A taste of what's to come at Smallville 21

A few weeks ago I got a call inviting me to a forum discussion at a hotel. An email came requesting me to be a part of a group that would discuss "something" about Iloilo. The lifestyle of the Ilonggos including shopping, entertainment, dining, leisure and almost about anything. It was basically getting the pulse of the Ilonggos on how vibrant the Ilonggo business scene is now.

And today at the Emerald FunctionRoom of the Smallville 21 Hotel I found out it was an intimate group - with just around a dozen participants representing the business, public service, media and other sectors of Iloilo City. I was then greatly honored to be part of this since I thought there would be around 50 participants. We sure did discuss all about Iloilo as mentioned above and it was a very fruitful discussion with them getting the pulse of the locals views on everything in our city. But as requested, I am not going to divulge any information about it - what more we talked about and who they were (though I am very much itching to do so -lol)

So instead I'll discuss about what was serve to us by the the newest hotel in Iloilo CIty - Smallville 21 Hotel. It was around six months ago when it opened and one can see upon entry that the hotel is brand new. The second floor got some functions with varying occupancy capability. And for a new player in the industry compared to established hotels, they had quite a satisfying food line up.

A salad started my food journey and with lettuce, bacon and croutons plus a zesty dressing whet up my appetite to have more.

For a hotel serving pancit canton (seafood), it was fairly good compared to others. The noodles were flavourful enough that even without eveything else, I could finish it all.

The fried chicken was good despite not eating it with rice, I enjoyed it as much. Even though it stayed on my plate for a long while the crunch was still ther when I had it then.

Beef with broccolicame next though it looked unappetizing at first but it was tender to the bite and the sauce was just mild. It could have used more broccoli in my opinion.

And finally, baby back ribs. Tender and almost falling of the bones plus the peanut sauce was savoury enough to give a lasting bite. But I kept it comparing to my favorite one which is just across the hotel at The Avenue - Bourbon Street.

And it ended around 1pm (we met around 10am) and we all felt it was just a teaser for us to share how everything is in Iloilo now and how they can influence the lifestyle of the Ilonggos since our host is really a prime mover in developments around the country.Their entry to Iloilo by then would really make Iloilo THE NEXT BIG THING!

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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