Lechon and seafood galore at Tatoy’s

A gastronomic pitstop in Iloilo City, whatever the reasons of one may have, is the famed Tatoy’s Manukan and Seafoods along the stretch of Villa Beach. Balikbayans, tourists and even Philippine presidents make a quick trip to Tatoy’s to savour the cuisine that catapulted it to the iconic status it enjoys today.

It was then a favored lunch venue during the Iloilo Heritage tour on the second day of the Visayas Blogging Summit last Nov. 28. 2010. Around fifty bloggers who enjoyed the sights of Southern Iloilo (San Joaquin, Miag-ao, Guimbal, Tigbauan, and Oton) find respite with the beachside ambiance of Tatoy’s after hours of travel. Of course Tatoy’s is food and food it shall be as we all enjoyed the famed cuisine, the freshest catch and everything Tatoy’s got to offer.

Foremost is the popular lechon manok which revealed some of its secrets – sampaloc leaves used to add more flavour. Unlike most roasted chicken, it uses native or free roaming chicken commonly referred to as “Bisaya” and cooked until golden brown. No need to dip it for the chicken it self is flavourful all throughout. Good thing despite being a Sunday lunch rush hour, our chicken came in quick and also disappeared fast before our eyes.

A serving of grilled squid is just ordinary but still it tasted very good. Succulent despite being exposed for a long time on our table, it wasn’t a bit rubbery as one might expect. A dip in a vinegar concoction does the trick.

I’ve been curious about Tatoy’s dinuguan ever since I read some reviews online. For a bowl that size for only Php100 it was already worth it but when I tasted it, it was quite disappointing. I don’t even remember how it tasted or if it was a pork or chicken dinuguan. But it tasted much better than Breakthrough’s- which seemed to have sugar in it.

The valenciana also was a disappointment – good thing our group was the only one who ordered it. Maybe because we’re the only ones who knew about it. True it made non Ilonggos curious about this yellow sticky rice thing even by the looks it wasn’t that appetizing.

A last minute order was sinabawan nga isda – just to have some soup on our table. For Php50 per serving one can opt for a big bowl with a number of slices for easy sharing. It was a usual sinabawan nga isda with a flavourful soup and a thick sliced fish. If it were at home, I’d instantly added sinigang mix to the broth and add some greens like kangkong or kamote tops –lol.

Finally the lechon baboy, the skin look unappetizing for it was unevenly cooked but overall it tasted great that even without the sauce would have stood out. A “pampabata” mix of meat and fat, the aroma alone could satisfy your hunger for a while but nothing’s better than actually feeling the crunch or the skin, tasting the oily fatty portion and biting the sinful goodness of the meat.

Mama's Kitchen and Sinamay House in Arevalo

A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...

An American Adventure Buffet at Days Hotel Iloilo

I just came from a meeting for an upcoming event dubbed as "America in 3D" and when I arrived at The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo, it was like "America in 3D" all over again. But it was delicacies, drinks and desserts that time for it was the launching of their newest dinner buffet called American Adventure. As it promises guests to embark on a culinary journey of the flavours of America, guests will surely the taste of America with it's line up appetizers, salads, delicacies, main course and desserts. I kicked off my journey with a bowl of the clam chowder which was just as good as the one I had a few days earlier at The Venue . It was rich and flavourful, so good that sometime during the course of the buffet I had anotherone. There was a beautiful display of Oyster Rockefeller which turned out to be delectable that I got one each time I stood up and take another round. A play on Las Vegas, I assume, were these chicken nuggets they call Gold Nuggets. Indeed t...

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...

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

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...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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