El Ideal Bakery and Restaurant in Silay City - Not Bacolod, but close enough!

El Ideal Bakery and Restaurant is a popular destination for food lovers. I first learned about El Ideal on my flight from Manila to Bacolod in the travelers magazine. You know the one, the one that lists different things to do in cities across the Philippines and in other popular travel destinations around the world. The magazine listed El Ideal and Calea as the must-eat restaurants in "Bacolod".

Sadly, it had taken me a while to try the food. I had stopped by the small stand outside Robinson's grocery several times and eaten their guapple pie (guava and apple mixed together) and found it completely awesome. I was pretty stoked to going to the real deal to try out some local grub.

The first time I had dinner there, I ate the french toast deluxe (chicken, ham, and other stuff shoved on french toast with cheese). *drool* Amazing. Sadly, I didn't bring any means of taking a picture, and if I ate it again, I'd probably die before I could publish an article. This time I decided to order something different:


Lunch at El Ideal in Silay City
Cubana, guapple pie and pork chop

Yes, the Cubana. Amazing stuff, really. It's ground pork mixed with spices and raisins and served with fried banana and fried egg. I was quite satisfied and amazed. Funny enough, since going there I have seen other eateries pick up on the dish. You can now find it locally served (sometimes) at Terra Plaza.

The menu items range anywhere from 100 pesos to 250 pesos. The pie is 65 pesos (and quite worth it).

Frankly, the guapple pie is the best pie available in all of Bacolod, including Calea, Miren, and Felicia's.

Food: 4 out of 5 (not the best, but I'd put it up there in one of the best columns)
Service: 4 out of 5 (This is difficult to tell since the place doesn't get too many restaurant goers and many more baked good shoppers, but I have never had a problem)
Environment: 5 out of 5 (It has always been quiet)
Portion size: 4 out of 5 (enough for me)
Cost: 3 out of 5 (Not the cheapest, but not the most expensive either)