FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

On the banks of the Iloilo River, along the side of the Esplanade stands PUNOT - a restaurant named after the fishpens that used to dot the river. The restaurant is s venture of siblings Andrea and Tope Arañador paying tribute to their parents Lea and Rogelio who built the family's two restaurants in Estancia - Friends (1987) and Punot (2000). Andrea, who is now based in Germany, was in town a few days ago and invited the Iloilo Bloggers  to check out the latest creations of Punot concocted by her brother who is Center for Culinary Arts graduate. Iloilo Bloggers Inc. with Ms. Andrea (righmost) enjoying the flavors of modern Iloilo at Punot. It was also an opportunity to bring back the food memories of their best-sellers, which for years have stood the test of time despite the heated gastronomic competition in Iloilo City. Here are some of " The Best of Punot" 1/16 TRES MANGGAS SALAD Will you say no to the burst of fla

My sudden craving for this Ilonggo native delicacy had me contact my "suki" baye-baye maker - D'Original Jaspe Baye-Baye based in Brgy. Cabugao Sur in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. Baye-Baye is an Ilonggo favorite native snack usually made with ground toasted rice aka pinipig, coconut meat and white sugar.  But some makers also use corn and brown sugar giving it a distinctive taste from the original The mixture is then pounded altogether then rolled into finger size bites and finally wrapped in plastic. It is usually packed in 5s and sold for around PhP 20 to PhP25 per pack. Expect the price to be 2x when you buy it in stores in thecity. But  bigger cravings are not usually satisfied with a pack of 5s, so bigger orders are welcome too. You can have them by the kilo or per plate in some makers. For baye-baye lovers like me, having them in almost unli serving like this loaf-style serving  is a gastronomic dream come true. Just sli