Food Trip in Iloilo : The flavors of Japan at Ramen Musashi in Lapaz

It had me on SPICY, so choosing was not a really dilemma on a menu that was unfamiliar. In the end, no matter what the taste will be, the spiciness will just embrace my tastebuds. And Tantanmen it was...

Tantanmen（担々麺), as defined by ChopstickChronicles is the Japanese take on Sichuan Dan Dan noodles.

In this dish, yummy ramen noodles are swimming in a deliciously balanced soup with hot spiciness from rayu Japanese chili oil and a mellow nutty sweetness from soy milk and sesame paste.

And my tastebuds savored that definition word for word! But not the spiciness I expected it to be but nonetheless, it was a good start for a noodle experience at Ramen Musashi.

With the interiors making you feel like you're in some quaint noodle house in Japan, this unassuming ramen house near La Paz plaza across the Iglesia ni Cristo church had been on my foodie radar since I got wind of it on social media.

Inside, you can choose on regular tables or may opt for those low ones that seat on pillows on the floor. There's also that stylized mezzanine that makes a perfext backdrop for a selfie oe groufie.

And here's my order TANTANMEN served with lots of ground meat, mushroom, and sesame seeds in a spiced broth. It was savory and rich in flavor that burst with different texture.

But my tastebuds preferred the SEAFOOD RAMEN because of the creamier broth. It had shrimps, squid and vegetables too.

It has a mild seafood flavored broth that complemented the bounty of the sea and the veggies.

Another specialty was the GYOZA, which usually I don't order or eat because of its pronounced gingery taste which my tastebuds dont really like. But surprisingly this one had a tamed ginger flavor thus to my liking and I could certainly finish an order all by myself.

But of there's one which gave me a lasting taste impression great of Ramen Musashi, its the CHEESE TONKATSU.

This deep fried breaded pork cutlet embraces cheese as filling making it like a cordon bleu minus the chicken and the ham. But this was most delicious on its own, even without the dip and deserves a two thumbs up!

Despite its limited menu, there are more offerings waiting to be discovered at Ramen Musashi. But there will always be the cheese tonkatsu everytime I find myself in this corner of Iloilo City.

For a restaurant serving noodles in a district that has given birth to Iloilo's most popular contribution to the Philippine culinary scene - La Paz Batchoy, its a gastronomic discovery lurking in a corner.

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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