FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

When there's more than enough green mangoes at home, they often end up as  binuro nga paho  so we can enjoy their green-ness for a longer period of time. Making "pickles" out of these fruits differ from household to household, so it depends on the recipe you grew up with or if you have none, the one that you find online. Here's a simple Binuro nga Paho  recipe Ingredients 12 pieces Green mangoes (carabao/Philippine variant) 1/2 cup salt, adjust 1 head garlic Water How to make Burong Mangga Chop off the "head" part mangoes where the stem is and wash thoroughly. Slice the mangoes (skin on) into wedges away from the seed. Squash each clove of the garlic with the side of the knife. You can also leave the skin on. In a big container (large mayonnaise plastic containers with cover works best), layer mango wedges then sprinkle with salt and place garlic. Adjust the amount of salt and garlic when needed When lay...

Do you like cassava cake? It's a popular "modernized" native delicacy that got us craving for more in every bite. Good this it is very convenient to have when since it-s a staple in most bakeries and you can even order it online and be delivered right at your doorstep! I love it when its soft with a slightly burnt top that's full of cheese mixing with the condensed milk topping. It's a treat to have that creaminess mix with the sweetness and cheesiness creating a delicious explosion of flavors. But it is also easy to prepare at as the ingredients can be mostly found in the wet market or even grocery stores. Here's a simple cassava cake recipe Ingredients : CAKE   2 and 1/2 cups grated cassava 1 and coconut milk 1 and 1/2cup condensed 1 cup evap 5 Tbsp sugar 2 egg yolks 1 Tbsp flour in 2 Tbsp milk Butter for greasing TOPPINGS 1/4 cup condensed Evap Coconut 2 egg yolks 1 Tbsp flour in 2 Tbsp milk 1 cup grated cheese Procedure Preheat o...

Named after its resemblance to trains, teren-teren is a popular bakery staple in most Iloilo bakeshops. And this one from the iconic Buho Baker y is no exception when it comes to popularity.   It is how the  individual breads (with sweet stuffing) are connected to look like train "cabooses" that gave its name. The "stuff" is just  like sweetened dough, almost like the ones in hopia but just colored but when its fresh hot off the oven, it is heaven in every bite! Just be careful since the filling is hot! And what can be more iconic than having your teren-teren order, handed down to you via the most popular hole-in-the-wall in Iloilo! 

I've been cooking this dish for the longest time but it's only now that I've known it has name. It is called TINUTUAN. A very basic vegetable dish and just like LASWA, it is very versatile with no specific ingredients. You can just throw-in what's available and sort of edible when cooked and mixed. TINUTUAN, as I always cook it, is mostly flavored by sauteed sardines. Or at times, no sauteeing is needed. Other times, canned tuna is also good. This one in particular has malunggay, papaya, sayote and patola with a can of sardines in oil. The latter's sauce type made the dish retain its original color as opposed to one that's in tomato sauce. TINUTU-AN is a perfect side dish to fried or broiled fish or meat. But on its own, it' s already a delicious and nutritious dish perfect with a plate of hot rice. What't your Tinutu-an story?

It’s been a while since I featured (read gorged on) Iloilo's most popular Chinese bun - Roberto’s Queen sio pao . Aside from being unavailable most of the time (I think it’s now every two weeks rather than monthly), the restaurant is out of my usual way.  Priced at PhP105 and though the size isn’t that overwhelming as before yet still big compared to other sio paos in the city.  It was still hot when I got it from “Roberta” before (he's Clauds by the way, RIP 🕯) and around two hours later with some rainy escapade, I was surprised to sense it warmth when I got home. Aside from what’s inside, I really like the bun of Roberto’s sio pao. With a hint of gumminess yet soft to each bite, it greatly complements the filling.  Though I got a rather one sides sio pao with the filling almost bursting out the bottom part while the top was all bun.  But it’s one of the more photogenic ones I had so far – I halved it perfectly with without much damage to the...

Probably this is among the only few surviving food items of my younger years that still is "unchanged". From the packaging to how it looks and tastes like, this is still the kropeck I grew up with.  Come to think of it, there is nothing extra ordinary about this kropeck. Got these from Iloilo Supermart, it's one of those generic snacks in the shelves that don't even a second look. Only those who grew up with it might find it interesting enough. And ceetainly  can relive the childhood memories it comes with. Up close, it looks like a miniature gulaman bar sold in the groceries. An orange and shrimp flavoured one, that is. Aside from groceries, it cam be found in stalls at the malls and some bakeries and old-world restaurants too.

Finally, after four trips to Hongkong, I found myself at the restaurant I’ve been meaning to visit since my first visit back in 2016. Despite with its “not-so-HK” sounding name, Australia Dairy Company is a culinary institution and has often been described as an iconic Hong Kong restaurant. The company was named by the founder as such because he had worked in an Australian farm in the 1940s and now, his resto is one of the most popular “ chaan tengs ” or HK stye cafe or diners most common as breakfast places. Its sole branch is located in Jordan in Kowloon along Parkes Street. And it has always been plagued with a long queue especially during breakfast as locals and tourists vie for seats to start their day with their specialties. The restaurant is notable for its efficiency as even during the rush breakfast hour when I visited, my orders came out in less than a minute. While it is also infamous for its rude service, I didn’t experience it that time. Maybe they just improved over the y...

While the most popular Ilonggo recipe for Adobo has istiwitis or achuete / annatto, sometime experimenting on other region's adobo recipes an open up our taste. So what is "white" adobo? It is basically the usual adobo recipe minus one major ingredient - soy sauce or toyo . I like it especially when the garlic mixes with the oil and vinegar concoction - a burst of flavorful aroma that you could almost taste. Here's a simple recipe for Pork Liempo White Adobo

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...