FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

One of the gastronomical highlights of the Philippine Blog Awards Visayas 2010 was this wonderful logo cupcakes courtesy of Tinapayan Bakeshop . It was two days before the event when we casually met with the owner of the bakeshop who surprised us with her plans for the awards nights. Though I have seen these type of cupcakes in the bakeshop, I haven't really though it would come out this good. To think, they just based in on the poster we made for the event. It proved to be another photo op for the attendees as most bloggers waited for their turn to have their pictures taken with the cake. No one dared to touch even an icing in fear of protest from those who haven't had their photo ops. The honour was reserved for Juned Sonido, President of the Philippine Blog Awards , who got the first cupcake and had the first taste of the "success" of the Iloilo leg of the PBA. Admittedly I had doubts whether they would taste as good as they looked like since I haven't tried T...

Pinamalhan is paksiw made dry but can also be loosely referred to as cooking fish the adobo way. It involves "stewing" the fish in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppers and other spices until dry then add a bit of oil. Ilonggos love pinamalhan and if it's bilong bilong , they love it even more. It's a combination of gastronomical proportions that often brings extra cup of kalo-kalo (fried rice) and spoils anyone's diet. So have you had your pinamalhan lately?

B ingkahan sa Mohon is almost an icon in Iloilo City for it is synonymous with very delicious bingka. Fulfilling one of my blog frustrations, a few weeks ago I set on a journey to rediscover this very popular bingkahan and I got more than bags and plates of it's famous bingka . I arrived early that time to see they were just preparing to make their famous bingka and that prompted me to have an impromptu gastronomic tour of the nearby area. When I came back an hour later, my order wasn't ready despite my reservations but I didn't mind. I mean it’s just a few minutes of waiting compared to the two times I visited the place and came out empty handed and overly frustrated. So I took some snapshots of how these delicious bingkas are prepared to make the most out of my waiting time. Bingkahan sa Mohon only makes bingka four days a week according to one of the workers I casually talked with. Starting on a Friday they make a somewhat limited batch until Monday for it is only...

It was a galore of chocolate cakes, having been transformed from a plain two-layer to works of art that would be regrettable when eaten. Like paintings, some can be considered masterpieces for they were done beautifully by steady and creative hands. Others were just regular pieces where just a passing look would be enough. Yet others were like abstracts – wondering why it is considered as art. As usual, here’s my personal assessment of these entries that became part of the first ever Tinapayan Chocolate Cake Decorating Contest held last month at The Atrium lobby. This is just limited to the appearance of the cake but speaks a lot since “decoration” is mainly for the eyes and not for other senses (but in this case - maybe sense of humor) Pink Ribbon One of the nearest cakes to the stage - where we were at, this cake is neither spectacular nor dull - it’s just plain. Its fondant base made it easier to decorate but the design was just blah and the execution was poor. Noticed how the pink...

A dinner invitation from one of the top hotels in Iloilo City highlighted the past (blogging) week. Until now, my head is still spinning from the gastronomic delights encountered during the buffet courtesy of the owner and general manager of Days Hotel Il oilo . Meshi – A Japanese Buffe t is the regular smorgasbord every Wednesday held at Days Hotel’s The Promenade . A restaurant with delectable offerings plus a good view of the hustle and bustle of Iloilo City, no matter what time of the day, is among the crowd drawers of Day’s Hotel . As we were invited by the top honchos of the hotel, access was given to us even before it opened to the public and while preparations were still going on. The buffet consists of different stations (I counted six) with enough food items in each to be both visually and gastronomically satisfying. The soup and bread station consists of a variety of baked goods and soup good enough to jumpstart ones appetite and get ready for more. It has loaf slices (regu...

Like an oasis amidst the desert, The Mango Tree Bar and Restaurant in Mandurriao provides a respite for Ilonggos who are tired and weary of the concrete jungle Iloilo City is fast becoming. Hidden in plain sight along Guzman Street, this restaurant was so named for the mango tree that provides the perfect centerpiece in the al fresco dining area. From the street outside, if not for the signage that bears the bistro’s name, one might easily get lost for it mimics the surrounding residential area. Until one enters, he is transformed into another world – a gastronomical secret garden perhaps. The concrete jungle suddenly becomes green complete with the sights and sounds of nature. The lush greeneries and vines dangling down from trees compliment the sounds of the birds chirping and rustling of tress. Before one gets lost in translation , he is reminded that he entered a restaurant by the glass-walled and air conditioned dining area. Homey yet elegant, the indoor area is seems a combinati...

As the rainy season continues and the "ber" months usher in longer and colder nights, there is nothing like waking up to the homemade goodness of Pancit Molo . Named after one of Iloilo City’s districts, Pancit Molo is one of the more identifiable pancit dishes in the country. It stands out uniquely among the noodle dishes mainly because of its non-traditional pancit look. It is a derivative of the Chinese wonton (filled dumplings) made into a soup. What makes the pancit Molo different from fro mall the other pancit dishes is that the Molo wrapper used to wrap the filling is not cut into thin noodle strips but is a rolled square sheet of pasta dough used to encase the ground meat filling. Just like the Italian ravioli or tortellini which hare classified as pasta, pancit Molo , by virtue of its wonton wrapper is classified as a noodle. The filled dumplings used for this soup often use ingredients such a ground pork, chicken and/or shrimps that are mixed together with vege...

What makes Ilonggo style fresh lumpia different from others is that it can be eaten on its own. No need for a sauce since the ubod filling is already packed with flavour and seasoned well enough. It's also convenient to be eaten on the go and here in Iloilo, it is more of a "street food" rather than those served in plates with all the trimmings. Individually wrapped and sold in most native restaurants, native food stalls and even pasalubong and bake shops. When I crave for fresh lumpia, I don't even think of JD Bakeshop . I never really tried their version of fresh lumpia again since, if my memory serves me right, the last time I had their fresh lumpia it was mediocre even when compared to those generic ones sold in stalls. The many times I've been to any JD store, their fresh lumpia would never make it in front of me. But I became curious then, a friend brought back these fresh lumpia back to Manila to satisfy the cravings of his lola . So when I was at...

I again met one of my favorite pork barbecue a few days ago when I had an early dinner at Floyd’s Famous Barbecue. This combo meal is an automatic order for me every time I line up with a lot of people especially during mealtimes. Understandably, it is always an SRO crowd during lunch and dinner most of the time, queuing for their specialties. The savoury and tangy barbecue sauce is perfect for the skewered pork with the highlight at the end – a piece of pork fat. Each bite comes with a longing for another and ends with a sigh of satisfaction. Then comes the craving and the cycle repeats itself. Floyd's Chicken Barbecue with a flavour that's a combination of the American style barbecue and the local inasal. A dry rub of a few spices creates a new dimension in taste from the usual barbecues or inasals found in most restaurants in Iloilo. It would have been a more complete meal if I ended it with dessert that I’ve been craving for since the last time I had them – a plate of hot b...