FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Probably the biggest way to beat the heat the this summer is the Giant Halo-Halo from Max's Restaurant. While there may be some "unli"mak-your-own-halo-halo in some places, in this social media savvy times nothing beats the novelty of a gigantic serving of halo right before your eyes.  Together with fellow bloggers , we trooped to Max's Restaurant at SM City Iloilo to satisfy ourselves with this over top halo-halo. Really big enough to be shared by 5-6 people, we've never seen halo-halo as big as this. We indulged in the refreshing and generous serving of this popular Filipino classic dessert teeming with sweet and cool ingredients like macapuno balls, sweet beans, red mongo, garbanzos, banana, kaong, gulaman, nata de coco and langka, shaved ice soaked in milk, topped with ube, leche flan, sprinkle of rice crispies and cheese, plus four huge scoops of ube ice cream. Ideal for sharing with family and friends, Max's Gigantic Halo Halo is available ...

A friend gave me this 24-pc pack of puto-flan and I ate 6 of them even before thinking of taking a photo. An unlikely scenario for me - food bloggers should know!  So what is a puto-flan ? It's puto and leche flan all in one bite! This one has leche flan for its base and puto on top. It's an addicting snack that this 24-pc pack disappeared in minutes or even seconds. Though there's nothing extraordinary on the taste of each but each bite is really delicious that you want the bites to continue to satisfy your cravings and/or until you are very full of these. Though I've seen many recipes of these online, but I seem not that eager to try them making myself. So at least now, if I crave I know where to get them locally without the hassle of making them. Look at all these Puto Flan orders!  Photo from Ira Gonzaga Check this  Facebook Page for your orders (for Iloilo residents)

Tinapayan Bakeshop Iloilo offers customized all occasion cakes for all your celebration needs. Just choose the cake, icing and filling flavors as well as bring your own design and make your cake dreams come true.

Tasted any delicious cinnamon rolls lately? If you haven't, then why not visit Cinnarific at SM City Iloilo for a tasty indulgence of melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls! With 9 mouth-watering variants (as of now) to choose from, a bite into one will make you say "terrific cinnamon rolls" - Cinnarific ! With it's formal opening last weekend, Ilonggos were in for a delicious treat as this online gastronomic sensation finally has place to call its own. Located at the Lower Ground Floor of the SM City Iloilo's Northwing expansion (beside BonChon Chicken), the dainty nook seems to be a tribute to a home-based business that has gone "gastronomically viral".  And we checked out all the flavors Cinnarific has to offer... A perfect taste introduction is the Classic Cinnamon Roll as you will appreciate not only the taste of a basic cinnamon roll but also the texture of the bread. But you can always add some "extra indulgence" of c...

I just love Merzci's "hot of the grill" ube piaya and everytime I pass by one of its stores (most of the time at Marymart Mall), I always have a piece or two to satisfy my cravings.  It's filled with all the ube goodness and being freshly cooked makes it even more delicious. And today, I think I may have eaten more 5 pieces of these delicious treat as Merzci opened its 4th store in Iloilo at the intersection of Delgado and Iznart streets.  Used to be named Merci , as in the French word meaning “ Thank You ”, it was rebranded as Merzci back in October 2014. This family business started in 1995 and is the market brand of CM and Sons Food Products. It started as a small bakery supplying bread to a single store at the Libertad Market in Bacolod City and evolved in making pasalubong products and having a fastfood restaurant in some branches. RIBBON CUTTING RITES at MERZCI DELGADO BRANCH with (L-R) Ms. Josie Rizada (Merzci Area Manager), Ms. Jo Villegas (Senior T...

So what's on the table for my mother's ?? birthday a few days ago? A menu of favorites - favorite cake, favorite recipe, favorite brand, favorite flavors, favorite fruits, etc.  Here's Chicken Sotanghon using the locally made Marca Pato sotanghon brand with lots of sahog - chicken strips, carrots and cabbage with even a lot more of black pepper! This got to be my first sotanghon where the sahog were twice as much as the noodles. Another chicken dish is the Tinolang Bisaya na Manok or native/free range chicken. Aside from using our favorite combo of green papaya and sili leaves, I guess its a favorite past time of mine to feed our native chicken with anything from the kitchen - rice, bread, even spaghetti noodles. Easy and a favorite recipe during special occasions is the Sweet and Sour Fish or Escabeche . Just fry your favorite fish then top it with an easy sauce made with vinegar, sugar and cornstarch with onion, bell peppers and carrots. The ...

Sheridan Boutique Resort in Oton hosted a cocktail event to unveil new additions to its Ayanna Garden Restaurant's menu as well as the resorts on-site attractions in time for summer and its new local residents' rate .  With it's last successful menu revamp back in 2013 , Ayanna Garden Restaurant at the Sheridan Boutique in Oton recreates its gastronomic line up under the helm of Chef Miner del Mundo, to appeal to a wider range of food connoisseurs.  Showcasing a new set of dishes to the restaurant's impressive culinary creation, Ayanna aims to please distinctive palates with a wider array of rich flavor and aroma.  Named after a flower, this gastronomic haven has enticed the discriminating palates of the Ilonggos since 2012 . Overlooking the Azure Infinity Pool, Ayanna offers sumptuous gastronomic experience in its Asian inspired and al fresco dining set up beside a man-made pond. Our cocktails that afternoon started with Cold Appetizers consist...