FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

There are one thousand and one ways of cooking sinigang , they say. And I would definitely agree - from pork, beef and chicken to seafoods like shrimps and whole variety of fishes. I even have a  canned tuna sinigang recipe  on the side. Just like the recipe varies from places to places even up to the household level as each family has their own closely guarded recipes. But one of the favorite  sinigangs , is one that have leveled up the gastronomic level -  Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine's Sinigang na Salmon . Fried - crisp in the outside but soft inside, with the sour broth poured by your side when it served. Probably an unlikely recipe for a highly prized fish often seen as sashimi, grilled or with a variety of sauces, but having it as sinigang is making it as Filipino as it can be. Extra rice, please!

One of the more visually appealing and "curiosity-beckoning" dishes during the launch of Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine's vegetarian menu was the Pinaksiw na Saba sa Labog . Even Ilonggos who are attuned to paksiw , sab-a and labog , also did a double take on this particular dish. Paksiw is a cooking method that mainly uses vinegar and spices - and mainly used for fish preparations. Letting the fish simmer until almost dry on the concoction makes another cooking method called pinamalhan -  which is essentially " paksiw made dry".  Labog "buds" during an Organic Picnic at  from Orchard Valley Farm. Labog is known as roselle , a vine that produces a deep violet "bud" and the leaves (in green or red violet variants) are mainly used in cooking some Ilonggo specialties especially those involving native chicken. Using the leaves, the chicken dish becomes a fusion of tinola and sinigang , as the broth gets it sourness from the leave...

There seems to be a beef liver festival in some restaurants in Iloilo City in the last few months. Almost every week, I see new beef liver dishes being advertised and I just couldn't say no these delectable gastronomic creations. To start with, there's Beef Liver with Tagalog Sauce at Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine . Almost like the beef steak or bistek , so to speak, its taste is easily recognizable thus making it deliciously familiar. The sweet and sour mix of flavors in the sauce plus the caramelized onions blends just right with the taste of the liver.   Here's another liver dish cooked in a very familiar way - Sizzling Sisig . A perfect pulutan whenever you find your self at Floyd's Famous BBQ  restaurants, but as for me, its a viand with garlic rice. Chopped and seasoned, it comes sizzling with egg! Extra rice please! (Floyd's also serve Sizzling Liver Steak ) And if you want something of an international flavor then head to Bourbon Street Restauran...

The Filipino history and culture has manifested its richness, diversity, and uniqueness with the distinct cuisine we call our own.  The food that has been identified with us is more than just a staple need; it is our culture ingested.  Pinakbet with Lechon Kawali But Filipino food goes beyond the globally popular adobo.  It is as rich and broad as our multi-cultural lineage.  Pork Adobo sa Achuete If you go to Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine, one of the restaurants in the Avenue Complex, you would taste a loaded showcase of Filipino dishes which may already be deliciously familiar to you,  but given an oh-so good twist by the restaurant which has been offering Iloilo an exceptional taste of Filipino cuisine since 2008.  La Pinay Organic Salad The menu offerings range from refreshing ensalada- all organic, chicken dishes – free range, fusion of classics prepared with a twist like the Pinakbet na Lechon Kawali, and Kare-Kareng Crispy Pata. There’s...

As Iloilo City is positioning itself as the "City of Wellness and Healthy Lifestyle",  Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine dishes up vegetarian dishes as a support tho this thrust. A collection of old favorites, best-sellers and new fusion dishes, these 12 dishes make a complete meal as they come as soup, appetizers, main course and dessert. Let's discover the "vegetarian" inside us with these sumptuous creations. To start out our vegetarian gastronomic tour, how about this Kinilaw Quatro . A 4-1 appetizer plate consisting of Bauhinia's best love kinilaw dishes.  There's Kinilaw nga Seaweed and Kinilaw nga Amargoso (Ampalaya/Bitter Gourd) Add to that  Kinilaw nga Rabanos (radish) and Kinilaw nga Talong (eggplant) Whetting our appetites more is Ensalada ng Langka kag Puso ng Saging . This salad is a spicy-creamy concoction of jackfruit and banana heart embraced by vinegar and coconut cream spiced up by chilis. Tickling our tastebuds is L...

