Plazuela de Iloilo: A (gastronomic) destination in the making

Rumours spark before, when Nes and Tat's transferred to a new location from the land they rent beside SM City Iloilo, that Mr. Rogelio Florete is set to develop the area. It is only now that these rumours were confirmed. The recent Iloilo-Guimaras investment forum held in Manila gave us this very surprising development from one of Iloilo City's foremost businessmen.

Vicinity mapof Plazuela de Iloilo

UPDATE 11/10/09 : Preparations for the groundbreaking rites

Plazuela de Iloilo: Gateway to Iloilo’s Progress and Urban Facelift

By Nonoi Ybiernas

Ilonggo’s pride and visionaire Dr. Rogelio Florete Sr has once again set his eyes to his beloved city when he commissioned the internationally renowned urban planner and designer Palafox and Associate to come with a design for his proposed commercial project located at Benigno Aquino Ave. (adjacent to SM City Iloilo) that will showcase the cultural and heritage architecture of Iloilo during the late 1800’s when it was considered as the Queen City of the South. This commercial center named Plazuela de Iloilo is expected to open in October 10, 2010 exactly 11 months to completion, a record breaking time for such a huge edifice.

Being the country’s festival capital and a fast growing economic pillar, the city has become a potential commercial hub with diverse activities for the local or foreign visitor to consider as a new destination. Armed with highly-skilled manpower, an effective coastal and enviromental management program and a new Iloilo Airport, the province is undergoing a gradual urban facelift in which Plazuela de Iloilo becomes a defining link from the old Hispanic town to a progressive yet solicits cultural awareness. To strengthen the diverse character of festivities in Iloilo the whole year round, the mixed use development project will employ a pool of fresh but relevant concepts from the usual Spanish to the Italian-European Styles easing its way to the Iloilo landscpe and blending in with the local fashion.

Bird's eye view of Plazuela de Iloilo

Dubbed as Plazuela de Iloilo, this European-inspired commercial complex is expected to rise by the last quarter of 2009 and to be finished a year after.

Here are some details of PLAZUELA DE ILOILO:

12,533 sq. m. lot area

Elevated at 2.05M from the hi-way as it was envisioned to be "flood free"

36 leasable areas

8,600 sq. m. gross leasable area (commercial)

Complex is composed of 3 buildings, administration office and concert stage

Parking space for over 100 cars

BPOs at the 2nd floor

Ground breaking - last quarter of 2009

Construction period - 12 months

More info on Plazuela de Iloilo

Plazuela de Iloilo photos and details courtesy of OBOI of Skyscrapercity Forum

Plazuela de Iloilo vicinity map and perspective c/o MARC of EXPLORE.LOILO

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 cooking weed called Lupo

Lupo is a weed that is commonly found in ricefields and roadside in provinces. It is most prevalent in Ilonggo cooking compared to others as it is mostly the Ilonggos who can recognize lupo , though maybe called differently in other places. Most commonly used in laswa or monggo dishes to add greens like kamote tops, it also makes a good partner in sinabawan na isda recipes. It has hints of bitterness but don't expect it to be ampalaya-bitter like. It is mostly sold in wet local wet markets by the tumpok .

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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