Eating “matuk” stew should really be one of the challenges in the next season of Survivor.
The main ingredients of this this Ilonggo soup are the brain and eyeballs of a cow, mixed with beef chunks and lots of fat and garnished with chopped spring onions — hence the name “matuk,” a contraction of “mata” (eyeballs) and “utak” (brain).
You can get matuk only in Iloilo’s Mandurriao district.
Luis Linaga-an, which has two branches there, has been serving it every day for 15 years, always at 3am, for the after-drinks crowd. The owners cook a small batch, whatever they can make out of two eyeballs and one brain, so regulars line up as early as 2:30am to outwit the newbies. It is not uncommon for the restaurant to run out of stock by 3am.
If you miss your chance to try matuk, you can always opt for Linaga Halo, which uses the same broth as matuk but has cow’s intestines instead of eyeballs and brain. Not as freaky, but it will have to do.
What does matuk look like? How does it taste? Watch the video below.
Luis Linaga-an has two locations in Mandurriao, Iloilo: Beside Mandurriao Plaza (Guzman Street) and along Beningo Aquino Avenue (formerly known as Diversion Road). Both are open 24 hours.
Video by Oscar Nava. This story first appeared on Coconuts Manila.
beryong says
there is also a unique dish in the "livestock" market in Lemery, Batangas held every saturday, there are eateries there which serve "goto" without rice, the ingredients are, cow's face including the skin of the cheeks flavored with onions, garlic, pepper, gingers and has a red color due to atsuete.