Whether you’re a Filipino cuisine die hard or you simply want to satisfy your palate with sumptuous delights, head your way to Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine at the posh Avenue Complex to get a taste of its mouthwatering menu with fresh inclusions that will excite your appetite until you’re satisfied with gastronomic pleasure. To ignite your appetite, sample the more flavorful version of Smoked Lapu-Lapu Sisig, a combination of flaked Lapu Lapu (Grouper), smoked Bangus and a special decadent ingredient; or Bauhinia’s Kinilaw na Tanigue at Tuna, a serving of Marinated Mackerel fish in calamansi and vinegar seared Tuna, carrot slaw, and balsamic reduction.Maybe some Squid ala Pobre Crostini , a medley of sautéed squid in olive oil and chilies on French baguette . W ipe off your hunger with Bauhinia’s Escabeche sa Lapu Lapu, a delicious take of the classic Filipino inspired sweet and sour fillet of grouper, or Bauhinia’s Lamb Caldereta, the mouthwatering spicy lamb stew cooked in tomato – ...

It’s never too chilly to have a glass of delicious fruity shake! Find time to visit Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine today and relish the refreshing tropical shakes with irresistible flavors like tisa, avocado, coconut, papaya, nangka, and guyabano. Creamy, delicious and truly worth it, Bauhinia Tropical Shakes are the perfect quenchers for an unforgettable dine-out at Bauhinia.     (Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine is located at The Avenue Complex, Glicerio Pison Avenue, Smallville Mandurriao, Iloilo City. For reservations, call Bauhinia at (033) 329-6951) /Press Release

With no less than Atty. Helen Catalbas, Regional Director of the Department of Tourism for Western Visayas, as the guest of honor, it was indeed more fun with Ilonggo food at Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine. The dinner hosted by Great Foods Concepts last Thursday aimed to promote Ilonggo cuisine believing that for Ilonggos, local food is more than just dishes that satisfy the palate - it is Ilonggo culture ingested. And the gastronomic immersion started with a trio of appetizers - Ensaladang Puso ng Saging, Kinilaw na Gulaman and Kinilaw na Talong . It was a toss between the cooked banana blossoms and the eggplant "ceviche" for my favortie that night. While the former was a delicious blend of spice and creaminess, the latter was smooth kind of sourness that gives a tinge for more in every bite. The seaweed complemented the two with its texture and saltiness. Indeed a play of different flavorus and textures whetting our appetites for more. A cross between being an appetizer...

With a culture influenced by diverse influences, it’s not surprising that our regional cuisines in the country are as diverse as our people and as unique as our local identities. Laswa And for the Ilonggo, the local food is more than just dishes that satisfies our palates, it is the Ilonggo culture ingested. With the goal of promoting the Ilonggo cuisine, Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine serves a wide variety of local dishes the Ilonggo are most familiar with. From appetizers, to pork and chicken delights, to vegetables and salads, Bauhinia prepares its version of the dishes we love.  Taste the likes of Kinilaw na Gulaman, Ensalada nga langka, KBL, Pinaksiw, Manok sa Monggo at Puso , and a couple more dishes for a memorable lunch or dinner. Baboy sa Balatong Every dish will surely evoke a nostalgic feeling for the locals. For sure tourists will be enthralled with each plateful of the Ilonggo Specialties. (Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine is located at The Avenue Complex, Glicer...

In time for Dinagyang a few years ago, Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine launched more than 20 dishes that would make up  it Ilonggo Specialties menu dubbed as "Aton Guid Ini". With the themesong of Iloilo Supermart playing in my head right now, I remember that one gastronomic evening filled with homegrown dishes as we had our first look of this 22-dish menu . It was a galore of Ilonggo specialty recipes we had to taste that night and a few days ago I was back again at Bauhinia to reconnect my tastes buds with these delectable offerings For starters, Bauhinia serves Adobo Peanuts but the Senyorita I was with loves the popcorn from the adjacent Mojave Grill and Steak House, so my other companion the  Madame , made sure of it. The Madame , really loves the order that arrived first on the table - Adobo Ilonggo . It was Pork and Chicken Adobo in achuete oil. Savoury in every bite, it was the sauce that  made it irresistible that most of the time, I saw Madame  mix ...