FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Herzlich Wilkommen! A “cordial welcome” as the Germans would say. But even if you don’t hear these words, you will still see, feel and most of all, taste Germany at Bavaria Restaurant . Located along the quiet Seminario Street in Jaro, this quaint little restaurant has been “open secret” among Ilonggo foodies for around 13 years. Like a typical German tavern, the restaurant has given Ilonggos a chance to experience the Deutsch fashion of merry eating and drinking. The Place “I wanted to bring something unique to the Ilonggos and food is always a good option” says Helen Stummer, owner of Bavaria. “And they won’t only appreciate the food but also the setting and ambiance”. True enough, patrons feel a transformation the moment they step in. A narrow hallway brings guests to a cozy dining area that also feels like a museum of sorts. Ornate decorations and displays in true German fashion harmonize the dainty fixtures. Wooden panels give the interior a warm and cozy ambiance that is both si...

Be one with nature as the world celebrated Earth hour once last Saturday, March 26 at 8:30PM. And in support to this undying effort to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change and global warming, The Avenue, the premier dining and entertainment destination in Iloilo City, turned off its lights and delighted diners with a candle-lit dinner amidst the festive and mouthwatering dishes at the Bauhinia, Mojave, Amalfi, Nothing but Desserts, Terra, and Coffeebreak. And adding more thrill to the night, around 8:30PM, when the rest of the world celebrated Earth Hour, The Avenue will delightfully ignited it patrons time with a feisty fire dance performance from the ILOILO FIRE FANTASY! It was indeed a gathering that found gastronomic pleasures amidst a fun-ignited entertainment as we continue to celebrate and save the Earth. (The Avenue is located at Glicerio Pison Avenue (Smallville District). To make reservations, call Bauhinia at 3296951; Mojave at 3295616; Amalfi a...

Until the very last minute my column remained untitled so when my editor "forced" me give one so I settled for "Food Tourism" which is actually for my next one. So this will just be the first of two parts. F rom promoting the gastronomic delights of Iloilo for the past three years as a blogger, I found myself another medium – print. Now it would be much easier to reach out and share especially to those whose thoughts are still confined to the notion that mass media is just “print-radio-television” and often refer those outside the triumvirate as “illegitimate” media. L et me start by asking what defines the flavors of Iloilo. Is it a bowl of steaming La Paz batchoy or Pancit Molo? How about native delicacies like baye-baye, bingka and bandi ? Or perhaps pasalubong items like butterscotch, biscocho, barquillos and galletas? Can it also be native dishes like KBL, laswa and pinamalhan? Or even vegetables like alugbati, batwan, ubad and takway. Maybe it could be the f...

A subtle yet still flavourful way to enjoy La Paz batchoy is to "chicken out". Not that you give up on it - upon hearing the cholesterol overload it brings, but you just try out the chicken variant. Only comes in "Super" (not Special nor Extra Super), this bowl of hot piping soup can be easily mistaken for being just chicken mami. The eyes only see chicken strips, fried garlic and spring onions on top of meke noodles on a clearer broth but the aroma and the flavour is still very "La Paz batchoy". Adding the usual soy sauce and pepper almost mimics the real batchoy taste and smell that will certainly entice the senses to make this bowl (and every bowl) of Ted's Lapaz batchoy always a truly Ilonggo gastronomic experience. Extra caldo please!

I had a rather hard time deciding what to get for lunch last Saturday as I found myself at Bluejay Coffee and Deli in Amigo Plaza mall. As usual it was my blog that influenced what I will order for I have so many blog posts about this posh café that surely I'll have a repeat. Almost ordered their Country Clubhouse when I decided to have a go on their grilled sausages meal combos. I got one marked as one of their best sellers – Italian Garlic . Actually, I’ve wanted to try their sauerkraut that I, on the last minute, decided to switch orders. My Italian Sausage combo meal came and I was rather disappointed on how it looked like. I can’t believe that for its price and for a classy restaurant like Bluejay one would be served a rather ugly presented meal. What you see is actually what I was served – I haven’t touched anything at all. That is if you’re thinking I actually started eating before I took this shot. Oh well, I just had other angles to make up for it The first one I tasted...

Get hold of these two delectable cakes from Tinapayan as the bakeshop adds them in their list of mouth watering cake collection. Caramel lovers would surely love this sugar based creation – simply Caramel Cake . Though the design reminds of some other cake (lol), at least this one has class and simple but fine craftsmanship. And to cater to the demand of most cake buyers, a space was specially provided to greet the occasion this cake is going to be part of. The soft cake is smothered with generous amount of caramel in between and iced with another caramel based icing. The taste of the caramel was moderated so it won’t be overwhelming and the cake itself good – soft, spongy and appetizing. The Mango Supreme cake really looks supreme in all aspects and angles too. Inspired by the Asian phenomenon in cake design, the simple ornamentation and superb handiwork makes the cake an eye catcher and truly deserves a second look. Not only it is pleasing to the eyes but also tasted really good. L...

I just had my first zip line adventure and I’m surely going to do it again. A perfect calorie burning activity and good thing it’s just 20 minutes away from Iloilo City, on the island that fits your taste – Guimaras. Now aside from the usual beach-combing, island hopping and all the mango appreciation, there’s something new and exciting what-to-do and where-to-go in the island. Yesterday, I was invited during the blessing and soft opening of the first ever zip line this side of the region. On an envisioned nature-adventure park named Camp Alfredo, communing with nature brings in a lot of fun and excitement amidst the serene and lush backdrop. No less than the Governor of Guimaras, Felipe Nava (in red) and and his wife Lally (zipping at the time), graced the occasion and pledging support for the latest tourism venture in their turf. After the blessing of the zip line and some parts of the whole property, I had the chance to tour the Camp Alfredo despite all the on going works. This 2-he...

I really like the convenience brought about by the adjoining branches of Green Mango and Coffeebreak . One can have the best of both fast food and coffee shop worlds in just one sitting. I’m particular about the one in front of the Nelly Garden because it offers a look, literally, into Iloilo’s glorious past while enjoying a cup of coffee or just having a filling lunch. The most recent, at Plaza Libertad, offers a different ambiance though still with an air of heritage brought about by the historic plaza upfront. But the most convenient for me is along Valeria Street - very accessible a nd walkable too, and almost where most of my reviews took place. It was almost like a “fiesta” recently when I visited Green Mango and Coffeebreak Valeria days ago. A late lunch it was but craving for my ultimate favorite – Bistek Tagalog was put on hold when I found out it was recently off the menu. I would have opted for ultimate craving – fried pork chop but I decided to ”beef up” and went for Beef...

At the crossroads of Iloilo city and the Iloilo airport, the town of Pavia is now fast developing not only in terms of residential-commercial-industrial but also in gastronomy. But for a small town that has no access to the sea, it seems to be unlikely to hold seafood restaurants. The past few years saw the mushrooming of this type food stops along the highway and yesterday during a birthday celebration I got to taste test the newest of them all - Pavia Seafood Place . Big! That's how I see the place the many times I passed by the restaurant located in Brgy. Mali-ao. And big it is in the inside with native tables and benches that can accommodate more than a hundred. It's almost "al fresco" as walls are made with screen materials to to let the air and light in while the insects out (but they found other ways in -lol). Adding a more native flair and a casual ambiance is the pebbled flooring and the turo-turo display where the "eats of the days" are there for t...