FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Happy food memories... that's more like it. By the looks of this French Toast Pudding with Blueberries , you would certainly be leaving Happy Kitchen with a big smile on your face. This delectable dessert was just among the few we tried when we dropped by the stylish cafe located at Amigo Plaza Mall a few months ago. A jolly Ms Jet Yap Jiz, chef and owner of Happy Kitchen greeted us with a smile that made us feel at home the moment we entered her reigns, I met Ms. Jet around three years ago during the opening of the same restaurant in the same mall but in a different location. When the mall decided to have yet another renovation, Happy Kitchen transferred to the 3rd level of the Amigo Plaza Hotel offering an alfresco setting for its patrons. After the renovation (I hope this will be the last), a new and "swanky" mall opened and Happy Kitchen is right in the middle of it all. A culinary boutique is what HK is all about where one can eat, shop and even cook. And...

One of the newest dining spots in town, Bistro Carcosa opened months ago to the delight of Ilonggo foodies. Located at the far end of the Uptown Place condominiums along Gen. Luna Street, it was among the featured food stops during the Blog The City of Love campaign of Injap Tower Hotel. To promote Iloilo City was the main focus of the3-day and 2-night event with bloggers and writers from around the Philippines experiencing the heritage, cultural, historical and gastronomic offerings of the City of Love. From Bistro Carcosa 's  Facebook Page, it writes Kitchen, bar, hip vibes and music.  A perfect venue to sample and discover exciting food in the heart of Iloilo City. Wonderfully located with the most stunning views of the river, it's a convivial place to unwind or get stimulated according to your mood and taste.   A relaxing ambiance Photo courtesy of  Bistro Carcosa  Facebook Page   Drawing on the same ethos of innovation and creativ...

Celebrating this years Mid-Autumn Festival, Days Hotel Iloilo  offers a variety of delicious mooncakes to be the toast of this Chinese festivity.  Also known as the Mooncake Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Chinese calendar. This year,it falls on September 8. Days Hotel Iloilo celebrates this festival with an 8-day buffet highlighting Chinese specialties on top of the regular buffet lineup. And mooncakes will be the stars of the gastronomic show! Taste a mouth-watering spread of selected Chinese dishes at The Promenade during the International Lunch Buffet from Sept. 1-5 and Sept. 8 from 11am to 2pm; Indulgence Buffet on Sept. 6 from 6pm-10pm and Sunday Lunch Buffet on Sept. 7, 11am to 2pm. Enjoy mooncakes in these variants -  yellow monggo, black mongo, tasty lotus seed and more. So what better way to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival by enjoying the most delightful Mooncakes only at Days Hotel Iloilo...

The Filipino history and culture has manifested its richness, diversity, and uniqueness with the distinct cuisine we call our own.  The food that has been identified with us is more than just a staple need; it is our culture ingested.  Pinakbet with Lechon Kawali But Filipino food goes beyond the globally popular adobo.  It is as rich and broad as our multi-cultural lineage.  Pork Adobo sa Achuete If you go to Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine, one of the restaurants in the Avenue Complex, you would taste a loaded showcase of Filipino dishes which may already be deliciously familiar to you,  but given an oh-so good twist by the restaurant which has been offering Iloilo an exceptional taste of Filipino cuisine since 2008.  La Pinay Organic Salad The menu offerings range from refreshing ensalada- all organic, chicken dishes – free range, fusion of classics prepared with a twist like the Pinakbet na Lechon Kawali, and Kare-Kareng Crispy Pata. There’s...

What's new on the shelves of Iloilo City's dessert haven? It's Buko Royale - a delectable concoction of young coconut meat, milk, cream and whatever they are then finished with a nutty-meringue top. Each spoonful burst with a delightful contrast of flavours and texture making you want even more. Check this new kid on the block as well other dessert offerings (of course, drop by the gelato station for indulgent Italian ice cream as well as the exotic flavours) and have your fill of the sweetness of life. Nothing but Desserts  The Avenue Complex, Glicerio Pison Avenue, Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao, Iloilo City. Tel No. (033) 329-5815 Facebook Page : Nothing But Desserts

With around 20 gelati flavours to choose from any given day, Buon Gelato at Robinsons Place Iloilo will surely make all your gelato dreams come true.  Ribbon cutting ceremony led by the owners of Buon Gelato and Robinsons Place Iloilo bigwigs. Opening to the delight of the crowd and curious passers-by, Buon Gelato offers a wide variety of flavours for this loved and accepted Italian ice cream.  How about some Green Tea or Mascarpone (cheese) gelato? Good thing that during the opening, they were able to mix flavours we wanted to try in just one cup. Peach gelato with my special request of peach slices. Strawberry, Pink Grape, Mascarpone anf Blueberry gelati Mango, Mascarpone and Ferrero Rocher You can also have a banana split with three flavours of choice - had watermelon, vanila and blueberry, with all the works! Aside from gelati, they also serve gelato-based drinks they called gelacchino and other cold beverages like this Ice Fruit latte - l...

Netong's is a popular batchoyan in the middle of the Lapaz Market. But it is also turo-turo with more than 20 dishes on display but that didn't distract from the order I actually came for - pata or linaga. Actually, I had my tastebuds set on on their pata but it wasn't available until 3pm that day, so I had to settle for linaga. Equally appetizing and cholesterol laden ... I am not quite accustomed to linaga being cooked in large "kalaha" or frying pan that I looked for deep kalderos in the area until the server pointed that big kawali as the container for linaga. It didn't quite look appetizing at first that I thoughts of cancelling my order and opt for their batchoy instead. But the linaga started to have it's familiar look as the server got a piece of beef then cut it into bite size pieces. From an almost cancelled order to an appetizing bowl of slow-boiled beef, Netong's linaga instantly became a favorite and wouldn't mind having another bowl ...

 A buñuelo is a fried dough ball that often comes with a filling or a topping. It is a popular snack in countries like Mexico, Spain, Turkey and Greece, to name a few. But I wasn't in any of these countries last night to savour and enjoy having  buñuelos . It was among the new dessert offerings at Ayanna Garden Restaurant at Sheridan Boutique Resort in Oton, Iloilo. After more than 20+ dishes that ignited out appetites, these  buñuelos capped the gastronomic night with three other desserts. These fried dough balls were filled with bananas that even on their own it was already dessert. But making it more special was the dulce de leche which will certainly bring back the gastronomic memories - condensed milk in can that is boiled for around hours making it into rich "caramel". The joys of dipping the balls into a sea of caramel and popping them into one's mouth is one reason why "Eat's More Fun at Ayanna at Sheridan!"

Just like what a popular tagline says "Once you pop, you can't stop". Except for the   popping , you really can't stop eating once you've tried these short bread biscuits known as masa podrida from Cheling's Delicacies. It was around 10 days when Mr. Eugene Jamerlan and I dropped by the Montelibano compound in Mandurriao. As I was going to Cebu in a few days then, we cleared all their stock of masa podrida that day as Casa Gorordo, one of the best lifestyle museums in the Philippines, got some orders. So we bought around 20 boxes and having tasted these back, i got myself two boxes which had me popping  (wait there's no popping)-lol since then. Just as simple as it is it was delicious. My friends can't help but also be addicted since each bite deserves another and in no time at all, we finish a whole pack. One of them describes this to be a polvoron made into a crisp cookie. Whether you agree or not, it is much better if you can taste ...