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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
