Long gone: Iloilo restaurants of my childhood

Its reminiscing time once again and this time its the restaurants and food shops that I grew up with and sad to say all of them are long gone. This blogpost was originally created in 2009 and I just keep on updating whenever more of these long gone restaurants keep popping up.

HAN'S

Located at the entrance of the ICCHS this was my ultimate childhood snackhouse. Spaghetti, hamburger and jelly roll made up my orders almost everytime I was there. I can still vividly remember how it looked like and how my fave orders tasted. And that aquarium!

OAK BARREL

Located in the old La Salette building, this batchoyan got its name from the "oak barrels" that were used as stools. It was also a convenient place to stay when waiting for our jeepneys to fill up.

NATS

Also located in the Old La Salette building, I considered this before as runner up when it comes to batchoy (after Ted's). Maybe because I was overwhelmed by the very generous toppings (esp chicharon and liver).

THE MANSION HOUSE

Located along JM Basa street, this used to be the ultimate restaurant in the city. Serving chinese food, this was a special occasion restaurant for the family. Their pancit guisado and morisquita rice never missed our table. Check this link for the "new" Mansion House.

FATIMA

It was their spaghetti that always brought me here and the probably the only memory I got since I cant even pinpoint where it was originally located along Calle Real.

SMOKEY'S

Its hype didn't last long but I was one of its regular customers in their branch beside Amigo Plaza. It was always wrap around dog for me after realizing that their hot and spicy hot dog had tons of chopped onions.

BURGERBELL

A favorite weekend hangout during my highschool years since it was located in the newly opened Marymart mall. Burgers were ok but it was the ambiance that made its mark among the crowd.

TRY ME

Surely it was built as an ice cream house but it was their pancit lomi that made me a regular customer. Of course how can I forget those make your own and eat all you can halo halo during summer.

Try Me Ice Cream House and Restaurant along JM Basa Street
Photo as posted in UrbanScape Philippines Forum

FELY'S

Catered to CPU students and during its heydays it was where my after school treats always happen. From having a spaghetti and/or hamburger to buying some pasalubong to bring home, it was an all around shop.

New on this list (as of March 2014)

MALT STOP
It's the snack shop that greeted you upon entering "Building B" of the old SM Delgado. I can still remember how it is always full. I may not remember my actual favorite order here but I can still really recall how long those orders come to our table - lol.

LUGAWAN SA ILOILO
Located right across SM Delgado, this alfresco shop served mostly quick eats items. It was a big rectangular stall with permanent stools around and the servers just stay in the middle taking and preparing your order. I'd think batchoyans inside the Iloilo Central market have mini versions of this style.

ANG KAMALIG RESTAURANT
Never been here actually, just heard and remember their radio ads then. I think it was located somewhere Andok's across SM Delgado now. Ilongg and Filipino specialties were there specialties. (NOTE: Kamalig is back atThe Shops at Atria and soon at Robinsons Place Jaro)

SUGBAHAN PLAZA
It was literally a barbecue place that you yourself would smell like barbecue after eating. It was more of a drinking place than a restaurant with a family friendly ambiance. It was right across Amigo Plaza through Delgado street.

Mama's Kitchen and Sinamay House in Arevalo

A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...

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

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 por...

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice . I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

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. ...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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