Ihaw-Ihaw Thursdays - Asian Odyssey Lunch Buffet at Days Hotel Iloilo

Ilonggo and Filipino cuisine take centerstage as The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo presents IHAW-IHAW Thursdays. The highlight was the ihaw-ihaw (sugba) station which had pork, chicken wings, pork liver, chicken liver, and chicken baticulon (gizzard), among others. Part of the recently launched Asian Odyssey Lunch Buffet series, this Thursday buffet promises a gastronomic journey of familiar and well-loved Filipino cuisine with an Ilonggo touch.

Take for example the soup we had last time, it is a signature Ilonggo soup - Manok sa Monggo, Ubad kag Malunggay. It is only in Iloilo (and some parts of Western Visayas) where ubad (the pith of the banana trunk) is common in vernacular cuisine. And its a good thing that Days Hotel Iloilo included this local cuisine in their line up so as to promote local and heritage Ilonggo dishes.

One of the best-sellers last Thursday was Chicken Skin Chicharon. How can you refuse this freshly made chicharon that packs a big crunch in every bite?! Good thing the refill kept coming...

Appetizers also include Kinilaw nga Gurayan (Anchovies Ceviche-Ilonggo style) and Gulaman Salad (below). Both represent the bounty of the sea and among the famous specialties here in Iloilo.

Apan-apan is actually like adobong kangkong but with a twist. It is sauteed with guinamos before simmered into the vinegar concoction to give it a kick and more Ilonggo flavour.

Comes another healthy treat - Sinugba nga Bangrus (grilled milkfish). A dip in toyo-mansi gives it a real taste of home. And I could have made Linagpang out of this since there are also tomatoes and onions around. All I need was hot water - maybe next time!

The Lechon Manok was waiting on the next tray, almost ready to "fly" into our plate. But I saved it from the ordeal by picking it myself. And some sauce too.

Pork Binagoongan ... what more can I say but extra rice please!

But wait, this is a buffet so I can have all the rice I want. Not just any plain rice but this Longganisa Rice. At first I asked, "Where's the longganisa?" but when I "delved" the spoon into it, out came a burst of longganisa that seemed to be camera shy.

Now unto the desserts, still with some Filipino touch was the enticing plate of Banana Turon - crunchilicious!

How some royal, NO, "Imperial Bibingka"?

Of course, the staples were still there like the yummy assorted cookies, delectable bars and those eye catching dessert cups - all screaming "Pick me up!, Pick me up!"

And as always, the Halo-Halo station is always a fun way to end the food trip. You make your own halo-halo with all the ingredients you like. I have this simple yet delicious "recipe" which just consists of leche flan and buko strips with ice and milk - no sugar please. Have it your own way as they say ...

So another food trip has come and gone but everyday there's a buffet line up waiting to satisfy your own taste. And as always it's always worth it ..

See more photos on Flavours of Iloilo on Facebook.

Check this Days Hotel Buffet Schedule and Price Guide..

Asian Odyssey

Mondays-Fridays 11am to 2pm

The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo

4th Level The Atrium

Gen. Luna Street, Iloilo City

Tel. 337-3297 / 336-8801 to 10 / 0917-700-3297

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

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?"

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.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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