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.
From 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.
Let 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 freshest seafoods and flavourful lechon served by restaurants in Villa Could it possibly be the iconic food places in Downtown Iloilo or the collection of chic restaurants and bars in Smallville? Hmmm …
A month ago I became a (sort of) guide to a Manila-based blogger who was in town for a convention. Quick facts – Sanju is an Indian national but was raised in the Philippines and adding more pressure on me, his blog www.tableforthreeplease.com was adjudged as the best Food and Beverage Blog in the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards. With a limited time to discover Iloilo City, gastronomy played major role in creating a lasting impression to tourists like him. It was also a quick and easy way of defining, at the same time appreciating, the local food and food ways – as we were both food bloggers.
A bowl of Extra Super La Paz batchoy from Ted's Oldtimer
Very obvious, a bowl of La Paz batchoy from Ted’s Oldtimer, was his introduction to the flavors of Iloilo. Akin to this noodle, pork, and broth concoction – Ilonggo cuisine a mix of simple ingredients yet certain cooking techniques perfected through the years create a distinctive taste. It is also food that is deeply embedded with the culture of the Ilonggos and not only to please one’s hunger but also has pride in every sip or bite. Most food and food places have stood through time but some ways also evolved as innovations were introduced with the changing times. Yet some even managed with little (or even without) as the traditional gastronomic delights still abound!
Seafood galore at Breakthrough Restaurant along Villa beach
Over dinner at Breakthrough along Villa beach, a galore of seafoods and native delicacies introduced him to the fact that Ilonggo cooking is (also) simple. But using the freshest ingredients and the long-established ways of cooking, a cuisine of multifaceted flavors is produced. This is evident in traditional home-cooked dishes, for Ilonggo cuisine is deeply-rooted in the family. From family-owned restaurants and pasalubong shops to family recipes being shared through generations through simple home cooked specialties or during lavish fiestas. And how homegrown restaurants are invading the rest of country serving foods that are uniquely Ilonggo – but as Sanju said “It still tastes different and still better in Iloilo.”
Assorted trifles from Nothing but Desserts
Requiring sweets brought us to an aptly named shop – Nothing but Desserts at The Avenue. The sweets café illustrated how our restaurants can be at par with the best in the country. It was a showcase of how Ilonggo restaurateurs are keeping up with the trend not only with taste but also how it is presented and served. From the first class quality of the food and excellent service to the swanky ambiance – “Imagine all these for a fraction of a price compared to the big city” I heard him say. It also showed the vibrancy of Iloilo’s nightlife and the evolution of the local food scene as the Ilonggos taste buds are opening up to cuisine other than their own.
So back to the start, what makes up the flavors of a certain place- Iloilo in our case? No particular food, dish, restaurant or personality can define its flavors. It is a mix of many and different aspects working in gastronomic harmony and makes a distinct taste – uniquely our own. True that La Paz batchoy is almost synonymous with Iloilo but its popularity still cannot define the depth and scope of the culinary plethora of the Ilonggos. And for a city whose tourism is tantamount with its gastronomy, it is also where outsiders get a glimpse Iloilo’s rich history, tradition and culture.
From 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.Let 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 freshest seafoods and flavourful lechon served by restaurants in Villa Could it possibly be the iconic food places in Downtown Iloilo or the collection of chic restaurants and bars in Smallville? Hmmm …
A month ago I became a (sort of) guide to a Manila-based blogger who was in town for a convention. Quick facts – Sanju is an Indian national but was raised in the Philippines and adding more pressure on me, his blog www.tableforthreeplease.com was adjudged as the best Food and Beverage Blog in the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards. With a limited time to discover Iloilo City, gastronomy played major role in creating a lasting impression to tourists like him. It was also a quick and easy way of defining, at the same time appreciating, the local food and food ways – as we were both food bloggers.
A bowl of Extra Super La Paz batchoy from Ted's OldtimerVery obvious, a bowl of La Paz batchoy from Ted’s Oldtimer, was his introduction to the flavors of Iloilo. Akin to this noodle, pork, and broth concoction – Ilonggo cuisine a mix of simple ingredients yet certain cooking techniques perfected through the years create a distinctive taste. It is also food that is deeply embedded with the culture of the Ilonggos and not only to please one’s hunger but also has pride in every sip or bite. Most food and food places have stood through time but some ways also evolved as innovations were introduced with the changing times. Yet some even managed with little (or even without) as the traditional gastronomic delights still abound!
Seafood galore at Breakthrough Restaurant along Villa beachOver dinner at Breakthrough along Villa beach, a galore of seafoods and native delicacies introduced him to the fact that Ilonggo cooking is (also) simple. But using the freshest ingredients and the long-established ways of cooking, a cuisine of multifaceted flavors is produced. This is evident in traditional home-cooked dishes, for Ilonggo cuisine is deeply-rooted in the family. From family-owned restaurants and pasalubong shops to family recipes being shared through generations through simple home cooked specialties or during lavish fiestas. And how homegrown restaurants are invading the rest of country serving foods that are uniquely Ilonggo – but as Sanju said “It still tastes different and still better in Iloilo.”
Assorted trifles from Nothing but DessertsSo back to the start, what makes up the flavors of a certain place- Iloilo in our case? No particular food, dish, restaurant or personality can define its flavors. It is a mix of many and different aspects working in gastronomic harmony and makes a distinct taste – uniquely our own. True that La Paz batchoy is almost synonymous with Iloilo but its popularity still cannot define the depth and scope of the culinary plethora of the Ilonggos. And for a city whose tourism is tantamount with its gastronomy, it is also where outsiders get a glimpse Iloilo’s rich history, tradition and culture.