FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

This is ILOILO and it's Dinagyang Festival 2015! Centered on the theme "Sum It Up to the Top", it promises a lot of fun, faith, fiesta and FOOD! And this is what it's all about - a food guide to the best of Iloilo. As the streets are turned into party places, connecting with the flavorsof Iloilo will certainly make your Dinagyang experience a gastronomically memorable one. And it starts with a sip of LAPAZ BATCHOY.

Food memories during our childhood certainly have a special place in our hearts (and tastebuds too.) Given the chance revisiting these places would mean reliving these taste memories that form a good part of our childhood. And Balbi's Snackshop along Valeria Street is certainly among these food places that our hearts would certainly long for. Pancit Palabok First and foremost is their Pancit Palabok. A tasty concoction of shrimp sauce over pancit bihon and topped with chicharon and tinapa. Many swear it's the best in town, costs around PhP75 and you certainly won't regret it. Then there's their dinugu-an. Balbi's makes use of lean pork and no innards plus the blood s filtered and cured before cooking to ensure utmost quality. Thus explains the price of a single small serving is also around PhP70. But it's more than worth it especially if paired with puto manapla. Their two best selling breads are ensaymada and cheeseroll. These treats are

A recent visit to Pancit-Pancit , made me realize what I've been missing in the last few months. Aside from the mouthwatering beef mami , I found out that they have something new on the menu - gyoza, kiam pung rice and soy egg, that goes with the beef mami. What makes Pancit-Pancit always a delicious food trip, aside from their beef mami, is the novelty. A hawker style food shop, it opens only after 5pm for it utilizes part of the sidewalk for its al fresco dining experience. And there, you'll see how you beef noodle soup is made literally from scratch. It starts with a piece of dough that is rolled and flattened a few times to get the perfect consistency and thickness.  When it is achieved, it is then sliced into strips - thin enough to cook fast yet thick for it to be savoured. A quick "mix" of the sliced dough gives it a more noodle look.  It is then takes a "hot bath" in one of the makeshift boilers for it to cook and ready to become a