Breakfast at Green Mango

Breakfast at Green Mango - Jaro branch

To jumpstart our tour of Jaro district, my friends and I had breakfast at the newly opened branch of Green Mango right across its plaza. It was a good thing they open early (7am) to serve commuters especially students and office workers working or passing by the area. It was the usual breakfast meals for my friends, smoked longganisa & beef tapa combos and for me, of course my favorite, bistek tagalog.

It took them almost an eternity to serve our breakfast since there was a big batch of order ahead of us and I can count only 3-4 staff at that time. Anyway, these combo meals are affordable at PhP49 each and comes with free drinks (except for my order.)First thing that caught the attention of my friends was the shape of the rice, it was almost conical as opposed to the usual truncated cylinder or cone. Then no reactions from then on. Either they were so hungry or they have nothing to say ab0ut the food (lol).

It seemed that my favorite order at Green Mango has changed a bit, from my last memory of their bistek tagalog, it wasn't as dark as this nor tasted with overpowering soy sauce. I can't be sure since I had my last bistek tagalog at their main branch along Valeria street. Though I can say that this one is more bistek looking and tasting, but I love the "original" recipe of their sauce back at the main branch. (Gotta make another taste test sometime.) But still finished my plate since the beef itself, usually good.

We finished almost everything except that tapa wherein my friend said it was too hard. Just by looking at it, I can say that it really was that no need for him to demonstrate by cutting it using his spoon (which he did anyway).

And so our tour of the heritage district of Jaro began with a trip to my Alma Mater, currently hosting the 14th Unigames, with the University Church and it's infamous addition, that "canopy".

The icons of Jaro, the Metropolitan Cathedral which houses the image of Our Lady of Candles in it's facade ...

...to it's equally famous belfry and plaza,

and a souvenir/religious items shop wherein the best buys are still, of course, the candles!

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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