FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Rgies Delicacies was first to introduce this "gourmet" butterscotch and they do it best! Really moist, chewy and you can actually see and taste the mango bits. For now this got to be one of the best butterscotches in the city. A (really) good buy for pasalubong to bring to impress your recipients or just to indulge in yourself. For PhP53 per pack 10, its very much worth the money spent and in fact you might consider buying more than one pack rather than regretting it.

I was choosing over tons of pasalubong items at Deco's pasalubong shop when these items caught my attetion. It was just ordinary to see ube, mango flavours for piayas but I did take another look when I saw a red piaya and one labeled "calamansi" Starting the most obvious flavous and clockwise, strawberry, buko pandan, mango, ube, mango-pineapple, pineapple and calamansi But I had to go back again since not all flavours were comeplete that time. Then it was picture time and eating time. Buko pandan and mango-pineapple were good. I didnt find any hint of tanginess in the calamansi.

Probably, the best toasted garlic bread in the market today. It might even upstage the pasta it is partnered with. Thinly sliced and crunchy plus buttery rich and garlicky, what more can you ask for. Grab one now. Actually grabe "more than one"-lol.

Probably the best "packaged" pasalubong item from the city. Yet it was a tourist that introduced me to this stuff. Luckily, it was available sa Deco's Pasalubong center in from of SM Delgado (very convenient rather than going all the way to Arevalo). Priced almost a hundred pesos each, these crunchies and chewies are a welcome change from the usual pasalubong stuff. Crunchies are thin and crisp "cookies" with pinipig, cashew and tsokolate varieties to name a few while chewies (in mango) are thicker and .... chewy. Additional photos courtesy of Weekend Pastime

After my friend, whom I sent a boxful of Iloilo pasalubong treats, raved about Rgies yema, I decided it would be worth spending a little more than 50 pesos to have another taste of this yema. Though not as well-packaged as their butterscotch , Rgies yema still stands out in the shelves. With a more crisp sugar coated outside layer and a richer inside, no wonder my friend said that there seems to be an egg yolk per yema ball .

Many times I have said that butterscotch is THE pasalubong item from Iloilo and many times I also have said that Biscocho Haus is the most famous brand there is. I believe that other brands have "ridden" in this bandowagon created by Biscocho Haus but only two managed to be at par or even became much better. These butterscotch almost takes 40% of my pasalubong baggage before but it's always worth it upon seeing smiles of satisfaction from the recipients. This is actually my 2nd blog entry for this brand since I had to (re)try these for my butterscotch quest. And guess what? They actually didn't taste as I expected yet still good.

It was its novelty that made me buy this at their stall in SM City. Piaya Crisps , so thin that they literally didn't have filling and sort of became biscuits. At first I thought it was so-so until I find myself addicted to it. Even the simple honey-molasses flavor can make you crave for this piaya innovation by Susannah's cottage industries. c/o QUEENSK9 of PEX Now, another item added to my MUST TRY list. Each pack cost a litte more than PhP25 .

These treats can alse be considered as another variety of biscocho since it has been baked twice. Mamon being like a light and fluffy variety "pound cake" is already a treat on its own but when toasted (baked again) to perfection makes another equally good treat known as mamon tostado.

I bought eight varieties of individually wrapped dessert bars from Tinapayan Bakery at the Atrium. Totalling P137 (cost of each ranging from P12 to P20) it was a feast for all the senses and made my blood sugar level shoot up (again!). I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves..... Espresso caramel bar Choco-caramel fudge bar * Nutty choco fudge bar * Rocky Road Mango Chewies Revel bar Choco caramel bar * Fudgy walnut bar* I lost my receipt so I cant really be sure if these are the correct names of the dessert bars (those with asterisk) Would you believe, I ate all these bars all by myself? And in just one sitting? Damn this blog! (lol)

I just received an SMS from someone who sells these candies and said they will be soon available in Sabor Ilonggo stalls in the malls. It would be now very convenient and accessible since these are made in the interior towns of Dingle and Passi. This is just a taste of what's to come. I'll be blogging about this as soon as I can find them in the city (and after my camera "cures" itself.). Thanks to WarriorInScrubs of Dinagyang forum for these photos. And also more info in his blog .