FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

We were lining up the Mary Mart mall branch of Mang Inasal, the second in the whole country if I'm not mistaken, when one of the crew told us that there were no chicken inasals left. Quite understandable since it was past 8pm. But it was okay since there was another branch a mere 5-minute walk from there. That's on top of yet another branch 3 minutes walk. So the night ended with an inasal nga pecho with crispy kangkong on the side. Iloilo City alone has almost 15 branches of Mang Inasal and four f them just literally within "sight" of each other. But all these branches brim with hungry customers during meal times. And here's an apt Mang Inasal feature explaining it's rapid and meteoric expansion not only in Iloilo City but throughout the country. The Expansion of Mang Inasal A local franchise gets a significant chunk of the pie via a timely concept and time-tested strategies for business success By CORA LLAMAS for the MANILA BULLETIN June 27, 2010, 11:16a...

It was a very relaxing and soothing experience when I availed Kasanag Well-being Centre's Traditional Filipino Massage . Known as hilot , this hour long massage is perfect to end a very tiring day as it calms and relaxes your body through it's five-step process . From their website: Hilot stimulates the systems of the body, encourages improved circulation, aids digestion, waste removal and neural communication, invigorates and relaxes muscles, speeds up skin exfoliation and promotes cell regeneration. TUOB/BANYOS . In the old days, this was a very effective way of curing fever or regulating the body’s temperature so that it will achieve normalcy. Experience this kind of pampering. Be wrapped in a fine white cloth and have your feet soaked in a basin of lukewarm water that is infused with a herbal decoction, fresh herbs, flowers and fruits. HINGUT-AN . This head and shoulder massage is derived from the traditional `kuto-kuto alis’. This was influenced by the rural lifestyle of ...

Balay Manokan is a native themed restaurant along Quezon Street that takes pride in serving Jo's chicken inato - a specialty/restaurant that came from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. Chicken inasal is so big here in Iloilo City that this import readily clicked with the Ilonggos. But don't expect you'll find inato na manok sa buko pandan at Balay Manokan if ever you find yourself there. I just find it amusing that what we ordered seemed to "interconnect", literally. Inato na manok is simply just chicken inasal or chicken barbecue. Each restaurant has it's own "closely guarded" recipe and Jo's is among the most preferred. It's always a staple order due to it's popularity and one can simply enjoy this simple meal - kinamot style (eating with barehands) Manok sa buko (chicken with coconut) is another variant of the more popular Ilonggo dish, chicken binakol . Though the latter is more of a tinola style dish with coconut strips and wa...

I still can’t get over the gastronomic ecstasy brought about by the biggest barbecue party in Iloilo last Sunday at The Avenue. Timed on an important day, the event proved to be the highlight of the Fathers Day celebration to those who attended the affair. It’s been almost a week since then but I still feel “high”- as in “sugar high“. Quite explicable for someone who went to a barbecue party but considered the desserts as the highlight – lol. A table was set up to showcase the sweets that would end the party on a sweet note. Now let me explain – no, show you – that situation. First to catch everybody’s attention were surely these obvioualy eye catching mini cupcakes set up in the center of the dessert station. Very appealing to the eyes - the play of colours, the simple yet elegant designs and of course the fact that you can have as many as you want without having to “repeat” are just among that excited me. But in the end they were just ordinary cupcakes - made very appealing. I didn’t...

Lapaz batchoy is often among the first-to-be-presented gastronomic delights to tourists on any visit to Iloilo City. This classic Ilonggo cuisine is synonymous with the city of love that any visit would be incomplete without having a bowl of this Ilonggo pride. But with so many batchoyans around, surely it would be hard to decide where to bring guests to savour the famous Lapaz batchoy. Yet, the answer now is as easy as 1-2-3, at least in my case. The newest branch of Ted’s Oldtimer along Sen. Benigno Aquino Sr. Ave in Mandurriao beckons every passerby to come and experience the Ilonggo classic in a contemporary setting. Modern, spacious and trendy were among the first adjectives that came to mind when I finally visited this branch (that opened months ago). I felt as if the ambiance of the place and the delicacy it harbors are in silent rivalry. Though the store looks small from the outside, it actually is big in the inside. Of course, the famous Lapaz batchoy would first one’s menu...

Sitting down inside a cozy cafe and indulging in some of the best cakes and pastries in town is more than enough to distract us from the rain that poured heavily one Saturday afternoon. A meeting with the Iloilo Bloggers was set that time in one of the best places in Iloilo City to satisfy your sweet cravings - Dulgies Cafe . Choosing alone takes a great deal of effort as it is really difficult to make a decision which among their decadent cakes would satisfy one's sweet tooth. Will it be those blissful cheesecakes with a variety of toppings or those cakes which catch your attention with their eye catching design and colours. What caught mine (and surely others too) was this blood red cake that can been miles away (lol). It's the first time I saw attention seeking cake and most probably one of their latest creations. Red in colour and velvety in texture, it's very obvious why it was named Red Velvet cake. With a generous topping of chopped almonds, this was the cake that I ...

To cap a very busy blog weekend, I was invited to guest on Cablestar Inc.'s The Morning Show together with the Iloilo Bloggers. On live tv, we shared our insights about blogging - it's basics, it's relevance (not only here) in Iloilo, our upcoming events ( Visayas Blogging Summit and Philippine Blog Awards 2010 Visayas ) and almost anything under the sun. Time flies fast when you're having fun. Indeed we never knew we already sat on the hot seat for more than 30 minutes and it was only after the host, Joan, made her closing spiel that we had a chance to check our watches that we confirmed the length of our guesting. Bloggers as we were, we never let the chance of chronicling that activity by getting some behind the scenes photos and having a little chit chat with everybody after the show. It was indeed a good start for the week and for our upcoming event. The Morning Show airs on Channel 15 on Cablestar Inc. during Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays live around 1030am wit...

School is Cool! And Bluejay Coffee and Deli makes it even cooler with an ongoing promo. Students get 10% off on dine-in food and drinks purchases. It only requires a valid school ID to be presented before ordering. What a great way to start the school year!

In celebration of Father's Day 2010, a special dinner buffet was staged The Avenue dubbed as the Biggest Barbecue in Iloilo . A fitting gastronomic celebration to honour fathers on their special day. Garbed in a fiesta-like atmosphere (they even have flaglets) was the "activity" area of The Avenue complex which was the hub of the celebration. Restaurants within the area hosted guests for the said event on top of their own individual operations. Tents were prepared in case the weather didn't cooperate (thank God it did!) and even the function rooms of The Venue were prepared just in case. Seven buffet stations were set up for the guests to experience the ultimate dining experience. The main buffet table,of course, was set up in front with five mouthwatering dishes to choose from. They served a delicious callos madrillena, crispy country fried chicken, a tasty peanut crusted fish fillet, a very enticing paella yet my favorite proved to be the lasagna. The salad statio...