Diwal (angel wing clam) and other prized seafood from Western Visayas take centre stage at Paseo Uno’s lunch and dinner buffets as guest chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing, Iloilo’s culinary ambassador and celebrity restaurateur, flies in for a week’s engagement.
In this rare gastronomic festival, seafood lovers will delight over the distinct sweet and succulent flavours of diwal and other treasures of the Visayan Sea – scallops, Centennial Clams, Antique oysters and more. For those who cannot have enough of Chef Pauline’s signature Ilonggo dishes, the spread will not disappoint. Namit!
For reservations, please call Paseo Uno at Mandarin Oriental Manila at (02) 750-8888.
*/ PR
Acknowledgment:
In this rare gastronomic festival, seafood lovers will delight over the distinct sweet and succulent flavours of diwal and other treasures of the Visayan Sea – scallops, Centennial Clams, Antique oysters and more. For those who cannot have enough of Chef Pauline’s signature Ilonggo dishes, the spread will not disappoint. Namit!For reservations, please call Paseo Uno at Mandarin Oriental Manila at (02) 750-8888.
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Manila looks poorer when the bounty from the sea is difficult to find here. Think diwal and scallops. But only for this week, the sea bounty will be available at Mandarin Oriental Manila’s Paseo Uno. The familiar face in Paseo Uno is Pauline Banusing, indefatigable promoter of Ilonggo cuisine. Some months ago, at another venue, she cooked batchoy, binacol and chicken inasal. But what drew people on the first day to Paseo Uno was diwal, also called angel wings and described by Claude Tayag as “diwalicious.”
Sometimes I think that because it’s rare, then food seems to be more delicious. But seafood we get from the weekend market like oysters from Bulacan, clams and bagongon (black conical shells) cooked with coconut milk and fiddlehead fern (pako) for me are as good.
Now in season, the diwal meat is fat so that it inflates when cooked. Perhaps the most inflated diwal I had was at Breakthrough restaurant in Iloilo. If word gets out about the availability of diwal at Mandarin, then you can bet that the shellfish will be the first to go in the buffet and it may take a while before being replenished.
Pauline’s debut as featured cook of an Iloilo food festival was also at Mandarin. She told me then that she had to learn from specialists in her home province the techniques and even the right ingredient brands to use.
We had a good laugh as she told me the batchoy of one good cook had monosodium glutamate (MSG) but it only had to be “Marca Pating.”
She had something special for the opening lunch, lobsters. Grilled perfectly, the red roe was still soft. Pauline said she bought those directly from the man who harvests only when asked.
You can imagine the bargain price for a kilo when you know how much lobsters are sold to tourists like us by smart vendors who pace through the beaches of renowned resorts.
The Iloilo food fest, however, will only be until Sunday. What should also be interesting is a cooking class by Pauline Banusing who will teach Ilonggo dishes—chicken inasal, batchoy, kadios-baboy-langka (KBL), prawns with crab fat, Ilonggo kilawin na tanguigue. The lesson price includes breakfast and lunch. For info and reservations call 7508888.
Sometimes I think that because it’s rare, then food seems to be more delicious. But seafood we get from the weekend market like oysters from Bulacan, clams and bagongon (black conical shells) cooked with coconut milk and fiddlehead fern (pako) for me are as good.
Now in season, the diwal meat is fat so that it inflates when cooked. Perhaps the most inflated diwal I had was at Breakthrough restaurant in Iloilo. If word gets out about the availability of diwal at Mandarin, then you can bet that the shellfish will be the first to go in the buffet and it may take a while before being replenished.Pauline’s debut as featured cook of an Iloilo food festival was also at Mandarin. She told me then that she had to learn from specialists in her home province the techniques and even the right ingredient brands to use.
We had a good laugh as she told me the batchoy of one good cook had monosodium glutamate (MSG) but it only had to be “Marca Pating.”
She had something special for the opening lunch, lobsters. Grilled perfectly, the red roe was still soft. Pauline said she bought those directly from the man who harvests only when asked.You can imagine the bargain price for a kilo when you know how much lobsters are sold to tourists like us by smart vendors who pace through the beaches of renowned resorts.
The Iloilo food fest, however, will only be until Sunday. What should also be interesting is a cooking class by Pauline Banusing who will teach Ilonggo dishes—chicken inasal, batchoy, kadios-baboy-langka (KBL), prawns with crab fat, Ilonggo kilawin na tanguigue. The lesson price includes breakfast and lunch. For info and reservations call 7508888.
Acknowledgment:
‘Diwal’ and other rare Ilonggo sea dishes
By: Micky Fenix
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
By: Micky Fenix
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011