FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

With a view of Iloilo City seen from twenty-one storeys above, Horizon Cafe atop the Injap Tower Hotel  has been the talk of the town since opening a few days go. Ilonggos queued to experience dining at the peak of the city while enjoying Asian fusion cuisine. Photo by Cafe Ilonggo blog Almost always full-packed especially during dinner, Horizon Cafe has become the "it" place to dine. So much so that the online forum I am member of decided to hold our EB dubbed as the Eat Sago Festival. A play on the actual "It's a Go", our get together teases those things that have been stalled or in local Filipino sense those are just " drawing lang ". To start with a big Thank You to our very gracious sponsor who wish to remain anonymous, for letting us enjoy not only the view from atop the 21st floor but all the food Horizon Cafe has prepared for us. Coinciding with the fiesta of the district of Molo, our EB also had the fiesta like atmosph...

With a sign that says DRY RUN , I couldn't help but satisfy my curiosity about this restaurant which I wasn't able to blog about a few years and eventually closed down. But now, The American Legacy Restaurant is back and its bigger and better! Very juicy and delicious burger during the "dry" run. Located across SM Delgado, in the space vacated by Andok's, the burger joint entices passersby with its screaming but chic restaurant design inside out. So I found myself lining on what was their dry run Saturday and had to look closely at the menu board to choose the best order that would make an impact at the same time satisfy my gastronomic curiosity. A fitting order was a burger and it was a Regular Joe over Uncle Sam. What intrigued me more were the categories "Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior and Senior " that turned out to be the number of patties that go in your burger order. Without much thought I went for the Senior Regular Joe with add-ons - mo...

I'm not really an oyster person. I just eat one or two when these steamed shellfishes are on the table. But when they are baked with cheese and garlic toppings - I could finish one big lot! Like this big "plate"  as served at Breakthrough a few days ago during our lunch break while having a heritage tour around Iloilo for the launch of the Iloilo Digital Tourism: The QR Code Project .  I may have eaten 10 of these and I could have eaten more if I wasn't that conscious of the travel we're up to after. With just simple cooking/baking techniques and ingredients -it's still becomes something special when it arrives on the table. And good thing, there isn't a shortage oysters in Iloilo most of the time and anytime, I can go back to Villa to satisfy my craving for cheesey-garlic oysters!

That's what I got when I order linaga with caldo sang batchoy at Netong's. It was actually linaga but the batchoy lady suggested that it's also good with caldo so I tried it. And she was right - though cholesteroliffic as it may seem. Okay it is really full of cholesterol! The aroma is seemingly Lapaz batchoy and when you take your first sip, it seems the Lapaz batchoy essence gives way to another delectable - to that of linaga . I can go on forever describing how the two taste complement and how they taste good but there's no substitute of having them yourself. So if you're in Iloilo and you found yourself at the Lapaz market, just ask for Netong's and then try the linag-choy . You might develop a liking for it too!

Occasional, not as it is defined, but in the sense that almost every fiesta, birthdays and many other occasions , valenciana is always staple. Almost a complete meal in itself, I find it redundant to be served on such occasions that food is almost overflowing. But it's the tradition and many don't mind as long as they enjoy valenciana , no matter how simple or lavish it is prepared. As long as there is what we call the go, grow and glow food groups, then it's already a good valenciana -lol. The sticky rice made yellow using turmeric and flavourful by the meat broth (and sometimes bouillon cubes) makes up the go part as it provides the carbohydrate portion of the dish. The grow ingredients are the meat - pork and/or chicken pieces, liver and sausages., provides protein. And the glow aside from providing the vitamins and minerals assorted vegetables contain, they literally make the dish glow by making it more visually appealing. Usually red and green bell peppers, ra...

Care for some ampalaya gelato? yes heard read it right, it's ampalaya, amargoso (for the Ilonggos) or bittergourd. Infamous for it's bitterness, the ampalaya has found its to teaste the sweet palate of the Ilonggos. The gelato brand Mokkilato through Nothing But Desserts here in Iloilo has come up with several new and local flavours that include luya (ginger), guyabano, santol, chessa, luyang dilaw (turmeric), langka and ampalaya. The lure discovering how something bitter would be transformed into a dessert is a big curiosity to be satisfied. So this ampalaya gelato was one of the first I tried. No hints of bitterness from my first until the last scoop - yup I finished it. Though when having the actual bits of the bittergourd, I sort of tasted hints of guava skin - lol. But in the end even those who never liked or tasted ampalaya will surely find this bitter vegetable a refreshingly sweet experience. Nothing But Desserts is located at The Avenue Complex...

