Oishi Batchoi - Not Your Typical Batchoy

June 07, 2016

Batchoy is a classic Ilonggo dish and almost a favorite of everyone. It’s a noodle soup made with pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin, and rounded noodles. The taste has captured not only the Ilonggo’s taste buds, but almost every Filipino. Hence, this dish also captures the attention of Chef Benjie Garcia or known as Chef Benji San who used to work as a chef in japan for 20 years. His love for food made him dream to someday launch his own restaurant where he can utilize his skills in preparing exquisite food by introducing fusion product such as Batchoy..

That dream paves its way to the birth of Oishi Batchoi - A restaurant that offers the well-loved batchoy but ... with a Japanese twist.

It really entices me because I’ve always been passionate about Japanese cuisine. Chef Benji-San concocted his own version of Filipino Batchoy, by imitating the thorough manner of preparing broth – the Japanese manner. He used Japanese Miso (soybean paste) giving the soup not only sweet and savory taste, but also with tons of health benefits. The Miso soup is then topped with the usual usual flare of Filipino batchoy and then Chasyu or roast pork is added instead of ordinary pork with Naruto or fish cake.

To complete the toppings, freshly made ramen or egg noodles is added instead of ordinary noodles. And these infusions of two different culinary traditions are totally a blast. A new genre of batchoy was created and it’s more healthy!

Chef Benjie - San is giving his speech during the launching of Osihi Batchoi at SM City Iloilo. His story - how he started with his dream, his passion and determination, making his dream come true is truly inspiring.