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Curious about the ‘best siopao in Iloilo City’? We tried Roberto’s

We checked the maker of, supposedly, the city’s “largest best-tasting siopao”. And kumusta ang experience namin?

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The Grab driver told us that the “downtown” area of Iloilo City has moved, from the older city center not too far from the city hall and provincial capitol, to the commercial area of Mandurriao. This shift means many of the older attractions are ignored, if not forgotten. And among these is Roberto’s, popular for selling siopao (hot buns) since 1978.

@outragemag Have you tried the supposedly best #siopao in #Iloilo? We #LGBT ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

With good word of mouth (and not just from the Grab driver, but also from the hotel’s staff, bank security guard, and so on), we checked the maker of, supposedly, the city’s “largest best-tasting siopao”. And kumusta ang experience namin?

Una, the place is easy to find. Locals know about this place, so – if you ask – you will be guided accordingly. Not that this is needed, actually, since the place is located in the historic street of Calle Real, a.k.a. J.M. Basa Street, which tourists tend to pass through if checking the older parts of Iloilo.

Ikalawa, the resto is old, complete with old furniture, those old mirrors, old photos and tarpaulins pasted on various parts of the resto, and so on. I doubt people visit for the glam, however.

Ikatlo, they have a karinderya system. Here, you are supposed to queue to order, and then find your own table/seat. The place can get full, so that take-out orders are common.

Ika-apat, the workers are… impersonal. No engagement of customers happens here; just order and pay.

Ikalima, kumusta ang offerings?

  1. There are four types of siopao: the ₱180 Queen, ₱150 King, ₱100 Jumbo and ₱60 Regular. Aside from the size (e.g. the Queen is the biggest, at least they’re not patriarchal), the fillings also vary. The Queen, for instance, has bacon, Chinese sausage, chicken-pork adobo, and egg; while, for the King, remove the bacon). Yes, the siopaos we got were bigger-than-usual. And the dough used was soft. But, taste-wise, they were… not exactly memorable. Malaki and malaman but unremarkable.
  2. The ₱115 bihon was served in a plastic bag; you, yourself, had to transfer it to the Styrofoam provided. This one didn’t have a lot of sahog except for those pesky chicken bones. And, sadly, it was quite tasteless.
  3. The ₱45 meatballs were surprising, tasting like skinless lumpiang Shanghai.

Long queues form in front of Roberto’s almost every day, with many just ordering the Queen siopao. We’re on the fence here, on whether this is deserved. Because we know Iloilo has other offerings that deserve just-as-much if not even more attention.

And so off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Roberto’s is located at 61 J.M. Basa Street, Iloilo City.

M.D. dela Cruz Tan is the founder of Zest Magazine. And no, the initials (i.e. M.D.) do not make him a "medical doctor" (as many have erroneously thought in the past); he is actually a graduate of Bachelor of Arts (Communication Studies) of the University of Newcastle in New South Wales Australia (just don't ask when, he says), and Master of Development Communication from the University of the Philippines-Open University. He can: photograph, do artworks with mixed media, write (of course), shoot flicks, community-organize, facilitate, lecture, research (with pioneering studies under his belt)... this one's a multi-tasker, who is even conversant in Filipino Sign Language. Cross his path is the dare (read: It won't be boring).

Destinations

Eating out in Cebu in one place via Pusô Village

Checking out #Cebu’s all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie hubs.

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In the past, if you wanted to grab some of the food associated with Cebu, you headed to – among others – Larsian, this place not too far from Fuente Osmeña Circle. It wasn’t necessarily popular with the locals who saw (and still see) it as unhygienic, but it’s this easy-to-access BBQ place that’s open 24/7.

Starting 2025, however, a new place was opened to serve as the one-stop culinary and cultural hub of Cebu City: the Pusô Village.

@outragemag Checking out #Cebu's all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village (#pusovillage) that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, developed by Cebu2World/Megawide as part of the Carbon Market modernization, this place’s name drew inspiration from the pusô rice cake that’s served when you have meals in Cebu. There are, therefore, design elements that’d remind you of the pusô – e.g. those octahedral shapes on the entrance. Inside, there are attempts to beautify by borrowing elements from Bahay na bato Philippine architectural style; most are fake, though, such as those painted-on verandahs you’d see when you look up.

Ikalawa, there are over 100 food stalls and retail outlets here… though more of the former than the latter. They’ve been “properly” structured, so that the lechon vendors are on one side, seafood sellers on another side, and so on.

Ikatlo, we tried some of the offerings to ascertain how good they are.

The unlimited lechon is popular, providing an opportunity particularly for non-locals to cheaply enjoy this Cebuano treat. Taste-wise, the lechons vary little, some saltier than the others. The “approach” in serving is similar, though. You get an okay portion when first served, and the portion gets smaller the more you return. Noticeably, by the third refill, the vendors become grumpier when serving you, some even ignoring you, or stuffing fatty parts on your plate. Business greed in action.

