FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

  A favorite of many Ilonggos,   ginat-an nga tambo   is heaven to them and fans of Ilonggo cuisine. With coconut milk and greens like saluyot, takway and okra plus subak like shrimps or crabs – this would automatically induce a lot of cravings.  Especially when you’re abroad where raw ingredients are often hard to find and if they are luckily available, it still doesn’t taste like the one you might have grown up with. Even so, it is more than enough one's craving for this Ilonggo cuisine, no matter where you are in the world.

This is Chicken Bacon with Potato Salad Pesto. It is among the many Danish specialties served at Munks Coffeeshop and Resto in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. Located inside Liz Complex in Bangga Dama, the cafe is partly hidden by a bank (PNB) from the highway but it's just a minute walk from the road. There, you'll find the husband and wife tandem of Peter Munk Andersen and Lynette Gorriceta Andersen. Peter is from Denmark but has worked in the Danish Embassies in Poland and Japan together with his wife who hails from Bacolod.  In 2016, they both decided to retire and put up Munks Cafe in the heritage town of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. The resto has a homey feel once you enter and feels different from the outside surroundings. And just like the mom and pop restos (family managed) across Europe, both of them prepare the orders - from the actual cooking to the plating until it is served. You could even ask them about your order or have a...

Finally, after four trips to Hongkong, I found myself at the restaurant I’ve been meaning to visit since my first visit back in 2016. Despite with its “not-so-HK” sounding name, Australia Dairy Company is a culinary institution and has often been described as an iconic Hong Kong restaurant. The company was named by the founder as such because he had worked in an Australian farm in the 1940s and now, his resto is one of the most popular “ chaan tengs ” or HK stye cafe or diners most common as breakfast places. Its sole branch is located in Jordan in Kowloon along Parkes Street. And it has always been plagued with a long queue especially during breakfast as locals and tourists vie for seats to start their day with their specialties. The restaurant is notable for its efficiency as even during the rush breakfast hour when I visited, my orders came out in less than a minute. While it is also infamous for its rude service, I didn’t experience it that time. Maybe they just improved over the y...

Been addicted to kimchi lately and tried so many brands I found online and in grocery stores. And one that really stood out for me is the one from Kim's Bob Korean Restaurant. I'm no kimchi nor Korean food expert but this one is a level higher than the ones I've had before. From the first time I opened the bottle and smelled its aroma, it gave me an impression that its quite different and better from the ones before. Maybe because of the notion that it comes from a well respected Korean resto as compared from the generic store bought ones. Sorry for this kimchi discrimination... But I was right in the taste department as it was stronger, more flavorful - not just full of spice and the taste difference was obvious. One could really taste the difference even if it was a repeated blind taste test.  Add to the fact it had more ingredients other than Napa cabbage or wombok. It had a better defined flavor dimension that is not just salty and spicy. It has a delicious sourness whi...