Magnolia Chicken Sotanghon

Let me get this straight...this is not your average Sotanghon. I bumped into this food yesterday and I opted to try it for review. I'm a fan of food especially the instant ones since they made my life a lot better although less healthier.

But this one may have pushed the envelope too far.

Magnolia Chicken Sotanghon is an sotanghon guisado. Inside you'll have the standard sotanghon noodles mixed with yakisoba noodles. There's meat and sauce that are added after you boil the sotanghon or at least place the noodles in hot water. Preparation could be compare to instant pancit canton.

The taste? Not so good. I'm always a big fan of noodles but this one is definitely an ill-concieved concept. It doesn't taste like the sotanghon guisado I like one bit. The instant version should at least have that slight reminder of the food.

The price? Not so good as well. For more than PHP20, it's not worth it.

My recommendations? Add Kalamansi to improve its taste or prepare it as dry as possible. But you're better off with an instant yakisoba which is a lot cheaper

Food Review: Batchoy and Rice in a Box

(Note: Since I have to review anything, that includes food. It's a personal view but I try to keep my palettes as universal as possible.)

For this week, we'll take a look at two popular foods that I and most Ilonggos like: Batchoy and Rice Toppings.

There are two popular batchoy houses in the city - Deco's and Ted's La Paz batchoy. Deco's claim that before the time Ted's established its name on the popular menu, Deco's was already there. Personally, I haven't seen them before they were revived by the owners of Mang Inasal.

Comparing Decos and Ted's is almost unfair. Each Batchoy has a distinct taste which caters to a specific market. Ted's traditional taste always hits the spot. The right combination of meat, liver and other components makes the money worth it. I really love the smell of Ted's when you enter their Batchoy houses - the smell of the "caldo" is better than anywhere I've ever been.

On the other hand, Deco's appeal is largely based on the fact that its the original. But instead of being traditional, the ambiance was upped a little bit. The seats are more cushy, the service counters are modern and they even have free wifi but I don't dare use my laptop on Decos since I don't want any caldo to spill on my computer while I eat there. For the taste, I think their unique formula really appeals to some people. Concentration on the liver and other intestines is emphasized there so if you compared Decos with Teds, Teds is a little sweet while Decos has that flavor distinct yet enjoyable flavor.

Now on to the next show...rice in a box.

If I'm not mistaken, there are two rice in a box stalls in the city. The one that concentrates on cooking right after your order or the precooked ones. The precooked rice in the box (in picture) is found in Robinsons in front of a Magazine stand, ground floor. For only PHP39.00 you get to choose chicken, pork or beef mixed with oriental and filipino sauces.

The other rice in a box is found in Atrium wherein it's a mixture of vegetables such as carrots and peas while adding patis, salt and msg. The flavor differs from the fact that it adds some flavoring. The price is almost the same but they do have a variety based on the flavor.

There you have it. Two meals found in Iloilo. Suggest foods that I have to try. I can be a ginuea pig with a big stomach :)