I never tried Deco's Lapaz Batchoy before for I find it a bit troublesome to find my way to Tinda Lapaz when there are so many batchoyan in the mall's comfort zones. I was then greatly thankful when Deco's was franchised under the Mang Inasal group (prior it's acquisition by Jollibee) for Deco's was just within reach. So I had my first taste of Deco's and I certainly wasn't gastronomically ecstatic about it. Now fast forward a few years later and after becoming an Iloilo food blogger, eating for me now comes with an adventure as I seek places where they say good food abound. Whether its located in a posh hotel or restaurant or just a hole in the wall or even along the streets. And that's when I truly discovered that what I tasted in Deco's the convenient way wasn't the batchoy that made Deco's among the batchoy institutions in Iloilo City. Despite seeing a Deco's branch at Gaisano City mall a few days ago, I braved the heat and...

Unmistakably, no matter which side you'd look from, this plate reveals a very appetizing Adobo Rice served at Buto't Balat. I love the restaurant's Pork Adobo so naturally this adobo rice was also love at first bite. It was fitting that this dish was served during the shooting of The Pinoy Foodie (a culinary-travel show over at GMA News TV) in Iloilo last September and hosted by the Adobo Queen herself, Nancy Reyes-Lumen. So it was "adobo rice meets the adobo queen" at Buto't Balat.

With a resounding crunch and finger licking goodness in every bite - I now believe why Balbi's grilled ensaydma with guava jelly and cheese filling is among its best seller. At first, I had doubts what would this combination of flavours be like. I like them all individually but having them all in just one bite plus the fact that the ensaymada is just off the grill - it was somewhat biting into the unkown.  We got the only ensaymada left on the display when we arrived - that's how popular their ensaymadas (and cheese rolls too). But I was surprised that these breads are now very small small compared to what I've tried before. Plus the fact that the texture and consistency were very diofferent from the last time I had them. Good thing, I tried something new and it gave me another wonderful gastronomic experience that I'd love to have over and over again. The ensaymada turned out to be crisp on the outside yet still fluffy inside. With cheese and guava jelly...

Though not having the ingredients of a typical laswa dish, this merry mix of vegetables bought from the market and grown in our backyard still brings the gastronomical pleasure of a simple laswa dish. Just stew all the available vegetables with seasoning and subak of choice, and within minutes, you'll have a a delicious and nutritious dish. There's gastronomy in simplicity - and this is clearly manifested in this simple vegetable dish Ilonggos call laswa .

I was about to give my default order, Frozen Lemon Meringue, when one of the servers passed by carrying something topped with blueberries. I took a closer look and right there and then I ordered what turned out to be something new at Maridel’s – Crepe Cake! It was the lure of the 20-plus layers of crepes filled with cream and topped with luscious blueberries.   I thought it was going to be sweet all over but the cream turned out to be lemon-based giving it a tangy flavour complementing the perfectly made crepes – soft yet with something that resists. The blueberries created the perfect topping – both visual and in taste, as it harmonizes the crepes and the filling, making the dessert not overly overpowering that you’d ask for more. Now I discovered something new at Maridel’s that turned out to be delicious!

It’s my kind of pata – soft that it almost melts in your mouth with a sour and sticky broth that clings to the side of your mouth! Finally, I’ve been to this hole-in-the-wall that has been an open secret to gastronomes in Iloilo City. However I am “years” late as this former roadside carinderia in Mandurriao now has more comfortable accommodations, a big improvement from what it had been.  But the people still come in droves as long lines of parked cars along R. Mapa street often pinpoints the restaurant to first timers. What formerly was their dining area is now the receiving area as they already built an al fresco eatery. Set up in what formerly could have been the front lawn is a testament of how strong the business was during their “carinderia” years. Now they have elevated into a “restaurant” status with its relaxed al fresco ambiance brought about by the wooden benches and tables What’s available for that day is listed on the menu but their signature pata is ...