Around the gastronomy block and more ....

Without much to do while waiting for my appointment, I decided to take a leisurely walk around the block bounded by Valeria-Delgado-Iznart and Solis streets. These streets alone would account for more than half of City Proper's food shops. Also see City Proper Gastronomy guide.

First along the way was Barrio Inasal's modern branch along Delgado street.

Next was the "MMDA" inspired motif of Amigo Terrace Hotel's snackbar and bakeshop, Sweet Treats. Im glad it finally had a great location since before the snackshop was located beside the mall's main entrance so it tends to be very crowded while the bakeshop was in the center of the mall. Now that the hotel and mall are undergoing renovation, good thing they finally placed the two side by side and along side the hotel's entrance for an alfresco experience.

Among my favorite items from their bakeshop are bichocoy, teren teren, spanish bread and english muffin. They also have native items like fresh lumpia and puto lanson. Their bakeshop always had a long queue during snacktime especially when hot off the oven breads are sold.

I hope that they would find a much better place for these two shops when the renovation works will be finished.

A few meters walk brought me to an old chinese restaurant, Dainty House Restaurant.

A few meters more, I turned left and found myself an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Buto't Balat (literally bone and skin) started out more than 10 years ago along E.Lopez street near De Paul College. Years later saw its tranferring to new locations and now it has two branches in the city, this Oasis along Solis street and one along Diversion road. More ...

Another few meters but across the street is Tilipunan Chicken Haus, my latest food trip venue.

And then there's La Salette and all its dining pleasures and treasures.

The odd man out in this around the block trip is Jo's Chicken Inato branch along Quezon street though they have another branch at the tip of Valeria street, named Eat @ Jo's.

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

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.

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?"

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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