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Get to Know New Iloilo with These Places to Visit this September 2019
Be introduced to the developed Iloilo with these new places of interest in the city.
By: Karen Bermejo | September 05, 2019
Iloilo City has lots of newly-opened places both for tourists and locals.
Image: Sandok Comfort Food Iloilo Facebook page
If you haven't been to Iloilo in the past five years, you will definitely think it’s a different place now. Each year, a new development is sprouting. What is good as well is that the new establishments are not just concentrated at one business district. Developments are distributed so well that you will have plenty of places to visit this September 2019 all throughout the city.
And as the city continues to progress and welcome more economic opportunities, there’s always a new place to explore here. There are places to eat, places to work, and even areas to relax. Check out some of the new places to visit this September 2019 on this list.
1. Sandok Comfort Food Iloilo
Address: Two Lorton Parksquare, Quezon Street, Iloilo City Proper, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily
Recommended budget for two: PhP500
KBL stands for Kadios, Baboy, Langka, or pigeon peas, pork, and unripe jackfruit.
Image: Sandok Comfort Food Iloilo Facebook page
When you’re looking for home-cooked local food, then Sandok Café is the place you should go to. The place is the newest branch of the same restaurant from Bacolod. The restaurant highlights comfort food on their menu, so their specialty includes the classic Ilonggo soft dishes. These includes the KBL (Kadios, Baboy, Langka), a hearty soup made of pigeon peas, pork, and jackfruit. They likewise serve manok sa ubad, a chicken soup served with the tender core of the upper trunk of the banana plant. Take note that they are only using organic chicken for this dish. What is unique about the place is the use of hot pot for all their soup meals. Aside from the soup, they also serve other Filipino dishes such as sisig, adobo, and dinuguan. Additionally, the restaurant also delivers through Move Delivery.
How to get to Sandok Comfort Food Iloilo: Take a jeepney going to City Proper Iloilo and drop off along Quezon Street. The SM City Proper jeepney passes along the area.
2. Crypto Café Iloilo
Address: Second floor, North wing, SM City Iloilo, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily
Recommended budget for two: PhP500
Instead of bay leaves, this adobo is spiced with libas or neem leaves.
Image: Crypto Café SM City Iloilo Facebook page
This place is not just for the food lover, but even for groups of friends, families, or colleagues who want to gather. The place combines a café, restaurant, and bar in one. The restaurant started in Roxas City and has recently expanded in Iloilo. Crypto Café puts great focus on fresh, local, organic, and tasty ingredients. They serve Filipino and other popular dishes with a little twist. For example, their pork adobo has libas (neem leaves) which is usually put in soup dishes. They also have a five-cheese beef caldereta and a signature Crypto burger. For drinks, who would have thought they could make a juice from batuan. Batuan is a sour fruit commonly used as a souring agent for famous Ilonggo dishes such as KBL and kansi (beef soup).
How to get to Crypto Cafe: Take any jeepney passing Diversion Road or take a taxi and get off at SM City Iloilo.
3. Flavours of Bucari by 88 Street Bistro
Address: Plazuela Uno, Benigno Aquino Drive, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily
Recommended budget for two: PhP500
If you’re tired of meat, then this Ilonggo vegetable soup called laswa is a good option.
Image: Flavors of Bucari facebook page
Bucari is known as the Baguio of Iloilo. Just like the summer capital of the Philippines, Bucari has cold weather. Because of this, this village in Leon town in Iloilo always produces a bountiful harvest. People who visit Bucari also never miss visiting 88 Street Bistro serving dishes from Bucari’s fresh produce. To give Ilonggos in the city the chance to try their menu, Flavours of Bucari opened in the town proper. Interestingly, the place is not just a restaurant but also serves as a marketplace for the fresh vegetables and fruits from the small farming communities in Leon. They serve Filipino dishes such as native chicken adobo and linagpang (ceviche). Likewise, a fresh and crisp salad is always present on their menu. From Fridays to Sundays, they also host a dinner buffet for their guests.
How to get to Flavors of Bucari: Take any jeepney passing Diversion Road or take a taxi and get off at Plazuela Uno.
4. Ubra: Shared Space + Cafe Lounge
Address: Second floor, Southpoint, SM City, Iloilo City
Operating hours: Monday – 9 AM to 12 MN; Tuesday, Thursday to Sunday – 9 AM to 5 PM; Wednesday – 7 AM to 12 MN
Recommended budget per person: PhP300
Ubra is the newest haven for students and professionals in the city.
Image: Ubra: Shared Space + Café Lounge Facebook page
If what you’re looking for is a place to work and eat at the same time, there’s also a new co-working space in Iloilo. Ubra Shared Space + Café Lounge is the latest addition to several shared spaces and study hubs in the city. From the word ubra, which is an Ilonggo word for work, you can have your work station there. They have a common area wherein you can walk-in for PhP100 for the first hour and PhP50 for succeeding hours. They also have a board room suitable for six to eight people and a classroom for a group of 25 to 30 people. The rates are consumable, so use what you paid for to order food and beverages at their café.
How to get to Ubra: Shared Space + Cafe Lounge: Take any jeepney passing Diversion Road or take a taxi and get off at SM City Iloilo.
5. New sections of Iloilo Esplanade
Address: Diversion Road to Muelle Loney, Iloilo City
Operating hours: Always open daily
Recommended budget for two: free
Ilonggos can now enjoy a longer Iloilo Esplanade.
Image: Iloilo Esplanade Facebook page
A new portion of the Iloilo Esplanade is now open to the public. The four new sections stretch from the Iloilo Bridge or the Diversion Bridge to Muelle Loney was inaugurated just this July. With its opening, Ilonggos and visitors can now enjoy walking or strolling a total of 8.1-kilometer linear park. The esplanade is likewise overlooking the Iloilo River.
How to get to Iloilo Esplanade: Take any jeepney passing Diversion Road or take a taxi and get off at Iloilo Esplanade.
For more places to be in Panay Island, check out Yoorekka.com!
6. SMR Chocolates Iloilo
Address: Plazuela Uno, Benigno Aquino Drive, Iloilo City
Operating hours: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily
Recommended budget per person: PhP100
You’ll surely drool with all these chocolates at SMR.
Image: SMR Chocolates Iloilo Facebook page
If you have a sweet tooth, the newly opened SMR Chocolates Iloilo is a haven for you. SMR Chocolates has imported chocolates and snacks for consumption. What is good about their shop is that buyers can mix and match chocolates in smaller packages, so they can try everything. They even have chocolates as low as PhP4 per piece.
How to get to SMR Chocolates Iloilo: Take any jeepney passing Diversion Road or take a taxi and get off at Plazuela Uno.
Whether you’re looking for a new place to eat, to stroll around, or to grab some sweets, you will surely find one in Iloilo.
About Karen Bermejo
Karen is a writer, a traveler, and a volunteer. Her ultimate dream is to travel the world, master a foreign language, and learn how to swim. To keep her sanity while chasing her dreams, she’s scaling mountains on weekends.
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Disclaimer: All articles in the Consumers Magazine of Yoorekka are
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careful research has been made in writing them, Yoorekka does not
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