at Gran Plains Subdivision. The store is at the residence of the owner along Kamantigue Street.
3. Cream Horn
Where to find it: Margec’s Deli, E. Lopez Street, Jaro, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 7:30 AM to 8 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
If you’re a yema lover, you’ll surely like this cream horn with cream filling.
Image: Margec’s Cream Horn Facebook page
Cream horns may not be as famous as Biscocho and butterscotch; that's why it's a perfect pasalubong from Iloilo to take home, anda must-have for travelers visiting the city. It’s a pastry shaped like a horn while its insides are filled with a sweet and milky cream filling. Their regular filling flavor is yema which is a sweet confectionary made of egg yolk, milk, and sugar. But unlike the regular yema, it is less sweet so you can eat it with less guilt too. Aside from yema, there are also chocolate, strawberry, and buko pandan fillings.
How to get to Margec’s Deli: Whether you are from City Proper or Jaro area, take a Jaro-CPU jeepney and get off in front of the store along E. Lopez Street in Jaro district.
YOU MAY LIKE:
A Food Lover’s Guide to Finding the Best Batchoy in Iloilo City
4. Tablea
Where to find it: Camiña Balay Nga Bato, 20 Osmena Street, Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 8 AM to 6 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
Tablea is a type of chocolate drink with less guilt.
Image: Camiña Balay nga Bato in Iloilo Facebook page
Tablea or blocks of cacao these Iloilo delicacies are not exclusive to Iloilo City. In fact, it’s everywhere in the Philippines. But the Ilonggos’ sweet nature might have made it even more delightful than the others. The cacao products that this tablea are made out of harvested cacao from the highlands of Iloilo. Tablea is a staple drink in most local restaurants in the city. Likewise, it is also a favorite pasalubong from Iloilo.
How to get to Camiña Balay nga Bato: From City Proper, take a Villa Mohon or Oton jeepney and get off in front of the establishment.
Note: Due to the community quarantine, the operating hours for the store are adjusted to 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM until further notice. Only pick-up transactions are allowed.
For more of the best places to eat in the City of Love, check out Yoorekka.com.
5. Bandi
Where to find it: Iloilo Central Market, Rizal Street, City Proper, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 4 AM to 8 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP300
Enjoy a plate-size bandi or a bite-size one.
Image: Steph Doce
Bandi or peanuts and caramelized sugar candy are only made of three ingredients: peanuts, sugar, and sesame seeds on top. It’s actually more popular in San Joaquin, the last municipality of Iloilo province in the south. But you don’t have to travel for hours anymore to get bandi as it is already available in local markets and groceries in the city. The most common is a flat bandi sold in different sizes. There are even some that are as big as a large pizza pan. There are also round and bite-size bandi. City-made bandi are usually from the Molo district. If you are traveling far, bandi is also the perfect pasalubong since it can last really long.
How to get to Iloilo Central Market: Take any city-bound jeepney and alight as it passes along Iloilo City Central Market.
Note: Due to the community quarantine, the recommended operating hours for merchants in the Iloilo Central Market are now from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM until further notice.
YOU MAY LIKE:
Best Places to Eat in Iloilo for Your Next Barkada Get-Together
Aside from its sweet people, Iloilo City is indeed a perfect place to visit with all its mouth-watering Iloilo delicacies. Luckily, you can find this pasalubong from Iloilo anywhere so it is really easy to bring some home.
Due to changing quarantine measures, the activities, destination/s, store/s, establishment/s featured in this article might be temporarily prohibited or closed under the latest government policies. LGUs might also implement health protocols and travel requirements. Please get in touch with the establishment/s before visiting. Stay safe!
Take home some sweetness from Iloilo with these classic treats.
Image: Original Biscocho Haus Facebook page
Iloilo is not known as the City of Love for nothing. The Ilonggos or the people from this city are known for their sweet accent and tender tone of voice. In reality, you can’t even tell if they are already cursing.
But another thing that makes Ilonggos sweet are the Iloilo Delicacies Pasalubong from Iloilo City that that anyone and everyone should taste. If you yourself are traveling to Iloilo for the first time or are already a frequent visitor, here are some Iloilo Delicacies Pasalubong from Iloilo City to bring home to your loved ones.
1. Biscocho
Where to find it: Original Biscocho Haus (multiple branches)
Operating hours: 6 AM to 8 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
With its crisp texture, biscocho is perfect for a hot drink.
Image: Original Biscocho Haus Facebook page
On top of the list of Iloilo delicacies is the classic Pasalubong from Iloilo, The Biscocho, which is a slice of toasted bread with butter and sugar. It is perfectly paired with coffee because of its crispiness. Also because it is lightweight, you can carry boxes of Biscocho without paying for excess baggage. While there are already a variety of versions of Biscocho available, the most popular is still from the Original Biscocho Haus. You can find the store in malls and in various locations in the city. But their main branch in Jaro which has been there for four decades already.
