FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Across our hostel in Singapore  (thank you Cebu Pacific), there was a restaurant whose specialty was something unfamiliar - bak kut teh . Asking our host from Kinn Hostel , she said it is a pork ribs dish with a savory and peppery broth and suggested that I visit the more well-known restaurant serving this iconic dish. Curiosity led me to the restaurant which was a block away and found an 8-time Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee, the latest being this 2025! The branch where I first queued - 11 New Bridge Road  Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is a renowned culinary institution in Singapore, celebrated for its authentic rendition of traditional Teochew-style Bak Kut Teh. Founded in 1969 by Yeo Eng Song as a pushcart stall in Johor Road, Singapore, Song Fa Bak Kut Teh is now a chain of restaurants with multiple branches in Singapore and abroad (yes, I saw one in Bangkok ) The branch I visited was at the New Bridge Road (the only branch awarded by Michelin Guide), just a few minutes walk fr...

Inubaran  basically means the dish is cooked with ubad . No, it's not a typo error, it is really ubad not ubod  - different from but practically the same. Confusing? Well ubod is the pith or the center of a coconut tree while ubad is the pith of a banana tree. Ubad sold in local markets. You will only use the white center/core portion. To make this dish, one has to prepare an ubad for cooking - first thinly slice, around half a centimeter, the cleaned pith (must be very white and sized like a fluorescent lamp to be sure of the quality.) .  Then using a barbecue stick, remove web like fibers "interconnecting" these slices (these are actually hardened banana sap). When finished you can crush is into smaller pieces and add to your cooking. Here's a recipe for Inubaran na Manok Ingredients 1 whole (native) Chicken 3-4 cups chopped Ubad, prepared as described above 1 stalk Tanglad (Lemongrass) 1 thumb size Ginger, slic...

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...

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.