Meshi - What's on my buffet plate?

The gastronomic joys of a buffet that you get to enjoy a variety of dishes depending on your appetite. So basically, I often starve myself before I get myself into a buffet. But that's the not the case during this Japanese Buffet "Meshi" at Days Hotel Iloilo months ago. Instead of starving ourselves before, we just came from another food tasting session around 3 hours before. But blame isn;t upon us, have we known that we were to be invited to this glorious spread, we could have had managed our schedule to fit our appetites.

But nonetheless, I might have broken my buffet record that instant as I had around 3-4 plates of a variety of Japanese specialties. Good thing Japanese cuisine consists of light dishes that despite being full (we had four mini bowls of soups prior to that). As usual with all my Japanese buffets before, it always starts with sushis, makis, and all those in between. It may look just appetizers but actually its heavy for it laready has rice in it.

Then comes the tempura, gyoza and salads. I just love the potato salad made Japanese by adding tobiko, fish eggs or roe that is often seen with makis - those orange trimmings. A dip in sauce makes these fried and steamed dishes more appetizing.

And now for the main course but with the quantity I got they didn't seem to be the main course. I don't usually like ginger but the pork with ginger sauce proved to my favorite that time. And still there was the grill meat and seafood that I just remembered when it was presented to us. Even just the sauce, it was an appetizing plate.

The desserts both looked and tasted good. Flans, gelatins, mousses, creme brulee - you name they had it that time. Each was crafted to make it a visual treat that one might just look at "eat".

And finally, the three cheese cheesecake that not only looked good but really tasted as divine as one might expect. Though I only got thin slice (ahem) it was as filling as it could have been. Or maybe I was just very full for it was among the last ones I had that time.

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

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?"

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.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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