Netong's La Paz Batchoy Mega (miki noodles)
Netong's La Paz Batchoy Mega (Miki Noodles) is one of the signature dishes offered by Netong's, a long-established restaurant renowned for serving La Paz Batchoy, a representative noodle dish originating from the La Paz district of Iloilo City, Philippines. This dish features a rich and flavorful broth topped with generous portions of meat, fried garlic, and chopped green onions, with its distinctive chewy and thick wheat noodles known as "miki." Widely loved by both tourists visiting Iloilo and local residents, its luxurious combination of beef and pork toppings embodies both the tradition and evolution of La Paz Batchoy.
- Taste Rating
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The blend of beef and pork soup creates an impressively deep and complex flavor. The saltiness is not overpowering; instead, the pure savory taste makes the noodles delicious. There’s a sharpness to the flavor, so it feels like there might be a bit of vinegar added. Both pork and beef are included, and they are cooked to a tender finish, making the dish feel very luxurious.
- Price
- 130 Philippine Peso
- Meal Date
- 5/5/2025
- Food Travel Log
- Another bowl of La Paz Batchoy in Iloilo! The soup, made with a blend of beef and pork, had a rich depth of flavor, and the meat in it—a mixture of beef and pork—made it feel truly luxurious. By the way, the origin of the dish's name is quite interesting. Apparently, the inventor jokingly called it “Bats” (as in bat the animal), and later added “Batchoy” by combining it with “Chop suey” from Chinese cuisine. Judging by the name, it definitely seems to have Chinese roots.
AI Gourmet Analysis
Origin and History of La Paz Batchoy
La Paz Batchoy is a traditional noodle dish that originated in Iloilo City, Philippines, particularly in the district of La Paz. Born in the early 20th century, there are various theories regarding the name "Batchoy": one suggests it comes from the Hokkien term for meat noodle ("bak-choy"), another is an anecdote claiming the developer jokingly used "bat," and yet another links its name with the "suey" from Chinese-style stir-fried vegetables "Chop suey". The dish spread as a unique noodle soup endemic to the Visayas region and now enjoys national recognition.
Main Ingredients and Features
The biggest hallmark of La Paz Batchoy is its rich, complexly flavored broth and the abundant toppings of meats, fried garlic, chopped scallions, Chinese-style char siu, pork cracklings (crispy fried pork fat), and fish sauce. The soup stock is typically made by slow-cooking pork and beef bones, sometimes mixed with chicken carcass, and it's common to include various organ meats, resulting in a very umami-rich flavor profile.
About Miki Noodles
La Paz Batchoy primarily uses homemade, thick wheat noodles called "miki," which are characterized by their chewy texture and ability to blend perfectly with the soup. The origin of miki noodles can be traced to Chinese influence, and similar wheat noodles are also found in the Visayas and Pampanga regions.
Preparation and Variations
There are many variations in La Paz Batchoy recipes, ranging from traditional to modern interpretations. A typical process starts with extracting a rich stock by simmering pork and beef bones for hours, adding soy sauce, fish sauce, pepper, garlic, and sometimes shrimp broth or chili to deepen the flavor. Finishing touches include prepared liver, thinly sliced beef or pork, fried garlic, locally available pork cracklings, and chopped scallions.
There is also a custom of individually adding vinegar, calamansi juice, or small chili peppers to taste at the table. At Netong's, a traditional establishment in Iloilo, both beef and pork are used as toppings, resulting in an even more luxurious, robust flavor.
Connection between La Paz Batchoy and Chinese Cuisine
Due to Iloilo's historically significant immigrant background, La Paz Batchoy is deeply connected to Chinese food culture. From the 19th to early 20th centuries, Chinese immigrants (mainly from the Fujian and Guangdong regions) introduced and indigenized various cooking techniques and seasonings. As a result, batchoy shows similarities to Chinese soup noodles and Fujian’s "Bak chor mee" (minced pork noodles).
Social and Cultural Significance
La Paz Batchoy is regarded as the soul food of Iloilo City, being a staple for breakfast, snacks, and even late-night meals among locals. It is featured as the signature dish of various specialty shops, with long-established stores such as Netong’s and Ted’s proving especially popular with tourists. The dish has expanded into airports and cities across the Philippines, becoming an emblematic Filipino dish. Recently, it is also being introduced globally within the context of Asian cuisine booms.
Conclusion
La Paz Batchoy is a noodle dish that richly reflects the historical and cultural background of Iloilo. Despite its simplicity, its commitment to ingredients and preparation, as well as the luxurious beef and pork-centric toppings, result in an umami-packed experience. The dish’s birth and development were strongly influenced by Chinese immigrant culture, the evolution of food procurement, and street food culture in Philippine society, making it an essential culinary destination for any visitor interested in the local food heritage.