Ultimate Bacolod Food Trip- 21 Restaurant

God sends meat. The Devil sends Cooks.
- John Taylo




Journeying to Bacolod with naught but a handful of tips in tow, we know that we shouldn't miss on 21 Restaurant's Super Batchoy. For the clueless, batchoy is a local Visayan noodle dish made with pork organs, shrimp, pork cracklings, meat stock and veggies. The closest batchoy that one can savor these days is actually the "just add hot water" variety that you can buy from stores.

I've always been a batchoy fan. My dad used to buy me batchoy from the local carinderia next to our place in Quezon City when I was down with the flu. Batchoy was my Chicken Soup. And whenever a restaurant offers batchoy in their menu, I have to taste it. But nothing really comes close to satisfying my batchoy frenzy, until I took my first whiff of 21 Restaurant's Super Batchoy. And this, my friends, is the start of my addiction.


Thanks to our friend Eisyl, who graciously took us around Bacolod to taste the exquisite goodness of 21's Batchoy. We were never quite the same after that eventful day.

Love at first sip.
The best batchoy I ever laid my senses on.
The aroma of the soup speaks of lovingly-boiled pork/beef/chicken bones over  slow fire.
The noodles speak of good quality egg and flour.
The rich, creamy, bubbly broth touched my soul.
Ahhhh... I could file for a divorce and marry this batchoy.

What makes the best batchoy?
Up close and personal.
Slivers of pork liver, doused with pork cracklings and meat in a bubbly, creamy broth.

Don't let this bowl fool you.
We thought that the Super Batchoy is good for one serving... it was more than that!
2-3 people can actually share a bowl of this superb noodle soup, depending on your appetite.
I downed a whole bowl all by myself.
The soup was ecstatically tasty, my tummy was bursting at the seams but I can't seem to stop from eating.

Superb Batchoy.
We learned that this is an heirloom recipe handed down from one generation to the next.
I would love to get my hands on that recipe!
But then again, I believe it's more of the technique they use in cooking this  dish.
The Super Batchoy is the pinnacle of all batchoys --- imagine bone marrow in the soup (which explains its creamy taste),  freshly cracked egg and lots of chicharon! 

Fortunate to meet and greet one of the owners of 21 Restaurant, Paolo Araneta, who happens to be the friend of our gracious host, Eisyl. (seated from left to right: Nikka, Feje, Paolo, Eisyl, Yours Truly and Swity)

Margarita Surprise!
21 Restaurant also offers cocktails.
This large (and I mean GINORMOUS) margarita is heavenly.
We were buzzed right in the middle of the day.
Enough to cap off our sumptuous batchoy overload.

Crispy baby shrimps with sinamak vinegar.

If I weren't THAT full, I would have enjoyed more of these baby crustaceans.
They were flavorful and crispy, best paired with their sinamak vinegar as dipping sauce.

Fruity Achara to complement the baby shrimps 

21 Restaurant's Super Batchoy capped off our 3D-2N stay in the City of Smiles. It was the perfect dish to send us off. Not to mention that the prices of their dishes were very reasonable, and the servings were huge enough to share. Next time we find ourselves in Bacolod again, this will definitely be on our list. Highly recommended to family and friends who will be visiting Negros.

I wouldn't mind going back again and again to this place. I found my love in Bacolod. Forget about those hacienderos and the fabled good-looking guys (we hardly found none, hahaha! see in my next post about our epic fail of clubbing) of the City. THIS is more than enough to  make me smile.

After all, this food trip started my addiction. Who cares about diets? I could always start again tomorrow.





Special thanks to the following: Eisyl and Paolo for the gracious treat. Nothing beats Bacolod hospitality.