One of Iloilo City’s top chefs and a staunch culture advocate, Tibong, as many fondly call him, holds events such as the Tabu-an Cooking Competition and the Sabores de Visayas gala dinner to promote Western Visayas cuisine and talent.
Rafael ‘Tibong’ Jardeleza, Jr.’s love for Ilonggo food is homegrown. “I grew up with the food of my Lola Esca. Her estofado, her pinamalhan,” he says. “I have fond memories of food, especially from those times I spent my weekends with her. She’s a great influencer.”
Her impact must have been immense and enduring as Tibong has been professing passion for Western Visayas cuisine for more than three decades now with the multiple staging of his Tabu-an, a heritage cooking competition, and Sabores de Visayas, a gala dinner participated by acclaimed chefs. His book “Flavors of Iloilo” was also proclaimed the best cookbook in the 41st National Book Awards of the National Book Development Board.
His fondness for the cuisine is genuine and not born out of sheer self-marketing. “It has come to a point that I fully understand my culture because of my culinary advocacy. I embraced it because I truly love it and not just because it is what is being served to me. It comes from my heart.”
Cyril’s Eatery
Found on the second level of the SM Central Market, this humble turo-turo has long been owned by his dad’s good friend. That’s why, oftentimes, after school or even on ordinary days, he, along with his butcher dad, would eat there as some sort of a reward after helping him in his meat shop.
“There had also been times when my dad would ask me to cover for him and manage the shop whenever he wasn’t available. And Cyril’s is one of the places I would really go to and eat my breakfast since it’s in the same market. For more than 40 years, their food has never changed. Malasa noon, hanggang ngayon.”
What to order: Porkchop with banana ketchup, nilaga, paksiw (“It doesn’t have that livery taste.”) are very good, and their biga-biga. “I believe they’re the first and the only one that prepares biga-biga (pork intestines) that way.”
Luna’s Arroz Caldo
It’s Tibong’s default stop whenever he and his friends would go out at night. “It’s part of my growing up years. During my college days, whenever my barkada and I would head to a disco or have our drinking sessions, we would always end up in Luna’s. The original branch used to be in the bagsakan market. We would make our way to the kitchen and choose our chicken parts. Then usually 8 to 12 of us would sit down and eat.”
What to order: Arroz caldo. “It’s what we would have to cure our hangover.”
Paluto sa Iloilo Fish Port
The Fish Port has been around since Tibong was a kid. He confessed that the operations used to be more rustic. Typically, he would go to the bagsakan and look for friends who owned fishing vessels. He would buy from them and have the fresh catch cooked. These days, they already have a row of stalls where customers can choose to bring their seafood and have them prepared to their preference.
What to order: “Mahilig aka sa ulo ng isda, especially from the kanlay (spangled emperor fish) which is rare to find. It’s fatty. Also, pusit na inadobo in its own tinta. I also enjoyed steamed shrimps before I got allergic to it.”
River Queen Hotel & Restaurant
Birthdays. Kakagaling lang from a sakit. Graduation. Whatever the occasion may be, River Queen is the place children would ask their parents to bring them to eat. “Wala pa yung Savoury, KFC, Max’s, sikat na ang fried chicken nila. Any occasion na maisip mo, that’s where we choose to celebrate. And so I’d often see my neighbors and friends there.”
What to order: Lengua, fried chicken, coleslaw, potato salad, and sizzling chicken.
Maridel’s
When it comes to pastries and desserts, you simply can’t go wrong with Maridel’s. For Tibong, she’s one of the best pastry chefs there is. “Her cakes are terribly good, he claims, “and there’s something new every once in a while.”
What to order: “A lot. Guava cake. Coffee Crunch. Ube Tres Leches. And frozen desserts like her brazo and lemon meringue.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Chef Tibong is a renowned culinary advocate and the author of the award-winning book “Flavors of Iloilo.” He has promoted Western Visayan cuisine for over 30 years through heritage cooking competitions like Tabu-an and gala dinners like Sabores de Visayas, helping reinforce Iloilo’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Located on the second level of the SM Central Market, this humble turo-turo has been a favorite of Tibong’s for over 40 years. He highly recommends their breaded pork chop (served with banana ketchup), nilaga, and their unique biga-biga (pork intestines), which he claims is prepared unlike anywhere else.
Luna’s Arroz Caldo is Tibong’s default stop for a “hangover cure.” A staple since his college days, the restaurant is famous for its arroz caldo, where regulars traditionally head to the kitchen to choose their preferred chicken parts.
While it used to be a more rustic “buy-and-cook” setup directly from fishing vessels, the Fish Port now features a row of paluto stalls. Tibong suggests looking for kanlay (spangled emperor fish) heads for their fatty texture, as well as pusit na inadobo in its own ink.
River Queen Hotel & Restaurant is the classic choice for birthdays and graduations. Long before international chains arrived, it was famous for its sizzling fried chicken, lengua, and old-school sides like potato salad and coleslaw.
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