Yesterday I had to go out and ship an order I got thru an online app. I went thru the trouble even if I am sick. Why? Well it was the first order I got for that item so I was happy to ship it out.
Along the way, because I was sick it seems like I kept making wrong decisions after another. Before everything turned worse I had a chance to discover this restaurant I've never seen before. (Well, not that I was actively looking whenever I pass by 20th Avenue going to and from Cubao. Hehe.)
I was regretting going out even when sick because at that point I felt tired easily and my head seemed like it was going to ache soon. Wearing a face mask does help as it prevented me from coughing from all the dust. Mask or no mask, I still felt terrible. And then I saw this restaurant "out of nowhere" while I was begrudgingly walking to the jeepney route several meters away. It was like a moment when angels sang in my ears. Hot soup for my flu!!! 馃槏
This popular Filipino dish called Batchoy (or batsoy),is made up of pork liver, crushed chicharon (pork cracklings), chicken stock, beef loin and round noodles (or some variations of any of the ingredients).
I am not a fan of any food with animal innards so maybe that's why Batchoy is not my favorite at all. The reason I decided to eat in this particular restaurant was because last month I was in Iloilo City for the Dinagyang Festival.
This food is also known as La Paz Batchoy since it is originally from La Paz, Iloilo City. Too bad I wasn't able to go there or even look around the city that much. Didn't have enough time but I was able to eat at a Batchoy restaurant there too. (That would be a post for another day. Hehe.)
The first thing I noticed upon entering the cute establishment is how cozy and clean the interior design is. You can see it from outside, it's like a good place to hang out when you feel really bad because of the great lighting and minimalist look.
And of course you don't need to be depressed to be glad enough to find a decent place to eat in the area. Definitely it is not a karinderia (roadside eatery) as it is properly enclosed and well decorated.
I'm not sure if the doors are always open and the aircon is not used though but there was no one eating inside when I stepped in. Good for me because I could take pictures! Haha.
By the way, this is not a sponsored post. Hehe.
A quick check online told me it's been around as early as August 2018. Well it's not that new anymore but it is for me. Haha. It's good to see there's a nice place to eat in the Project 4/20th Ave area. I used to live there back in 2007, I think, and the nearest fast food or restaurant was a jeepney away.
They also have free WiFi for 30 minutes. Enough time for anyone to upload a selfie and picture on social media. You'd have to ask the people behind the counter for the password though. 馃槈
If you look at the second picture above you will see some delivery information and such on the glass entrance. That's convenient especially when it can't accommodate a lot of people. Perhaps about 20 - 30 customers can fit at one time? I didn't count but I think that's about right.
As I walked over to the order window area (1st pic), I looked at the menu screen and wondered which one to choose. At first I thought I should buy ramen. Mmm that would be good for my stuffy nose. But of course I asked what's the best seller. So they told me most people ordered Batchoy XP, so I ordered the small one.
I waited maybe less than 10 minutes before they served the food. Aside from my order, I asked for a Calamansi and boy the server gave me a really big one. Haha. I paid before I started eating.
Tada!
Okay it might not look presentable anymore because I squeezed the big Calamansi into it, mixed it then I couldn't help but drink some of the hot soup before taking any photo. 馃榿 Tastes good though.
Actually before I even began to enjoy my food and after I took photos of the interior, a couple came in. Well hey that time I felt like a lucky magnet. Hahaha. Customers came by because of me! Lol.
Nah they looked like they were really planning to drop by but I dunno... And then when I was already eating, another couple came in, oh more of them because of me! Lol. Anyway it looked like they weren't patrons like I was since they asked about what's good to eat.
Of course the place felt more alive after that. The place didn't look too quiet and empty anymore. (No after pictures though as I was busy savoring the food. Hehe.)
The music wasn't as "defeaning" in the initial silence when I first walked in. Not that it was loud, it was just right but eventually it faded in the background while I and the rest of the customers indulged in our food.
As for the temperature, well it was actually comfortable even if the aircon was off. It wasn't hot at all.
To be fair even if I got the small serving, it was enough to fill my stomach. It's not that small at all but the best single serving size for any stomach. 馃槉
Even with my cold and the less than best performing tastebuds I could still taste something good. I mean there was a sweetness I didn't know where it came from. It's definitely not from the lime I put in. I'm sure it tastes way better if I didn't have a stuffed nose. Hehe.
The meat was tender and even if I don't eat innards as mentioned, I munched on the other soft... okay I don't wanna get into it but I ate ALMOST everything. Haha. As long as I was eating anything with the noodles and sipping on the hot soup I was good.
Definitely any bowl of hot food is a comfort when sick. Even with that, I got no complaints from what I ordered. I think what I like best was the kinda sweet taste in it and the soft intestines (?). Plus you can drink water to your heart's content: choose from Hot, Cold or Neither. Haha.
Next time I pass by the area I will order the ramen and any of the other interesting food listed in the menu. 馃榿
The Batchoy Experience
20th Ave, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
STEEM Food Tours #95: The Batchoy Experience - 20th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City: Tasty Despite My Flu
This post participated in the Tasteem contest All about noodles
