Sooo Pinoy in Davao at Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort

What a welcome we got during our visit to Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort on the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS)! The fact that we're crossing the sea on our third day of the Sooo Pinoy food trip was alread a welcome itself. The white sand beach greeted us when we landed on the wharf, then another welcome - this time on a musical note greeted us as we neared the resort. But it was the gastronomic welcome of the specialty dishes of the resort that made a mark on this visit.

I was part of Sooo Pinoy, Food Trip na Pilipinas! which is set to visit 300 restaurants in 10 key regions/areas in 10 months all over the Philippines. Davao is the 4th food stop after Iloilo, Bora cay and Cebu that started last March. The goal of the Food Trip is to show that Filipino dishes per region have different identities based on the culture, lifestyle and history of the area. The Food Trip also aims to show that there are many Filipino recipes from different regions of the Philippines, each having its own specialty that has to be recognized for the unique flavor it adds to the Filipino Cuisine.

First to welcome us, was a refreshing serving of halo-halo - perfect to give our give our palates the much needed "reset" from the galore of food (this is the 4th restaurant for the day).

Then we had kumbo (maruya or banana fritters) and kamote "mojos" to enliven our taste. It seems dessert were first on the menu for our Sooo Pinoy trip on the island resort.

And then the "actual" Sooo Pinoy dishes came forth and a (coconut) bowl of Chicken Binakol welcome us. It sort of gave us reminiscing thoughts of the Iloilo and Boracay leg as we were bombarded with different version of chicken binakol. But it was a welcome taste in Davao to have something cloe to home - for me, that is.

Appetizing both to look at and taste is this dish which I will call Tino-um nga Bangus Belly. Actually it's Pinaputok na Tyan ng Bangus and 'twas another welcome dish as it veered away from the usual tuna belly galore we had for the past two and a half days (not that they were not good but it seems we had those five times a day). Cooking something wrapped in banana leaves is termed as tino-um in vernacular Ilonggo gastronomy. And that's when the revelation came - the resort manager is from Dumangas, Iloilo!

Here's something which both pleases the eyes and the sense of taste - Seafood Curry. As I always that eating begins with the eyes, I already I tasted this dish just by the looks of it. Indeed it tasted good as it looked.

More seafood and this one is Seafood Basket consisting of steamed fish, squid and shellfish among others with vegetables. A light dish yet full of flavour.

It was indeed a much need break from our gastronomic routine as we experienced the sand, sea and surf of IGACOS. Yet it was still the food that ruled that experience and as always it was a Sooo Busog afternoon courtesy of Sooo Pinoy!

Filipinos are encouraged to join and support the Sooo Pinoy movement, a partnership between Unilever Food Solutions and the Department of Tourism, and go on a gastronomic adventure that both fills the stomach and enriches our awareness of our own identity. To know more about the campaign, food lovers are invited to like the Sooo Pinoy page on Facebook and follow @SoooPinoy on Twitter

Sooo Pinoy Epic DAVAO Food Trip: June 25-29, 2012

Mama's Kitchen and Sinamay House in Arevalo

A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...

An American Adventure Buffet at Days Hotel Iloilo

I just came from a meeting for an upcoming event dubbed as "America in 3D" and when I arrived at The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo, it was like "America in 3D" all over again. But it was delicacies, drinks and desserts that time for it was the launching of their newest dinner buffet called American Adventure. As it promises guests to embark on a culinary journey of the flavours of America, guests will surely the taste of America with it's line up appetizers, salads, delicacies, main course and desserts. I kicked off my journey with a bowl of the clam chowder which was just as good as the one I had a few days earlier at The Venue . It was rich and flavourful, so good that sometime during the course of the buffet I had anotherone. There was a beautiful display of Oyster Rockefeller which turned out to be delectable that I got one each time I stood up and take another round. A play on Las Vegas, I assume, were these chicken nuggets they call Gold Nuggets. Indeed t...

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 por...

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

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice . I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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