Bluejay Coffee: Brewing up a passion for the good things in life

Any city as vibrantly thriving as Iloilo needs a caffeine jolt to keep it moving. Call this a sweeping statement, but Ilonggos will agree that no coffee shop can quite do that jolting buzz better than Bluejay Coffee. With two spiffy branches located at strategic districts in the metropolis, Bluejay Coffee has wisely carved its niche as one of the best coffee shops in Iloilo.
Bluejay Coffee was born out of passion and concern: Passion for coffee and concern for a developing city that was and still is in need of top-rank establishments befitting its progressing status. Bluejay then was built not just because of the owners’ love for coffee, but also as an answer to the city’s need for a more sophisticated venue.

Catering to a higher end market, Bluejay has upped the ante by offering the Ilonggos a classier and hipper take on the usual coffee-and-dining experience. Cleverly resisting the compulsion to put all its beans in one filter basket, Bluejay did not just limit its market to the java-loving crowd, but has also introduced the deli-cum-coffee shop concept to local food enthusiasts.

After its General Luna branch opened, Bluejay Coffee and Delicatessen also welcomed coffee and dining patrons in its Amigo Mall branch. Finally, just about anyone with a penchant not just for good coffee but also for good food, now has a place to go to for intimate gatherings, power lunches or dinner meetings.

Bursting with all the good things, Bluejay undeniably has just about everything for the city’s dining cognoscenti: outstanding coffee, great food and a sophisticated yet unpretentious and welcoming ambience.

Brewing more than just coffee, Bluejay aims to keep on fulfilling the expectations of its growing clientele while continuing to raise the bar a notch higher for Iloilo’s thriving coffee and dining scene. (JM Pijuan)

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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