Delectable pata at Ped Bacs Kusina in Mandurriao

It’s my kind of pata – soft that it almost melts in your mouth with a sour and sticky broth that clings to the side of your mouth! Finally, I’ve been to this hole-in-the-wall that has been an open secret to gastronomes in Iloilo City.

However I am “years” late as this former roadside carinderia in Mandurriao now has more comfortable accommodations, a big improvement from what it had been. But the people still come in droves as long lines of parked cars along R. Mapa street often pinpoints the restaurant to first timers. What formerly was their dining area is now the receiving area as they already built an al fresco eatery.

Set up in what formerly could have been the front lawn is a testament of how strong the business was during their “carinderia” years. Now they have elevated into a “restaurant” status with its relaxed al fresco ambiance brought about by the wooden benches and tables

What’s available for that day is listed on the menu but their signature pata is always on the list. My first impression was that it was a clean, almost sterilized, pata. The broth is lightly hued – I think they controlled the achuete (?) unlike others that it is almost bordering orange.

The soup is moderately thick, with just the right tang and again it is clean. The pata – cow’s knuckles with tendons and skin almost melts in the mouth yet still one can still bite into it. It’s almost the pata I’ve been dreaming of since then and for only PhP55/a bowl, it will always be a dream come true.

On the side we also had their chili fingers which is a cheese filled chili rolled in lumpia wrapper then fried. And it wasn’t spicy after all – just a delicious blend of the creamy goodness of the cheese, the tartness of the chili (seeds taken off) and the crispiness of the whole “finger” that I finished my share after realizing it came with a dip.

Another (late) gastronomic discovery unfolded right before my eyes – a hole in the wall frequented by foodies from all walks of life, twice wrapped cheesey delight and a pata that made my cholesterol dreams come true. And I will surely be back at Ped Bacs!

Ped Bacs Kusina is along R. Mapa Street in Mandurriao near the Old Airport junction. It is most accessible via jeepneys (from the downtown Iloilo) with signboards MOLO-MANDURRIAO or MANDURRIAO-AIRPORT. You can reach them through Tel. No. 321-2875

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 (

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

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

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.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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