How to get to the Original Biscocho Haus: If you’re coming from the City Proper, take a Jaro CPU jeepney and get off at Jaro Plaza. Walk towards Lopez Jaena Street for at least two to three minutes to reach the shop.
Note: Due to the community quarantine, the operating hours for the Jaro branch are adjusted to 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM until further notice.
YOU MAY LIKE:
Find Local Products and Dishes at These Iconic Districts in Iloilo
2. Butterscotch
Where to find it: RGies Delicacies, Kamantigue Street, Gran Plains Subdivision, Jaro, Iloilo City
Operating hours:
8 AM to 5:30 PM on Mondays to Thursdays and Saturdays
9 AM to 5:30 PM on Fridays
Closed on Sundays
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
Aside from original, you can now enjoy butterscotch in other flavors such as walnut.
Image: RGies Delicacies Facebook page
One of the favorite Iloilo delicacies you should not miss is butterscotch or the soft and chewy brownies. Usually wrapped in bite-sized form, butterscotch is perfect as snacks or desserts. With its popularity, there are also numerous versions available in the market. The original butterscotch flavor only has cashews. Nowadays, there are also other variants you can try, such as with mango, almonds, dates, calamansi (local lime), and other local fruits; the sweet delicacies are perfect pasalubong from Iloilo to take home.
How to get to RGies Delicacies: From Iloilo City Proper, you can take a Jarol Liko Tagbak or Leganes jeepney and get off at Gran Plains Subdivision. The store is at the residence of the owner along Kamantigue Street.
3. Cream Horn
Where to find it: Margec’s Deli, E. Lopez Street, Jaro, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 7:30 AM to 8 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
If you’re a yema lover, you’ll surely like this cream horn with cream filling.
Image: Margec’s Cream Horn Facebook page
Cream horns may not be as famous as Biscocho and butterscotch; that's why it's a perfect pasalubong from Iloilo to take home, anda must-have for travelers visiting the city. It’s a pastry shaped like a horn while its insides are filled with a sweet and milky cream filling. Their regular filling flavor is yema which is a sweet confectionary made of egg yolk, milk, and sugar. But unlike the regular yema, it is less sweet so you can eat it with less guilt too. Aside from yema, there are also chocolate, strawberry, and buko pandan fillings.
How to get to Margec’s Deli: Whether you are from City Proper or Jaro area, take a Jaro-CPU jeepney and get off in front of the store along E. Lopez Street in Jaro district.
YOU MAY LIKE:
A Food Lover’s Guide to Finding the Best Batchoy in Iloilo City
4. Tablea
Where to find it: Camiña Balay Nga Bato, 20 Osmena Street, Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 8 AM to 6 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP500
Tablea is a type of chocolate drink with less guilt.
Image: Camiña Balay nga Bato in Iloilo Facebook page
Tablea or blocks of cacao these Iloilo delicacies are not exclusive to Iloilo City. In fact, it’s everywhere in the Philippines. But the Ilonggos’ sweet nature might have made it even more delightful than the others. The cacao products that this tablea are made out of harvested cacao from the highlands of Iloilo. Tablea is a staple drink in most local restaurants in the city. Likewise, it is also a favorite pasalubong from Iloilo.
How to get to Camiña Balay nga Bato: From City Proper, take a Villa Mohon or Oton jeepney and get off in front of the establishment.
Note: Due to the community quarantine, the operating hours for the store are adjusted to 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM until further notice. Only pick-up transactions are allowed.
For more of the best places to eat in the City of Love, check out Yoorekka.com.
5. Bandi
Where to find it: Iloilo Central Market, Rizal Street, City Proper, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 4 AM to 8 PM daily
Recommended budget for one: PhP300
Enjoy a plate-size bandi or a bite-size one.
Image: Steph Doce
Bandi or peanuts and caramelized sugar candy are only made of three ingredients: peanuts, sugar, and sesame seeds on top. It’s actually more popular in San Joaquin, the last municipality of Iloilo province in the south. But you don’t have to travel for hours anymore to get bandi as it is already available in local markets and groceries in the city. The most common is a flat bandi sold in different sizes. There are even some that are as big as a large pizza pan. There are also round and bite-size bandi. City-made bandi are usually from the Molo district. If you are traveling far, bandi is also the perfect pasalubong since it can last really long.
How to get to Iloilo Central Market: Take any city-bound jeepney and alight as it passes along Iloilo City Central Market.
Note: Due to the community quarantine, the recommended operating hours for merchants in the Iloilo Central Market are now from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM until further notice.
YOU MAY LIKE:
Best Places to Eat in Iloilo for Your Next Barkada Get-Together
Aside from its sweet people, Iloilo City is indeed a perfect place to visit with all its mouth-watering Iloilo delicacies. Luckily, you can find this pasalubong from Iloilo anywhere so it is really easy to bring some home.
Disclaimer: All articles in the Consumers Magazine of Yoorekka are for general information and entertainment purposes only. Although careful research has been made in writing them, Yoorekka does not make any warranty about the completeness and accuracy of all information presented in our articles. Our content is not intended to be used in place of legal, medical, or any professional advice.