FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Its reminiscing time once again and this time its the restaurants and food shops that I grew up with and sad to say all of them are long gone. This blogpost was originally created in 2009 and I just keep on updating whenever more of these long gone restaurants keep popping up. HAN'S Located at the entrance of the ICCHS this was my ultimate childhood snackhouse. Spaghetti, hamburger and jelly roll made up my orders almost everytime I was there. I can still vividly remember how it looked like and how my fave orders tasted. And that aquarium! OAK BARREL Located in the old La Salette building, this batchoyan got its name from the "oak barrels" that were used as stools. It was also a convenient place to stay when waiting for our jeepneys to fill up . NATS Also located in the Old La Salette building, I considered this before as runner up when it comes to batchoy (after Ted's). Maybe because I was overwhelmed by the very generous toppings (...

It was almost I really did talk to these breads that one afternoon when out of nowhere, I decided to brave the "hinterland" of Iloilo City for Evergreen Wheat 'N Oats Bakeshop. Located along De Leon Street, this part of the city is not usually in my common route but the lure of their breads was too strong that I gave in to temptation. Among the first to catch my attention was their pan de sal display which at that time had three variants - butter, cheese and vegetables. Not being able to decide which one to choose, I just got all of these three pan de sal, they only cost 6 pesos apiece, at most. Next on my order list was Meatlover's Bun having sausages, ham, bacon? pushed inside the cheese topped bun. I was actually looking for their pizza version but it was unavailable then. Nonetheless, it was still a good "back up". I was intrigued on how their Adobo Bun would compare with others I've and when it came to the actual taste test, I would ...

I love Yakult so that's why when I first tasted lassi at Bhai Shaab's Punajabi Fastfood, it was love at first sip. Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink in India and it is made by blending yogurt with water and Indian spices.  My first lassi at the Indian-Nepal fastfood in Dulonan, Arevalo  was just plain but eventually, they added rosewater (a sort of red syrup) that not only made it more visually appealing but also gave dimension to the taste. Each glass costs around PhP45 and I can't wait to have another glass of lassi. Make that two glasses!

It is just fitting to end our 5-day gastronomic trip with the "specialty of the house" and for Davao City - it's tuna. And how about this juicy and mouth-watering tuna steak from Fiesta Dabaw found at the Gaisano Mall of Davao foodcourt. If the photo looks appetizing, it was indeed really that the on the first bite and the next and the next... I was part of Sooo Pinoy, Food Trip na Pilipinas! which is set to visit 300 restaurants in 10 key regions/areas all over the Philippines. Davao is the 4th food stop after Iloilo , Bora cay and Cebu that started last March. The goal of the Food Trip is to show that Filipino dishes per region have different identities based on the culture, lifestyle and history of the area.  The Food Trip also aims to show that there are many Filipino recipes from different regions of the Philippines, each having its own specialty that has to be recognized for the unique flavor it adds to the Filipino Cuisine. Another tuna ender we had...

Lunch was so wonderful today as I had it across the sea on the island that fits our taste - Guimaras. About 17 kilometers away, (from the Jordan wharf?) is the Camiña Balay nga Kawayan inside the Springbloom Farms in Sibunag. Our hosts prepared a simple yet very delectable fare that includes this "hot off the grill" bino-ug nga baboy .  Bino-ug is a vernacular term for grilling over charcoal that results into a crisp outside and juicy inside inside as the high heat cooks the outside faster than the inside. This is the specialty of the house which will soon be opened to the public showcasing its acres of pineapple and papaya farm, among others. We arrived today just in time as these pork were on the "grill" and just the aroma alone made my hungrier than I was. Its the kind of grilled pork I prefer - just seasoned with salt and grilled. Then it's up to the sawsawan to make it even more delicious. But I didn't bother to dipped it as it was very tasty...

These backribs they say are the best in Iloilo City, so finally one day during our so-called "Thank God EATS Friday" aka "lamon" session we decided to check out where these ribs come from. Snaking our way through Jaro , we found Toninos Ristorante set amidst a family garden inside Locsion Subdivision. The restaurant boasts of a very homey ambiance that guests would "feel at home" (both literal and figurative) when they enter. Who wouldn't be when the house of the restaurant owners are just beside their al fresco restaurant. If my estimate is right, Toninos Ristorante can seat around 30 persons on full capacity or maybe even more when its made SRO. They made sure guests would feel comfortable at the same time not intimidated as Ilonggos sometimes would tend to be upon seeing the interiors (al fresco in this case). Toninos sells itself as an Italian Restaurant with a touch of Western Cuisine and Pinoy food. So you'll find pasta and pizza ...

It's been an overload of tuna in Davao a few weeks ago and on our last day for our second to the last restaurant - it was still, you guess it, tuna! But it was a tuna of a different kind, a "fusion" of Dabawenyo and Bicol specialties. Say hello to Tuna Laing served by Yellow Fin Seafood Restaurant.  I was part of Sooo Pinoy, Food Trip na Pilipinas ! which is set to visit 300 restaurants in 10 key regions/areas all over the Philippines. Davao is the 4th food stop after Iloilo , Bora cay and Cebu that started last March. The goal of the Food Trip is to show that Filipino dishes per region have different identities based on the culture, lifestyle and history of the area.  The Food Trip also aims to show that there are many Filipino recipes from different regions of the Philippines, each having its own specialty that has to be recognized for the unique flavor it adds to the Filipino Cuisine. As the restaurant name suggests, "yellow fin" is the tuna v...