Nam Prik Thai Kitchen in Sambag, Jaro

With the array of authentic Thai specialties in an unpretentious manner, Nam Prik Thai Kitchen in Sambag, Jaro always offers a satisfying food trip.

Simple looking fried "molo balls", I wasn't the one who actually ordered it but I really thank whomever it was. They were a discovery! Though it came with some sweet and spicy sauce, I didn't bother since on their own they were very delicious. The blend of the ground meat, the spices and seasonings were so good that there was no need for me to dip them. They would certainly be part of my lot the next time I found myself at Nam Prik Thai Kitchen.

I just love the rice noodles soup - it's a cross between pasta and sotanghon (lol). The noodle itself is already worth the order and with big slices of meat and vegetables in this soup it's another must order at the resto.

Of course, one of my ultimate favorites- nam tok. Its a cold porkloin salad likened to kilawin but with cooked pork strips. The highly seasoned sour dressing makes this one great appetizer at the same time a viand for me.

Here's their own version of Pad Thai personally prepared by Ms Tess, the owner who graciously welcomed us at her restaurant. Most of the time she has a Thai cook who oversees operations in the kitchen but if she has friends and if she also feels like it, she cooks the specialties right in her kitchen.

And it shows in the taste and the quality of the pad thai she made for us - it had a contagious aroma and delectable taste, that we finished this plate in no time. Patrons love this very much (like we did) and its among the best seller.

Then there's the fried papered squid and it's a must-order at Nam Prik. You gotta try it for yourself. i just love the crisp squid that looking at this photo makes me wanna rush to Nam Prik now to get myself one.

A flavour enhancer at the same time "enhancer" was a serving of Pomelo salad. As the fruit generates the main flavour, it graciously blends with the concoction of other flavours - cucumber, fish sauce, among others. It was a refreshing break in the barrage of taste we had that time and made us ready for the next ones.

The signature fried rice with all the sides and spices served as our main source of carbs.

But it was this plate of squid "pak-pak" - you know those "flippers" (I don't know if this is the right term) squids have, Ms Tess separates them and make them into the "mean and simple" crispy fried pak-pak which is a perfect pulutan. i don't know if this is part of the menu though as it was among the complimentary dishes Ms Tess gave us during that very delectable (as always) visit to her gastronomic realm of authentic Thai cuisine - Nam Prik Thai Kitchen.

Nam Prik Thai Kitchen is located along the Iloilo West Diversion Road, Brgy. Sambag, Jaro, Iloilo City. They're open only for lunch from Mondays-Saturdays around 10am until 2pm.

Fruits from the grocery

These packs of cut up fruits were bought from SM Delgado's grocery. Got enticed by their color and luckily, they were as good as they looked, especially the papaya. Each was just less than Php 22, really a bargain!

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.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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