Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment

When talks zero in on sio mai and sio pao (in Iloilo City), it would be incomplete when one snack shop is not mentioned. Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment had long been synonymous with these two Chinese delights and finally, I was able to personally visit the place, tasted their specialties and of course blogged about it.

Just a simple menu with three of the specialties; mami, sio pao and sio mai.

It was a short ride from the "Carlos" junction to this snack shop and even though I theoretically know where it was, I was still all eyes during the my travel. But luckily they had a very big signage that proclaimed "We serve the BEST mami, sio pao and sio mai in town". Now that got me gastronomically excited.

Simple interiors of Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment makes you conentrate more on the food rather than the ambiance.

It was around 1030am when I finally got there to see a sort of family brunch on going occupying half of the snack shop. But fortunately they were almost finished and within minutes I had the whole snack shop to myself.

I ordered what I came for, a (large) sio pao and sio mai. And when they came it was the usual clicks and flashes. Good thing the staff were busy fixing something that there were no inquisitive eyes from all directions.

Then it was judgment time ..... >>>

Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment from across the street.

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

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Lauya nga Pata sang Baboy

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Kadyos : The Ilonggos' signature beans

Now where do I start? I think I have enough feature on kadyos (and KBL ) that I find having a new post ... redundant. But there are times I can’t resist taking a photo and making another blog post. Like this instance, I chanced upon kadyos being “plucked” from its pod. Never got this one before so it would seem a good photo op. But now I’ve got one what’s next? Of course the perennial kadyos cuisine – KBL . Kadyos, baboy, langka is an Ilonggo favorite, no doubt about it. The beans being endemic almost in the region makes gives it (and the dish) a sense of popularity and a following. Ilonggos away from home often crave for the dish and it’s often one of the first they request when finally back home. The common yet special dish usually consists of broiled pork leg boiled until tender with kadyos beans, jackfruit and some greens. Batwan , another almost endemic fruit to the region, gives the broth a distinct sourness very different from others li...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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