Balay Manokan: Inato na manok sa buko pandan

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 water , manok sa buko meanwhile is much simpler with only coconut strips and water plus greens. This gives it a much sweeter broth.

And lastly, buko pandan, one of the most popular native desserts. A mixture of coconut strips, gelatin enhanced with pandan essence and a creamy concoction usually made with all purpose cream and condensed milk. I have heard/read so many praises about this buko pandan that it was an automatic dessert order that time.

But it was an epic disappointment for me. Never have I tried a worse buko pandan than this one even though it looks good. It was mainly of the cream that didn't taste like it had cream in it. It was very diluted that it tasted like water with a few drops of evaporated and condensed milk. Though I must try the one they serve in other Jo's Chicken Inato restaurants especially their "flagship" branch in Jaro to see if it's better there.

So there you have it, inato na manok sa buko pandan.

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

Calda Pizza: Home of the biggest pizza in town

Calda Pizza means “hot pizza” in Italian and had its beginnings in Lahug, Cebu City in January 2008. Conceived by a Cebu-based couple, Bernard and Frances Therese Palang, the pizza chain started with a capital of PhP 400,000. But prior this venture, Bernard worked in the family-owned furniture business while Frances heads a chemical repackaging business. With success already in the bag after only the first year, they eventually ventured out of Cebu and opened their first branch in Quezon City. They sacrificed their respective jobs to concentrate in their new business. Frances’ attention is devoted with the administration and commissary works while Bernard is in charge of marketing, expansion and franchise expansion as well as the daily operations of company owned branches. Now more than three years later, it has taken the country by storm as around 35 branches have opened nationwide. NOW IN ILOILO But Ilonggos need not to travel out as Calda Pizza recently opened its first bra...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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