J. CO Donuts & Coffee Arrives in Iloilo City

The long wait is finally over as J.CO, the lifestyle café that serves a mean cup of the best-tasting coffee that goes perfectly with their delectable donuts, simultaneously opened two branches in the buzzing center of Iloilo City bringing their store count to thirty-three in the Philippines in just less than three years. What’s more, the Ilonggos were in for a treat as J. CO gave away 50 half-dozen donuts to the first 50 customers of each branch.

J.CO-ers were treated with the best of both worlds as the interiors of the two branches offer quite distinct features and ambience from one another giving customers a different vibe while enjoying their favorite J.COFFEE creations and unique, delicious and cleverly-named donuts.

The J.CO store located at Robinsons Place Iloilo, at the corner of Quezon St. and De Leon St., is similar to most of the J. CO’s stores in the country, which feature bright interiors and a playful atmosphere that is perfect for hanging out with family and friends.

On the other hand, the J.CO SM City Iloilo branch, along Benigno Aquino Avenue in Mandurriao, features the new lifestyle café concept store design the interiors of which are more subdued and relaxing which allows for intimate conversations and lounging around while reading a book or keeping up with work.

Ilonggos lining up at J Co Donuts at Robinson Place Iloilo

J.CO brews up cups of delicious coffee in the form of its “J.COFFEE” handcrafted beverages. J.CO’s special blend of Italian-roast coffee beans used in its espresso shots offer a full-bodied, medium acidity profile with a bitter-sweet citrus note that makes for a perfect base for hot, steaming cups of coffee, especially when sipped in the form of their signature Jcoccino -- J.CO’s very own version of the cappuccino served warm for everyone’s immediate enjoyment. Distinct Arabica beans from Sumatra and Sulawesi, internationally-acclaimed coffee-producing regions in Indonesia where J. CO originated, are also sure to be found in every cup of fresh J.COFFEE making each sip all the more special.

Presscon at J Co Robinsons

In the side of the world where coffee production is less than the other half of the world, the Indonesian regions of Sumatra and Sulawesi stand out for their unique coffee bean characteristics. Sumatra coffee beans are picked by hand and processed using the wet-hull method, which removes the outer skin of the coffee cherries mechanically, and storing it up for a day, which results to reduced acidity and increased body, making the caffeine rustic and strong. Sulawesi, on the other hand, is a southeastern highland where multi-dimensional coffees are grown and could be distinguished by their expansive flavor with full-bodied richness. Similar to Sumatran coffees, the cup profile of Sulawesi has been called deep and brooding, with muted fruit notes and often an overpowering spicy quality.

The queue at J CO Robinsons

Apart from their high-quality coffee beans, J.CO takes pride in the skill and creativity of their baristas who are aptly named Coffee Experts. Supported by their Coffee Specialist counter-parts from J.CO International in Indonesia, these Coffee Expertsare equipped to prepare J.CO’s unique coffee blends and create not only palate-perfect but also visually beautiful coffee beverages in the form of craft latte art. From espressos to iced flavored coffees or even one-of-a-kind and refreshing blended coffees like their best-selling Café Avocado, coffee has never been best-enjoyed at any other place but at J.CO. To cap off the experience, a Glazy donut is served free for every J.COFFEE purchase.

So come visit any of the two branches and satisfy your craving for a fresh handcrafted J.COFFEE paired with your favorite donut to make your day.

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

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?"

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.

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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