Delectable Ilonggo cuisine at Ponsyon by Breakthrough

It’s almost the same Breakthrough experience of great Ilonggo food but on a much different ambiance. While the Villa branch boasts of the beach, the sea and the view, Ponsyon makes up by having a more accessible and convenient location on top of being sophisticated and urbane. Not that ambiance is more important than the food. But if there’s a common denominator (aside from good food), it’s got to be the crowd that makes it’s way during lunch and dinner hours, that having a reservation at Ponsyon is a MUST if you’re a big group.

If you don’t make one, you’ll surely miss their Lechon Ilonggo which was surprisingly very good. Unlike the unappetizing ones being displayed in their turo-turo in Villa Beach, the one we had at Ponsyon was visually-enticing and mouth-watering. Perfectly brown skin that packs a big crisp on your first bite (and next) plus a very savoury meat that packs in more flavour but not as salty as the I had in Cebu. I didn’t even bother to dip it in sauce to relish in all it’s lechon glory.

And it was just appetizer as we were waiting for others to come. While at it we had Fried Calamari Rings which were fried to light brown perfection with a satisfying crunch yet almost melts in the mouth.

Then there’s my surprising discovery – Pipino Shake. I’ve had cucumber drinks before but not as a shake so this one was more of a curiosity order but it turned out to be real satisfaction that I got two orders – one after another. It had the refreshingly cool cucumber taste made even cooler with the right sweetness and texture of the ice, making it my new favourite drink!

A plate of Baked Oysters came next and it was another revelation – insanely delicious! Usually, it’s grilled scallops that find their way on our table but since it wasn’t available that time we opted for these baked Talaba.

It had the creamiest topping I’ve ever had and I think there’s more than cheese in it or maybe none of it – just cream and milk. None the less, it was another discovery worth coming back to.

Starting our main dish orders, we had the staple of order Managat fish – head made into sinigang and body/tail grilled. Now I know why gourmand, chef, artist and restaurateur Claude Tayag say’s “Breakthrough’s Grilled Managat has been our benchmark for a perfectly grilled fish” in his book, Linamnam.

Our grilled Managat came to our table golden brown in the outside oozing with juices inside. It had that big glop of fat conspicuously place on top. The meat was soft and seasoned perfectly – no need for dips, I just eat them straight. It’s the best grilled Managat I had from Breakthrough ever since!

The soup with the Managat fish head came and usually, we just have them sinabawan (in a soup/broth with vegetables). But this one was sinigang which even made it more appetizing with it’s right tone of sourness and crisp vegetables. As I always say “Sabaw pa lang ulam na”!

Finally, crispy or I would say Criiiisssspppyyy Pata! Cholesterolifically good – each bite came with a perfect crunch that echoed throughout the restaurant, if it wasn’t that crowded that time. And I can still hear the sound of it in my mind which means I’ll better check out Ponsyon again in order not to lose my mind over this scrumptious crispy pata and a whole new world of gastronomic discoveries over a luncheon reunion with high school friends a few days ago.

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 pork broth cube (

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

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

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.

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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