FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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...

FOOD (well, almost everything) in HongKong 🇭🇰 is EXPENSIVE. A rice topping combo meal with drinks from typical roadside restos is usually around ₱500,  pastries cost almost ₱250/piece as well as bottled soda/juice/etc around ₱90. Char Siu and Soy Chicken Rice Toppings Food at malls and at HK Disneyland (₱1,200 for my Hulk burger combo) will make a dent on your budget… plus many more. Hulk Burger Combo with Large Fries and Drinks  Good thing I found one turo-turo in Tsim Sha Shui called Eat More More that serves affordable food (for HK standards). For only HK$ 33 (roughly ₱250) you get 1 rice and 2 ulam (becomes HK$40 with 3 ulam) Though it is still expensive when converted but it is already cheap when you spend in HK$. They said that these RICE + ULAM shops started during the pandemic when most chefs were out of work and to make ends meet, they made food from their homes and sell - carinderia-style. While most of these turo-turo are TAKE OUT ONLY (like the one in TST), I fou...

What the Bicolanos (and the rest of the Philippines?) know as laing , the Ilonggos call it pangat . This particular one from Breakthrough Restaurant along Villa beach in Iloilo City is among the most popular commercially produced pangat .  There are also a number of pangat -makers especially in Villa with pangat  like the one served during the Arevalo fiesta. The one below was during the Jaro Fiesta served at the Jamerlans. Pork or whatever filling one prefers (seafood) is wrapped inside  gabi  leaves. It is then simmered in low fire in a coconut milk-ginger concoction until cooked. 

Pinamalhan is the Ilonggo way of making pinaskiw na isda . Its starts with the fish being cooked in vinegar or with sour fruits like batwan or iba (kamias). Making  pinamalhan  with the use sour fruits tends more subtle compared to the soured with vinegar. The recipe's quite simple as it just uses all- around spices and the method of cooking is just stewing.  Here's a basic recipe for Pinamalhan nga Salmonite sa Iba Ingredients 1 kilo salmonite, gutted and cleaned (Cut into half if medium sized or whole if small) 2 cups iba, sliced 1 medium size onion, sliced 1 tbsp. crushed black pepper 5 pcs. siling pansigang 1/2 head garlic, crushed 1 thumb size ginger cut into thin slices Oil Salt Procedures In a pan put garlic, onion, ginger and the sliced kamias at the bottom. Place the salmonite on top then add the green/red chili, spring onions and crushed black pepper.  Add half a cup of water and season with salt. Cover a...

You can almost smell and taste the goodness of this dish. It's sinugba na pata with a sour broth and banana heart. Its almost like the recipe for the Ilonggo favorite KBL   (kadyos baboy langka) for the pork is first grilled then soured with batwan . The absence of the kadyos beans and langka is made up for by the the puso ng saging which makes a milk broth. Now what more can I say but, extra rice please!

Back in 2019, I remember having lunch at Cafe Belmont during one of my Manila trips.   It was that serving dish of crabs that had me at first glance and it never faded in my memory.  Now, five years later, it’s the breakfast buffet that would tickle my gastronomic fantasies.  We stayed at Belmont Hotel Manila for my parents 50th anniversary and for  two days we had our fill of delicious breakfast. Check out more photos on Facebook From the staples like bacon, ham and sausages to Pinoy faves like tuyo, dilis and danggit. I just love this kind of spread of which local faves go side by side with contemporary fares.  As the first meal of the day where one stocks up carbo, I’m glad there was plenty. From rice, potatoes and pancit to pancakes, waffles and breads - I love the pudding. There’s an egg station where you can request how you would like your eggs cooked - hardboiled, sunny side up or scrambled You can DIY your omelette with lots of fillings to choose from w...