FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

It was during another Eye Ball with the Discover Panay Island Facebook group that I "discovered" another wonderful treat.   I chanced upon these visually appealing cassava dessert which at first I thought to be just the the "usual" cassava cake but became a "love at first bite". That's when I knew it was a special recipe - a cassava custard. It turns out that one of the members of DPI, ms Dulce Blas, was from Ajuy and owns El Jardin Cafe and Inn. I think I almost had 5 pieces of these cassava custard as I can't get over its delectable goodness - a blend of creamy cassava, coconut water and meat plus the delicious "topping" of milk and eggs. Imagine a cassava cake with the goodness of leche flan. Now I'm craving for one ...  One whole box of El Jardin's Cassava Custard, that is!

Based in Numancia, Aklan, Ramboy's Lechonan and Restaurant means only one thing - liempo ! And it's among among the tastiest liempos you'll ever find. With just the simple toyomansi as the base marinade ,the lechon liempo comes out with a crunch that's big on taste! When served freshly off the roaster the liempo is sinfully delicious - crunchy skin which is surprisingly melts in the mouth oozing with fats and the "meat" packing all the seasoning. It's one big bite into cholesterol heaven! Of course, just have this liempo in moderation. Good thing they have vegetables in their menu like chops suey among others. Just a perfect complement for the sinfulness of the liempo - it's like having a confession of your sins of gastronomy. They also have this tasty pancit canton - so good that we even ordered a second plate depsite having this food binge. Now back to "sinning" and this plate of sizzling sisig is perfect to cap the night of...

What makes Queen Siopao one of the most sought after food items at Roberto's is more than how the sio pao tastes. Indeed it tastes good and delicious and it's BIG. It has chicken and pork adobo, Chinese sausage, egg and bacon inside that big "pao". But it is only available on certain times - like three days every two weeks. Long before, it was 3 days a month only but as it became more popular, they made it every fortnight. So you ask why a popular item like this be of limited offer? The reason I got before was the availability of the bacon but I didn't buy it. But now with a minimum order of 30 pcs it can be made available at your convenience. It is sold at PhP70 a piece.

Those looking "lean and mean" pork choriso would surely love Melody's Pork Longganisa. I chanced upon this while "grocering" at Iloilo Supermart. It has minimal pork fat content and no artificial coloring but still have the taste and aroma of the choriso I grew up with. Its actually a "naked" choriso as you'll have let it out its plastic wrap before cooking (unless you eat plastic-lol). I first "boiled" it in vinegar instead of water to have that twist in taste (and no need for a dip). In the end, this special pork longanisa gave me a full and satisfying  breakfast! Extra rice please... Melody's is exclusive to Iloilo Supermart and also has corned beef, tapa and tocino, among others.

Around three weeks ago, I found myself (for the third time this year) on the island of Guimaras. But this time it was a lot farther as it was off my usual track and into Natago Beach Resort .  Natago Beach is another 30 minute banca ride off a jetty port near Alubihod Beach. It is usually along the island hopping and boating route offered by boatment coming from the beach. Its most recognizable landmark is the picturesque beachhouse built on top of a rock jutting out to sea, on high tide. It is located on a cove and has a private beach that is sheltered from the rough seas.  It is still undeveloped and still not fully open to the public as a resort - just a regular stop for family and friends.  The beachhouse offers stunning views and wherever you may maybe, inside and outside it, the sights and sounds of nature beckons. Don't you just love this view right off your veranda into the sea and beach below? Among the most photogenic part of the resort is the...

It was one hot Saturday, a few weeks back, when I found myself enjoying a wonderful lunch at El Viento , a poolside restaurant and bar located at the posh Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Cebu . As it was the last day of my Cebu trip, I decided to take refuge in the comfort and luxury only Marco Polo can offer. With a commanding view of Cebu City, the hotel offers a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of boomtown Cebu. A few minutes cab ride brings in a sense of calmness as one goes up along the hillside. The iconic structure beckons with its geometric gracefulness and the elegant lobby welcomes with Cebuano pride and hospitality.  Then there's El Viento  - an al fresco restaurant and pool bar with its Spanish-derived name meaning wind. The turquoise blue waters looked so inviting that I was tempted to have a dip but without extras, I just contented myself relaxing with in its "sights and sounds". The El Viento Pool Bar and Restaurant caters those who pre...

How about some iced native coffee in can? I should have said this line to my tour group yesterday when we were at Madge Cafe in Tinda Lapaz . If they'd only known about this, I am sure they'd all order the same - Iced Coffee "Latta". It was a whole day tour with media guests from Manila brought in by property developer ProFriends (Property Company of Friends Inc.) and this native coffee shop in Lapaz was among our first stop.  It was the novelty of having coffee in a used milk can that caught their attention that almost all of them had a selfie with my cup. I explained to them that this is how coffee was ordered "take-out" back then when there were no paper cups. The "lid" part of the can is where they hold hot coffee so as not to "burn" themselves. And when my cup of coffee finally came back to me, it was very cold! Just the way I like my Iced cafe Latta at Madge Cafe!

If this doesn't make you hungry or salivating the least, I don't know what else will. Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu 's Ultimate Pizza Burger stll haunts my gastronomic dreams even if it was more than two weeks ago when I fell in love with it at first bite. Served at El Viento Restaurant and Pool Bar , it's the hotels take on two of the world's most beloved and most popular food items made into one ultimate treat. Basically, an order consist of a burger served with "succulent" fries, coleslaw and dip.   Made with a big 100% pure beef patty, it is then made to look and taste like a pizza with the addition of mushrooms, peppers, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. The lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and other makes make up the burger part. Even after a few minutes of my clicks and flashes session, the perfect pan grilled patty was still oozing with its juices! With the pool looking so inviting as ever, it was a perfect place to enjoy every bite and s...

I happen to pass by this store at the Iloilo Central market. With moves like clockwork these guys were actually making lumpia wrapper - I would have missed them if I didn't pay that much attention. The guy in purple dips his bare hands in a concoction probably made with flour, water and oil, among others then places it on a makeshift "crepe" maker. I assume it's a just a metal on top of a big kaldero with boling water underneath - just enough heat but not too much to burn. The guy in red then picks up (or was it flip over) the cooked wrapper then places them to dry out more and ready to be packed. So the next time I'll bite into a fried lumpia, now I know the crisp wrappers are made so that each bite will be savoured with such gusto. And I don't really care if the makers didn't wear gloves since these wrappers are cooked twice over.