Craving for fried lumpia

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 sinamak - the Ilonggo spiced vinegar. The kare kare from the Breakthrough stall (they ran out of veggies that time :( ) was just okay, made with cow's skin (usually for the Ilonggo pata). The guinamos (bago-ong) was much better for it was very flavourful and not the usual sweet style used in most restos in Manila or elsewhere. This one had the typical Ilonggo smell and taste of guinamos, that I finished my two cups of rice with 2 and a half pieces of lumpia left. And then i finally devoured and savoured each piece - saving the best for last!

The next day, I was out again, still craving for fried lumpia. I looked around town and finally settled for these freshly made ones at four pesos each. It was a fiesta as I bought ten pieces but regretted it on my first bite since it was like lumpia wrapper wrapped lumpia wrapper LOL. It almost had no filling at at all. To remedy this, I drowned them in vinegar - yup I used a bowl rathen than a platito for the sinamak so that each bite would still be as tasty as they can be not to mentioned the sides of my mouth having that burning sensation for hours.

Indeed I got what I paid for for both instances and sometimes, it doesn't really matter as long as I satisfy my cravings. Now looking at these lumpia, makes me feel dizzy ...

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...

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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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