Forced "gluttony" at Esca's Garden Restaurant

It was supposed to be a luncheon for four but at the last minute two cancelled so we were forced to have them all - thus the title. Esca's Garden Restaurant inside Aurora subdivision is one of those oasis type of dining places wherein guests do not only enjoy the food served but also the ambiance of the place. At Esca's, you can choose their air conditioned dining rooms or dine al fresco in their hall or out in the garden. It's your pick and you'll enjoy the experience more when you get your orders right.

So for this visit we had their crispy kangkong and kinilaw na pasayan as appetizers. The crispy kangkong was good even made better when dipped in garlic mayo. But as expected it's too oily and greasy but nevertheless good and appetizing. With green mango slices as garnish, their kinilaw na pasayan did it's purpose as an appetizer. With coconut milk, onion and chilis plus big shrimps it almost became a main course itself.

For the main course, we had morisquita fried rice, pangat, chicken ham and back ribs. It really brings back memories to see morisquita fried rice as part of the menu though it just fried rice with mixed vegetables and ham.

The pangat was very good, both visually and gastronomically. Very subtle taste that makes you want more.

We thought of this as chicken-ham so we got it but when it came 'twas chicken and ham in cream sauce to our dismay. Add to that it tasted nothing spectacular, just chicken, ham and cream.

Imported from it's sister restaurant, Afrique's, due to it's popularity, we got thrse backribs to satisfy our curiosity why it's considered a best seller. But when it came, I wasn't impressed visually and when I got a piece of it, it was nothing special. True it's soft but it tasted ordinary even with the hickory barbecue sauce. We never even finished half of it.

Good thing this cucumber cooler provided us with something fresh and new. Though also served at Afrique's, but you get more than your money's worth when you get one from Esca's. Much bigger serving with much better garnish too. Cucumber, lemon and singkamas slices with mint. Truly a cooler on a hot day!

Despite the setbacks, a visit to Esca's is alway a welcome experience both gastronomical and visually. Certainly will be back for more.

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...

Lauya nga Pata sang Baboy

It was a typical fiesta scene in a barrio that I got to taste this cholesteroliffic and delicious pork dish. I can still vividly remember that decades old gastronomic memory - very tender and almost fall of the bone pata, vivid orange sour and sticky broth, large chunks of unripe langka; all in one big large kaldero ! And it's been really a while since I've tried to recreate that taste memory and a few days ago, it was worth another try. Here's my simple recipe for Pata Lauya

Bilong-bilong

Bilong-bilong , as what it is called, is a silvery flatfish. It can be fried, sinabawan , pinamalhan, binuro and sinugba. I found a similar entry at marketmanila.com which says .. ".... an amusing looking fish called Bilong-bilong or Chabita or Kadis. A Moonfish (now isn’t that a descriptive name?) of the Family Menidae, it inhabits coastal waters, has an incredibly flat body and oval shape with low fins. Locals love to serve this paksiw style with ginger, vinegar and onions, or deep fried where if small enough, everything is munched on, I am told..." Fried bilong- bilong Pinamalhan na bilong bilong Binuro nga bilong bilong from iLOVEiloilo.com How to make Binuro nga Bilong bilong (adapted from LEE's comment in the PINAMALHAN entry) 1. Clean bilong-bilong with water then drain. 2. In a container with lid, make alternate layers of the fish and salt, the latter in the bottom layer. 3. Cover and store in a cool, dry place (not in the fridge) in the next few days. 4....

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