FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Back in 2019, I remember having lunch at Cafe Belmont during one of my Manila trips.   It was that serving dish of crabs that had me at first glance and it never faded in my memory.  Now, five years later, it’s the breakfast buffet that would tickle my gastronomic fantasies.  We stayed at Belmont Hotel Manila for my parents 50th anniversary and for  two days we had our fill of delicious breakfast. Check out more photos on Facebook From the staples like bacon, ham and sausages to Pinoy faves like tuyo, dilis and danggit. I just love this kind of spread of which local faves go side by side with contemporary fares.  As the first meal of the day where one stocks up carbo, I’m glad there was plenty. From rice, potatoes and pancit to pancakes, waffles and breads - I love the pudding. There’s an egg station where you can request how you would like your eggs cooked - hardboiled, sunny side up or scrambled You can DIY your omelette with lots of fillings to choose from w...

Bingkahan sa Mohon makes one of the most popular bingka places in Iloilo City. It has been one of my blog frustrations before not having a feature on them. I've tried many times before but I ended up with more frustrations - having no more bingkas left or my reserved order was given to others. It's not easy to get them since I live far from where they are located. But finally I ended this streak of bad luck; I got "tons" of bingka from Mohon and I loved it! What makes it delicious aside from the concoction is the amount of coconut strips in each of these small round bingkas. While others have microscopic amount, Mohon bingkas have more than enough that sometimes it feels like eating bucayo rather than bingka . Sold for PhP 10 per pack of four, this quick fix will surely makes one crave for more and oftentimes come back and buy some more. Good thing I bought 5 packs that time, more than enough for me to savour every bite. With the h...

The past days of rain was the perfect time to crave for a hot bowl of soup. And it was Lomi that I was craving for. But then, all I had were mostly ingredients for Pancit Molo, so I decided to combine the specialties of Iloilo and Batangas into one, I must say delicious, noodle dish. Though, it's not really the authentic recipe for the Batangueno soup but it satisfied my lomi cravings. And it's very easy to make despite how heavy and complicated the resulting dish becomes. It's more of the fact that the noodles used are Pancit Molo wrappers and meat are the filling but you can also use dried flat noodles and plain ground meat. Check out the RECIPE .

Ramboys. Liempo!  That's probably it. Ofcourse, you'll have to have some extra rice to go with that deliciously crispy liempo that would surely make you rave and crave for more. You'd never look at any other liempo when you tried Ramboy's version. In fact, that would become your standard for a great-tasting liempo. And I am not yet finished with my Ramboy's liempo addiction. First, its the cripy-licious skin that would make you salivate. The slow charcoal roasting of the liempo makes the skin chicharon like especially if it's hot of the grill. So you'd be better be there early when the lunch or dinner crowd thickens as you'd probably wait long for an order or worse - it will be out of stock. The meat is well flavored that I usually don't use any sawsawan it comes with. It has the citrussy flavor from the calamansi in the marinade plus other spices and seasoning that you can also smell when served. ...

One of the favored treats when I was a kid was this deep-fried dough clustered balls rolled in sugar crystals called serafina . You probably know thay serafina look exactly like goat's poo - just with a different color! Actually, it's nothing spectacular but for kids, food that appeals to the eyes is already considered delicious. And of course, sugar works well with kids, I must add. I remember one particular incident during my kiddie years when were we enjoying a pack of this treat while strolling around backyard of a neighbor. We suddenly came to the goat's pen and suddenly stopped eating them. 

How about some labanos or radish?  Most likely you've encountered labanos in a Sinigang recipe or as an appetizer with vinegar dressing. But on its own, I love its peppery-bitter (or how might you call it) taste. If it's in season or if its really  cheap in the market , we'd have like a "Labanos Festival" at home. And here's one of the simplest recipes using radish. Here's the recipe for Labanos Guisado with Ground Pork .

Suman Latik is one of my ultimate favorite native delicacies ( check out more ) and most of the time these are sold in the public markets in pairs. It consists of a flattened ibos (or suman as referred up north) topped with bukayo - coconut strips sweetened by muscovado sugar. But most of the time, my appetite hungers for more than a pair of these or the bukayo portion is bitin that I wish there's more. And at times we just make our own at home so that we can enjoy this suman-bukayo combo to our heart's content. But the wrapping of the sticky rice in banana leaves when cooking and unwrapping it for eating, is labor extensive - sort of. So out of the blue, we just thought of making it "Trifle-style". Inspired by the British dessert which Tinapayan at Iloilo Supermart recreates in Ube and Strawberry , our Suman Latik "Trifle" is a native delicacies version made with layers of suman/ibos and bukayo. It's a delectable presentation, easy ...

In a city where heritage meets progress, Iloilo stands tall a both a cultural gem and an economic powerhouse. Whether you're traveling for business or pleasure, the heart of the city offers more than just a destination - it offers a journey. And at the center of this experience is  Courtyard by  Marriott Iloilo , your ideal base for both exploring and excelling. This season, the hotel invites you to  take advantage of two exclusive promotions tailored for discerning travelers:  Explore Iloilo  and  Business Travel Privileges. Explore Iloilo Package Designed for leisure seekers, cultural explorers, and weekend wanderers, the Explore Iloilo Package  is a gateway to the city’s best-kept secrets. Guests stay in a Deluxe Room with daily buffet breakfast  for two at Runway Kitchen, setting the tone for a comfortable and satisfying day. The package includes a complimentary one-time drop-off to any Iloilo heritage church (choose from  Mandurriao, Jar...