Ensaymada from Bluejay Coffee and Deli

It’s official! Bluejay Coffee and Deli claims to make the best ensaimada in Iloilo. As this big standee advertisement greets patrons in their Amigo Plaza Mall, one’s curiosity is heightened if it can stand up to what it claims. And that’s exactly what I did .....

Months ago, I tasted their ensaimada and though it was indeed good that time, I still have reservations upon this claim then. It was a little bigger as the popular Megamelt or Muhlach, but cheesier (that is having more cheese toppings), had a bit more butter and softer on each bite despite being dense. But it was sort of deformed that time – maybe I got the one at the bottom of the pack.

But to my surprise when this reinvented ensaimada came, it was a lot bigger and looks very different from the previous one. Most noticeable was the two-tone cheese topping it had. My guess it had keso de bola and cheddar but it was never confirmed – secret of the trade I was told.

As it was reheated in the microwave oven for around 10 seconds, the mix of melted butter and the sugar granules created quite a glittering display and beckons to be eaten right away. To which I did – after taking five shots, of course. A food blogger always takes photos (most of the time A LOT) first, no matter hungry he is or the ones surrounding him are, before eating.

Finally, the time came and it was very fluffy that the whole bread goes down with each forkful I took. No I wasn’t just dreaming it, but it really melt in your mouth. The cheese topping variation created a contrast in flavour – the cheddar cheese giving it something like an “umami” taste while the “keso de bola” balanced it a little saltiness. The buttery sugar crystals (or is it the sugary melted butter) gave it the familiar ensaimada experience. Admit it, no matter how ordinary or special an ensaimada is, the butter and sugar mix gives it sense of taste recognition.

It was enjoyable with coffee – I finished my cup with no sugar in it. Then I realized the inconsistency of my first and recent ensaimada experience. The first one peeled right off the plastic - cold and compact, while the latter heated and a lot fluffier. So I got another one with instructions of serving it as it is. It was still a lot better than the previous one, but warming it up is still the best way to indulge in it.

So can it really live up to its claim of being the best ensaimada in Iloilo? Well, I’ll leave it hanging first, since I have yet to taste test two or three more ensaimadas of the same genre. But all I can say for now is that I can finish three of these ensaimada in just one sitting and there could be room for one more! Not to mention bringing home half dozen more and enjoying it more at home!

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 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

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...

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...

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. ...

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