A Dinagyang lunch at Roberto's

As the Dinagyang Festival is also the "fiesta" of the City Proper district of Iloilo City, it has been a tradition for most residents to have a feast in their homes despite the abundance of food in the city. And I was part of one of these fiesta's the Dinagyang Sunday of 2012. Together with the awesome couple Anton Diaz (Our Awesome Planet) and wife Rachelle, we snaked our way through the crowd and found ourselves in a more crowded place - Roberto's Restaurant.

During regular days, Roberto's is already crowded so given this is one very hectic day for the Ilonggos, the crowded never thinned out. With their famous Queen sio pao selling like "hotcakes" plus their other specialties like meatballs, pancit bihon, hamburger and a lot more, the Ilonggos still favor the homegrown taste of Roberto's.

But we went further up the building and joined in the fiesta fare prepared by the family of Claudes, that guy you'd often see manning the cashier's booth and often heard shouting "Isa pa ka Reyna" - referring to an order of Queen sio pao. It was my first time to be in this part of the Roberto's for usually I just have some take outs. It was two flights of stairs before we reached where the gastronomy was and it was already teeming with people - mostly acquaintances.

So we wasted no time digging in the fiesta fare which included lechon, chicken inasal, beef stew, caldereta, chopsuey and pancit canton, among others. I can't help but long for meatballs, bihon and camaron rebosado for these are among the popular food items at Roberto's. It was just a quick lunch but satisfying for there were a lot more friend lining up the stairs down below plus we had a lot to discover in the streets - from food and stuff to interesting people and places along the way.

After all it's Dinagyang, the biggest street party in Iloilo and it comes only once a year so we had to make the most part of it. And for Anton and Rachelle, it was their first time to join and celebrate Dinagyang so it was also a time for them to discover the things Iloilo has to offer especially during this big celebration. Hala Bira!

Mama's Kitchen and Sinamay House in Arevalo

A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...

An American Adventure Buffet at Days Hotel Iloilo

I just came from a meeting for an upcoming event dubbed as "America in 3D" and when I arrived at The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo, it was like "America in 3D" all over again. But it was delicacies, drinks and desserts that time for it was the launching of their newest dinner buffet called American Adventure. As it promises guests to embark on a culinary journey of the flavours of America, guests will surely the taste of America with it's line up appetizers, salads, delicacies, main course and desserts. I kicked off my journey with a bowl of the clam chowder which was just as good as the one I had a few days earlier at The Venue . It was rich and flavourful, so good that sometime during the course of the buffet I had anotherone. There was a beautiful display of Oyster Rockefeller which turned out to be delectable that I got one each time I stood up and take another round. A play on Las Vegas, I assume, were these chicken nuggets they call Gold Nuggets. Indeed t...

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 por...

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

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice . I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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