Nang Pat's Siopaowan sa Villa

I have been told about a "sio paowan" in Villa before but I never had the drive to go all the way there just for that. If not for a small misadventure I had, I would not have discovered this chicken sio pao which, as of now, earns my vote for the best chicken sio pao I have tasted here in Iloilo City.

I never thought that this "sio paowan" sa Villa was actually part of the name of a snack shop so it's actually is a proper name rather than generic. And there's more actually to it's name, Nang Pat's, most likely the matriarch who started making these chicken meat filled buns.

A sari sari store and snack shop in one, Nang Pat's Siopaowan sa Villa, would be often be passed over as more popular one, Dinagyang, is just right a across the street. It was even the landmark I told the tricycle driver when I went here. It seems there's nothign really special about the place unless ofcourse one tries eating a "generic" sio pao.

Very cheap at 22 pesos, one gets a big sio pao that is graciously filled, full of flavour, a soft dough and no need for sauce since the filling alone oozes with it. These simple words cannot fully describe nor justify how much I really liked the sio poo when I first tasted it. Not that I was hungry that time, it was actually my second breakfast that time - lol.

So good indeed that I got two to go and even after around two hours or so of being away from a steamer, it was as good as the one I had right off the steamer. (That would have been my third breakfast - lol.)

It was indeed a good gastronomic discovery and no amount of hype nor branding could sway my decision that this is the best chicken sio pao I have tasted as of this time. And I am ready for more.

Nang Pat's Siopaowan sa Villa is along Bonifacio Street right after Plaza Villa.
See location map

Fruits from the grocery

These packs of cut up fruits were bought from SM Delgado's grocery. Got enticed by their color and luckily, they were as good as they looked, especially the papaya. Each was just less than Php 22, really a bargain!

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?"

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Search This Blog