Baby back ribs and more Toninos Ristorante in Jaro

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 side by side with ribs and burgers at the same time crispy pata and tokwa't baboy. Most of what's on their menu are on the familiar side that ordering wouldn't be that hard.

And I expected the menu to be expensive as their ambiance tends to be one but I was mistaken. Looking at the menu most items were on the lower hundreds like this Hamburger with EVERYTHING on it. Take your pick from egg, bacon, lettuce, onions, pickles, mayo, mustard - as in every topping Chef Ton can think of on top of his burger creation.

Their specialty is the Baby Back Ribs that comes with Chef Ton's special sauce and siding of choice - mashed potato or potato wedges. We had both and I tend to lean on the wedges as on their own they were good.

The ribs were soft and nicely seasoned though Chef Ton's sauce was too sweet for my tastebuds. And since Chef Ton can have out of the menu orders, maybe next time I'll ask for a less sweet version next time. Yes, I'll surely be back

As Chef Ton was very accommodating with our group that time, suggesting orders which we can share or his specialties, he dished up a pasta that wasn't on the menu. He came with a simeple Aglio y Olio pasta with fettuccine and herbs - a simple pasta that went well with our tasty ribs!

We also had "Chicken in a basket" that consisted of deep fried almost boneless chicken that even without the dip and side dish tasted good. The dip was mushroom based while the side dish was creamy cucumber, which I finished by myself. and potato wedges, again.

This carafe of iced tea seems ordinary -too bad you couldn't smell it but it has a lemon grass essence that makes it sort of "gourmet". They also serve water in the same container with a slice of lemon and mint leaves.

Chef Ton makes it a point to interact with the guests welcoming them/us at the same time giving us ideas which orders to have. Then he goes to the kitchen, makes them and presents it with pride. With this Toninos Ristorante made my first visit a good one that it won't be my last.

It was surely worth the hot weather, the thought of almost getting lost getting in and out and of course the food which made me crave for some more. But it was more of Chef Ton's homey and welcoming service that makes me want to go back there and discover what specialties he has in store for us.

"Arrivederci" as the Italians would say (loosely translated) "'til we meet again". But I would rather say, "'til we EAT again" ...

(Just the approximate location of the restaurant. Easiest way would be through Arguelles Street)

Toninos Ristorante

Locsin Subdivision, Cuartero Street

Jaro, Iloilo City

Tel. No. 320-6645

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

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.

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?"

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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