La Paz Batchoy
Batchoy (La Paz)
Learn La Paz batchoy with miki noodles, pork bone broth, liver, intestines, chicharon, fried garlic, and soft-boiled egg—the Ilonggo classic from Iloilo.
Serves 6 · 2h 40m total
The Story
La Paz batchoy is Iloilo City in a bowl—the original from the La Paz market, not the instant packet kind. The photo shows what a proper bowl looks like: a clear, dark amber broth with a shimmer of fat on top, thin yellow miki underneath, and a crown of toppings in the center.
Real batchoy is pork-forward—sliced meat, liver, and small curls of cleaned intestines (goto)—ladled over noodles that were blanched just until tender. The finish is non-negotiable: golden fried garlic, crushed chicharon, green onions, and a soft-boiled egg halved so the yolk runs jammy orange, not chalk dry.
It is Visayan comfort food at its most famous: hot, savory, rich, and built for rainy afternoons in the plaza.
Best paired with
Extra chicharon on the table, calamansi for squeezing into the broth, and puto or pandesal if you want something to dip.
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦The broth should look clear and amber with a little oil on top—not cloudy or thick like gravy.
- ✦Cook eggs 6–7 minutes for jammy yolks; hard-boiled eggs are not traditional batchoy style.
- ✦Intestines must be thoroughly cleaned and simmered until tender, or they will be chewy.
- ✦Liver goes in fast—blanch separately so it stays tender and slice into thin triangles like the photo.
- ✦Pile toppings in the center: fried garlic, chicharon, then green onion—the bowl should look generous.
- ✦Miki cooks fast; undercook slightly in the blanch so it finishes soft in the hot broth.
Substitutions
- pork intestines → extra pork belly slices or more kasim
- miki noodles → fresh thin egg noodles
- pork liver → chicken liver, sliced thin
- chicharon → crisp fried pork belly bits
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Soft-boil eggs 6–7 minutes; cool in ice water, peel, and halve when ready to serve—the yolks should stay jammy orange.
- 2
Blanch pork bones 5 minutes; rinse. Simmer with onion, crushed garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves in 3 liters water 1½–2 hours, skimming often, until the broth is clear amber and deeply savory. Season with fish sauce, soy sauce, and a pinch of bagoong if using. Keep hot.
- 3
Boil cleaned intestines with ginger and salt 45–60 minutes until tender; slice into small bite-sized curls. Blanch liver 1 minute in boiling water; drain and slice thin.
- 4
Blanch pork slices in the hot broth 2–3 minutes until just cooked; set aside with liver and intestines.
- 5
Fry minced garlic in oil over medium heat until deep golden brown; drain on paper towels.
- 6
Blanch miki noodles 1–2 minutes in boiling water; drain and divide among bowls.
- 7
Ladle hot broth over noodles. Arrange pork, liver, and intestines around the bowl. Pile fried garlic and crushed chicharon in the center. Top with green onions and half a soft-boiled egg per bowl. Serve immediately while the broth still shimmers with fat.
Kitchen Timer · 40 min prep first
120:00
