Dinagyang is a popular sio pao too!

Almost as famous as its namesake festival, chicken sio pao from Dinagyang Refreshment is truly worth the trip to this hole-in-the-wall food shop.

Both of its more convenient branches are located within the MaryMart Center but you will surely have second thoughts if its really worth it since ambiance is never heard of (except the one in the food court).

Their main branch though is located in the district of Villa. Dinagyang Refreshment also have shorts orders from batchoy to spaghetti, and turo turo items for lunch and dinner, to chocolate cakes and brazo de mercedes for desserts.

But it is their sio pao, especially the chicken that made this food shop stamp its foot in the very competitive gastronomic scene of Iloilo.

Valenciana

A close relative of paella, this dish originated in Valencia, Spain and probably brought by the Spaniards when they colonized the country. Always a staple in family gatherings, this yellow rice is a complete meal in itself, with pork, chicken, liver, chorizo, shrimps, bellpeppers, peas and raisins to name its basic ingredients. RECIPE Saute your choice meats and vegetables. Cook malagkit rice with turmeric and broth cubes then mix sauted meat and vegetables when almost done. Garnish with hardboiled eggs and onion leaves.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

McNester mango-calamansi juice

I passed by Deco's Pasalubong Shop to buy some piaya (I was craving for days) but I got more than what I came for. I got the chance to (finally) taste McNester Mango-Calamansi juice.I was intrigued by it when my guest from Manila were raving about this bottled juice. Though I've seen it many time at Deco's, I never had the urge to satisfy my curiosity. So I got one, no two, bottles today. More than to satisfy my curiousity, if it is good then I have another bottle, if not then I might share it - lol just kidding. It was a refreshing drink indeed! The sweetness of the mango juice was toned down by the tangy (not to mention sour) flavour of the calamansi - or vice versa, I cannot say. First you'll taste the sweet mango flavour then it becomes slightly sour as the calamansi flavour "seeps" in. It's well blended (of course you have to shake the bottle first before drinking) that neither overpowers the other. Kudos to McNester Foods for coming up with t

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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