FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Marine biologist dives into food venture By Hazel P. Villa, Philippine Daily Inquirer ILOILO CITY – " Cooked to perfection, reasonably priced and most importantly – fresh as can be ." This was what marine biologist Raymundo Robles had in mind when he struggled to woo customers to his seafood restaurant 23 years ago. Gone are the days of getting people to go to his outlet as Breakthrough Seafood Restaurant is now a byword among Ilonggos and a must-go for balikbayans and visitors. Sinugba nga managat The story goes that you have never really been to Iloilo until you have enjoyed fresh and authentic Ilonggo seafood dishes such as ginat-an nga alimusan (catfish with coconut cream), sinugba nga managat (grilled red snapper), baked diwal (angel wing clams) and non-seafood favorites like binakol nga manok (Ilonggo chicken soup) and ensaladang puso ng saging (banana heart salad). grilled scallops Robles says customers were always asking for fresh marine products and so he used his...

Breakthrough Restaurant along Villa beach combines good food and good ambiance that makes it one of the first pitstops in Iloilo City's dining scene. Lunch and dinner times often makes this restaurant full to the brim as Ilonggos and tourists alike converge in this (mainly) seafood restaurant to enjoy one of te best things Iloilo can offer - good food at reasonable prices. That's why Breakthrough is among the top on my list of must-visit gastronomic places in Iloilo City. And indeed those whom I e-guided do make it part of their itinerary and share almost the same sentiments after having a Breakthrough "experience". My most recent visitors had lunch at Breakthrough (after their 4 churches visit down south of Iloilo) and shared these photos. They even ordered my recommended food items! Shrimp kilawin made it to the top of their list then sizzling crabmeat which "came back" everytime they burped (lol). Grilled scallops is also a staple order but I agree wi...

Another satisfying visit at Breakthrough Restaurant when I accompanied and toured a friend around Iloilo. It was more of a gastronomy tour since he was also here few weeks ago - without my knowledge. When in Iloilo it's automatic that one of the must try cuisine is La Paz batchoy but he's no pork eater so we had a seafood "binge" at Breakthrough Restaurant. Actually I was torn between Breakthrough and Tatoy's that time - I havent decided where to go even though we're already travelling to Villa beach. It was then I decided that ambiance must play a big role to first timers in Iloilo thus we went to Breakthrough. A good decision since we got a hut near the beach with a good vewi of the sea and Guimaras. There was even someone riding a jet ski that time. And the food never failed as well. The usual sizzling crabmeat, grilled scallops (surprisingly they're bigger than the usual, but i still prefer Tatoy's timpla ), my favorite shrimp kilawin , this crust...

A visit to Breakthrough Restaurant along Villa beach is always filled with gastronomic memories - from their extensive line up of the freshest seafood to mouth watering meat dishes like lechon baboy. And of course there's this fish called managat . Usually it is sold by the kilo, as guests can choose from the display of fishes they have at the counter. Tucked in a corner are these managat which you can choose according to size and price per kilo. They are usually served in two ways; the head and upper body part usually is sinabawan (cooked in broth with vegetables) and the tail and lower body part sinugba (grilled). Though it is not only Breakthrough that serves managat , but I have to highlight this popular restaurant since most online articles mentioned this seaside restaurant. And most of the photos I have for this fish came from Breakthrough, a testament of it's popularity, both the resto and the fish. Anyway here are excerpts...

I found myself really enjoying Ponsyon lately that I’ve visited it more often than I can remember. Of course, I always order my favorite new drink – Pipino Shake. I really like the taste of the fresh cucumbers though I hope they also include the peel to give more of a greenish hue. Speaking of the color green, I really enjoyed the fresh green Lato Salad we had that time. It was very inviting as each “globule” was waiting to burst inside my mouth!   Orange was the evident in the Kinilaw na Pasayan (Shrimp ceviche) we had. If it looks good, it definitely tasted better – very delicious for an occasional shrimp and kinilaw like me. The Baked Scallops were appetizingly subdued yellow with hints of brown garlic. Nonetheless, it was another breakthrough staple that satisfies. We had both the Aligue (crabfat) and Kalkag (shrimp fry) rice but it was the latter I raved and craved about. I’m no crab fanatic much more aligue but when it comes to kalkag, bring it on! The kalkag ...

It’s almost the same Breakthrough experience of great Ilonggo food but on a much different ambiance. While the Villa branch boasts of the beach, the sea and the view, Ponsyon makes up by having a more accessible and convenient location on top of being sophisticated and urbane. Not that ambiance is more important than the food. But if there’s a common denominator (aside from good food), it’s got to be the crowd that makes it’s way during lunch and dinner hours, that having a reservation at Ponsyon is a MUST if you’re a big group.  If you don’t make one, you’ll surely miss their Lechon Ilonggo which was surprisingly very good. Unlike the unappetizing ones being displayed in their turo-turo in Villa Beach, the one we had at Ponsyon was visually-enticing and mouth-watering. Perfectly brown skin that packs a big crisp on your first bite (and next) plus a very savoury meat that packs in more flavour but not as salty as the I had in Cebu. I didn’t even bother to dip it in sauce to ...

Breakthrough Restaurant in Villa Arevalo has perfected the art of leisure gastronomy. From the ambient beach-side location to the delectable food they serve - life seems to stop whenever one dines beside the beach. The cabanas are my favorite location for they bring one closer to the sea and as if having a personal space amidst the throng of hungry people. Of course, there are duyans which makes a perfect stop after being filled with the delectable Ilonggo dishes and cuisine dished up by Breakthrough. Their specialty is the Managat fish - the tail's grilled and the head part ends up in a soup whether sinigang or just plain sinabawan. They have a live tank where fishes, crustaceans and shellfishes are in a death row of sorts as customers can pick their choice and have them on their plates a few minutes after. A recent discovery were the "krusan" crabs. I have no idea if this is the right term and I just deduced they are called as...