Though cooked the same way (i.e. buttered), the seafood platters are inconsistent. You could get some shrimps or crabs now and then, though most times, you’d just get mussels.

Then there’s the tuslob-buwa, pig’s brain cooked under maximum heat to then become dip for pusô. We’d say this is acquired taste… but there’s not much to taste. So this is a costly to-try food.

Only open until 10.00PM, Pusô Village offers those in Cebu a venue to try as many of the local goods as possible. For that, alone, this is a must-check. You are sure to find a few stuffs you’d like.

But the city still has a lot of venues offering local culinary and cultural goods, and they deserve to be also checked. And so off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa

Pusô Village is located at M.L Quezon Blvd., Sto. Nino, Cebu City.

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Destinations

Going Chinese in Pulilan, Bulacan

Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan, and we’re on the fence here (yes if no choice, no if you can go elsewhere).

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We happened to be in Pulilan in Bulacan, and I had pancit craving. As if on cue, we passed by Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan, which – after we Google-checked – is supposedly one of the more frequently-visited Chinese restos in these parts of the province, so… of course we checked.

@outragemag Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this place is really, REALLY easy to find. Located along the Pulilan Regional Road in Barangay Cut-cot in Pulilan, this is right in the middle of the municipality.

Ikalawa, the resto is actually divided into three parts: one side is for those with reservations, another part is for walk-in diners, and another part is for events. If/when the resto isn’t full, only the main part (middle one) is kept open.

No, this isn’t some fancy resto. More like an airconditioned karinderya, complete with wooden tables and plastic chairs. Look-wise, it wasn’t dirty naman when we were there, so that’s a plus.

Ikatlo, the workers were friendly naman… and they moved fast – e.g. while waiting for our orders, we were given must-check peanuts, and since we finished what we got fast, our waitress was more than happy to accommodate us.

Ika-apat, now… how was the food?

The house specialty, the Lee Foo Chicken (₱265 for half, ₱495 for whole), looked like fried chicken with ketchup. Okay… the breading was okay since it didn’t overpower the meat. The chicken, too, was properly cooked, and it wasn’t dry. But it was tasteless overall; so the ketchup taste is what stays with you.

The Pancit Canton Bihon (₱255) had thin pancit noodles, almost as thin as the bihon. It didn’t have lots of sahog; instead, you’d notice the extenders (like kikiam, and so on). I like good pancit, I swear… but this isn’t one of them, sorry.

The weirdly-wrapped Hakaw (₱155) was small, so it was bitin.

And then there’s the Siomai Steam (₱155), which was, in a word, weird. The size was good, similar to those ₱10 siomais. But the way this was prepared was weird for us – e.g. like the meat was overwatered, and having a hard time staying solid, so that it was smudgy, and disintegrated in the mouth even without chewing. I suppose that, at least, it wasn’t disgusting taste-wise.

Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is, we believe, popular. Like President in Chinatown, or a branch of David’s in some mall. To each his or her own nga naman. But for us, we’re off to look for other Chinese restos na muna as we head out in search of more lafangan venues.

Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is located at 159 Barangay Cut-cot, Pulilan, 3005 Bulacan Province. For more information, contact 0925 800 0168, or email leefoopanciteria@yahoo.com.

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Travel

Treacherous beauty: Hiking at South Stack Lighthouse in Wales

#Lighthouse fever in #Holyhead, #anglesey via the #SouthStackLighthouse, as checked during this #LGBT trip to #Wales.

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Yes, tech has made many lighthouses redundant. Not that they’re no longer relevant. But navigation-wise, we know we have more advanced solutions. Which, perhaps not surprisingly, led to the reconfiguration of many of them.

In Holyhead, Anglesey in Wales, introducing the South Stack Lighthouse.

@outragemag #Lighthouse fever in #Holyhead, #anglesey via the #SouthStackLighthouse, as checked during this #LGBT trip to #Wales ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, you’d need a ride to be there. Some use private cars, as we did; others join tours; and others cycle to the place.

Ikalawa, what’s there?

The lighthouse itself is located on a small, rocky island off Holyhead. From afar, it looks like someone’s grand home; mansion-like. Accessible siya after you descend down 400 steep steps. 

What will you see while there?

  • the former lighthouse engine room
  • the top of the lighthouse
  • South Stack is also home to breeding seabirds including guillemots, razorbills and puffins

Here’s an FYI: seasonal lang siya bukas.

This is a must-check for lighthouse lovers, of course. Historic, it was built in 1809 by Trinity House from the design of Daniel Alexander. 91-foot tall, it used to allow safe passage for ships on the Dublin–Holyhead–Liverpool sea route. 

Another FYI: It is  allegedly haunted, and has been visited by a team from “Most Haunted”.

The area housing the lighthouse is, itself, worth checking. There are trails for hikers or joggers or cyclists; though the same could be enjoyed by those who are there only to look for good shots.

Check when you’re in the area… even if you just pass by. Nice siya, promise.

But off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa

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