Don Juan Boodle House: A Popular Boodle Fight Spot in Taal, Batangas (They Also Serve Taaleño Dishes!)

If you’re visiting the Philippines for the first time, one of the food experiences I would recommend that you try is the Boodle Fight. And it doesn’t involve a fist fight or any physical contact with others!

To the uninitiated, a boodle fight is a Filipino tradition where food is spread over banana leaves and communally eaten with bare hands. There are various origin accounts for its name. Vanjo Merano of Panlasang Pinoy explains:

But where does the “fight” part come in? Well, this actually began as a Philippine military tradition during the period of American colonization in the Philippines. And the word “boodle” was army slang for certain treats. And so the beauty of the boodle fight is also in multiple people coming together to eat a great feast! Since Filipinos truly value the idea of sharing when it comes to food, the idea of the boodle fight came to life.

Ang Sarap adds:

The “fight” in the name refers to the act of grabbing and eating as much as the soldier can before others grab them, otherwise you won’t have any. Remember this is served to very hungry men so if you’re slow you will definitely run out of food.

I haven’t had a boodle fight in a long time. So I went back to Taal, a municipality in Batangas province that’s known for its heritage houses and traditional food, and returned to Don Juan Boodle House. This time, I’m with my wife and a couple of friends. Boodle fights are best eaten with others!

Located beside Taal Public Market where Taaleño delicacies and products are sold, Don Juan Boodle House specializes in boodle fights that are perfect for big groups of hungry foodies. But even if you’re only a group of two, there are options with smaller servings.

To maximize our visit, we ordered two Boodlelitos, which are smaller boodles good for 2 to 3 persons. The first Boodlelito is the Inihaw Boodlelito, which includes inihaw or grilled food. It has chicken barbecue, inihaw na bangus (grilled milkfish), inihaw na tahong (grilled mussels), fresh fruits, salted egg, chopped tomatoes, onions, atsara (pickled papaya), and Java rice.

I like the chicken barbecue, which is sweet, tender, and nicely charred. I also like the the grilled milkfish, which is smoky and tender, too.

Since we’re in Taal, the second Boodlelito we got the Taal Specialties Boodlelito.

It has the following Taaleño dishes:

Chicken Pork Adobo sa Dilaw (yellow adobo or adobo with turmeric): Has tender meat and the sauce has a nice vinegar and turmeric taste.

Pritong Tawilis (fried tawilis or freshwater sardine): Crisp and tasty, with a nice bitterness coming from the head. Yes, it can be eaten whole.

Tapang Taal (pork marinated with soy sauce, calamansi, and other aromatics): Flavorful and tender!

It was raining when we visited Don Juan. So we ordered Sinigang na Baboy (pork sinigang or tamarind-based soup). It has fatty chunks of pork (though I wish it’s more tender) and a perfectly sour soup. It’s very comforting in the rainy weather!

Of course, nothing beats a boodle fight prepared inside someone’s home or backyard. But if you get to visit Taal, then try Don Juan Boodle House. They have delicious and comforting Filipino food. I highly recommend it to you!

Address: Calle Jose W. Diokno, Taal, Batangas, Philippines | Operating Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:30AM-7:30PM; Saturday & Sunday 8:00AM-7:30PM | Contact No.: (043) 740-1828; 0917-6575965 | Facebook | Instagram | Website