Are you craving for some of your favorite Ilonggo dishes? Well, look no farther, for in between the streets of Balete Drive and P. Tuazon along N. Domingo is another hole-in-the-wall eatery that serves affordable chicken inasal and other Visayan foods. Juan Stop Inasal will surely make every Juan dela Cruz stop for some awesome tastes of Ilonggo fare.
A casual open air dining, Juan Stop Inasal is actually a carinderia-looking establishment at first glance. But do not underestimate its wide variety of Filipino fare. Juan Stop Inasal seemed like a winner among the noisy crowds happily chowing down their meals. Yes, you can find an authentic Ilonggo inasal in this humble restaurant. That magic marinade had found its way through the native chicken meat, and after getting grilled perfectly, its was basking in a lovely yellow and tasted phenomenal.
Juan Stop Inasal had two chicken parts of choice: Paa (leg/thigh part) and Pecho (breast) and we excitedly forked them over onto our plates after they landed on our table. The chicken inasal was delightfully softer and more tender than the ones I've had in other chicken inasal establishments. While the pieces looked charred and tasted a little dry and overdone, it was a satisfying foray into chicken inasal. The tendrils of meat easily fell off the bone and practically melted in my mouth. It is not sweet unlike the more popular brand of inasal. It goes perfectly well with the vinegar, chili, soy sauce and some calamansi plus unlimited garlic rice. For its price, it is also perfect for one's budget. Before long, we set our utensils aside and started stripping the chicken with our bare hands.
The sizzling sisig is a revelation. At first sight, I had mistaken it for Laing--a Bicolano specialty. But then I realized, laing dish do not come on a sizzling plate. Interestingly, Juan Stop Inasal's sizzling sisig was so delicious that we had eaten them scraped up to the last bits and pieces and even had a second round. That's how good it was! They have other dishes worth trying such as KBL (kadios, baboy, langka)--an Ilonggo specialty dish, Dinuguan, Pancit, Ilonggo longganisa, and Negros spicy sardines.
Juan Stop Inasal's Batchoy was a comforting soup with bits of fried garlic, chicharon (pork rind), spring onions, liver and pork strips. Its broth complements the chicken inasal. In fact, at Juan Stop Inasal, you can just add a few pesos to get a batchoy soup and get that perfect meal consisting of viand, rice, drink and soup.
Juan Stop Inasal's barbecue however needs some improvement because it's quite dry and had some resistance when you try to eat them either on stick or using fork. It's not as tender as it's supposed to be. But their Hickory Barbecue flavored grilled liempo might as well compensate for the the disappointment with their regular pork barbecue. The hickory barbecue tasted good with its sweet, spicy and tangy sauce. You can also opt for the salt and pepper variety which was equally good.
Overall, I'd say that Juan Stop Inasal is a highly recommended place for those who enjoy good Ilonggo foods and for fans of mouthwatering chicken inasal. Owner Stephen Po admitted that there are still a lot of things that needs to be ironed out including the taste of some of their menu--which is just fine as they've just opened in September 2013. I'm sure it won't be long that they're able to come up with a better taste for they are tremendously passionate about food and constantly churning out ideas. But so far, I'd certainly come back for Juan Stop Inasal's chicken inasal and sizzling sisig!
There's also a good news, you don't have to travel far to get your Ilonggo favorites. Juan Stop Inasal also sells Ilonggo delicacies such as banadas, pinasugbo (sugar coated banana crispy fritters) and piaya among many others.
Come and visit Juan Stop Inasal which is located at 112 N. Domingo Street, Between Balete Drive and P. Tuazon. Juan Stop Inasal delivers on limited area nearby. Call 570-5653 for delivery and advance orders.
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