FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Usually, I make it a point to be a few minutes early in any event so as “not to lose composure” brought about by being late or making a “grand entrance”. Upon the invitation of one of Iloilo’s foremost restaurateur, Chef Miguel Cordova, I arrived at Esca's Garden restaurant and found him at the helm of the dinner preparations upon arrival. Chef Miguel rose to local culinary “stardom” when he started Afriques restaurant years ago. Among the most popular restaurants in Iloilo City, Afrique’s now has around 5 branches in the metro. While at it, he also opened Esca’s Garden Restaurant inside Aurora Subdivision to cater cuisine more familiar to the taste buds – be it native Ilonggo, Filipino or a mix of continental fares like Spanish, American and Asian among others. And I had my first taste of these specialties in his standing Friday nights buffet yesterday. I’ve been to Esca’s many times before, but it was more on ala carte orders that neither ventured into the unfamiliar category – j...

Some just know what it takes to be among the best. Finely touched modish interiors, fully-loaded beverage line, and of course, the heavenly Barbecue Ribs- these are the best things to look forward to when you dine at BOURBON STREET, Iloilo’s delicious toast to American casual dining. And this year, Bourbon Street is again awarded as one of the best restaurants in the country. Bourbon Street joins the rank of the finest restaurants in the country in the 2011 issue of Philippines’ Best Restaurants, the ultimate dining guide published by the esteemed Philippine Tatler. Having been honored with the same award in 2009, Bourbon is truly a must-try destination. T o prove this credit, dining at the restaurant is one worth-it gastronomical experience. It has become a favorite dinner and after-dinner spot in Iloilo City; a haven of the most delightful dishes and a most sought-after watering hole among the urbanites.Sample the extensive line of mouthwatering American dishes to delight your famil...

The annual chocolate festival most awaited by the Ilonggos is back as Tinapayan bakeshop brings Sinful Desires 2011 – a month long celebration of chocolates! Each week, Tinapayan tickles our palate with four specially made chocolate goodies ranging from chocolate desserts bars and squares to breads and everybody’s favorite - chocolate cake! And for the first week indulge in the chocolatey goodness of Tinapayan’s Cappuccino Bar, Chocolate loaf, Peterpan Bar and Choco Mallow Torte . Very rich in every bite is how I would describe the cake of the week. Made with layers of moist chocolate cake alternating with chocolate mousse sprinkled with mallows, chocolate and nuts then covered with a ganache of chocolate then topped with more chocolates. It’s truly an overload of chocolates inside out this cake as Tinapayan opened its chocolate festival with aptly big bang! Catch these Sinful Desires this week from Sept. 26 - Oct. 2 at Tinapayan bakeshops located at Iloilo Supermart branches at The...

Last Saturday, I was lucky enough to avail of the last two "packs" of puto lanson sold for PhP15 each at Sabor Ilonggo at The Atrium. I've been looking for one ever since so as to update my photo of this native delicacy. Puto lanson is also called aripahol nga balinghoy (kamoteng kahoy or cassava). It is made with this grated root crop, coconut plus flavourings then steamed and sold in banana leaves. It has a rough finish opposite that of the more popular puto but it packs in more flavour that I eventually finished this pair in just one sitting. How to make Puto Lanson Puto Lanson Ingredients: 4 cups grated cassava 6 tbsp. brown sugar 1 cup grated Young Coconut (long and thin) Mascuvado (optional) Tin Molds ( you can use Condensed Milk can, cut in half and make sure to put holes at the bottom ) Puto Lanson Cooking Instructions: Prepare the Cassava, peel and wash it. Grate the Cassava once finished then squeeze out the juice using cheese cloth, air dri...

The much anticipated cake decorating contest in Iloilo City once again has thrilled Ilonggos young and old last Friday, Sept. 23. Now on it's 2nd year, the Tinapayan Chocolate Cake Decorating contest highlights and opens up the bakeshop's annual month long Chocolate Festival which starts Monday, Sept. 26. Participated in by seven schools, a total of 10 eye catching chocolate cake designs were created under the theme "Chinese New Year" that made the audience saw a lot of dragons, characters and other accents that are of Chinese origin. Using plain chocolate cakes as base provided by Tinapayan, each was then transformed into beautiful and yummy works of art that one would regret eating them. The winning entry was from Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus which got a nickname "MOA Cake" since the the most visible topping was likened to the globe fronting the Mall of Asia. A simple and neatly done chocolate cake with more circles on the sides plus a fierce look...

It just came from nowhere! Out of a sudden, my stomach grumbled from fried lumpia dipped in vinegar and I found myself going around the city looking and trying to satisfy this craving. First stop was at Dapli by Breakthrough along Lasalette building but they only make vegetable lumpia on Fridays - I really wonder why. Then at Dainty House Restaurant around the block, I missed the last order then. Over at the foodcourt at The Grand Tower, actually I never got there since it looked closed across the street. That brought me to The Atrium mall and to the foodcourt I directly went. And there it was, a plate of fried lumpiang shanghai beckoning me in silent screams of "come and get me". Indeed I wasted no time getting an order to which I complemented with a another craving - kare kare. So it was a very late lunch and an early dinner too ( 'twas around 5pm). At PhP10 each, the lumpia was quite filled but I didn't really quite appreciated it since I literally let it swam in s...

“The siopao, a Filipino fast food favorite, may be counted among “Filipinized” Chinese dishes, like pancit” points out food writer Margaux Salcedo. But her quick search on the Internet shows that nowhere else in the world are these buns also called siopao. “ The Chinese (apparently) calls them baozi, the Thais – salapao, Hawaiians refer to them as char siu bao; the Vietnamese identifies them as banh bao” she writes in her column on the Philippine Daily Inquirer ” But they all mean the same thing - a filled bun.” “The difference seems to be in the filling. The Hawaiians’ char siu bao offers barbecued pork inside, similar to our asado siopao, while the Vietnamese version offers ground pork, like our bola-bola siopao” reveals her further search. “The “Filipinization” is obvious with the asado filling, pork asado being a viand of Spanish influence derived from the Spanish word “asado” meaning “roasted,” although pork asado is a favorite at Filipino-Chinese restaurants” she finishes. Il...