FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

“The siopao, a Filipino fast food favorite, may be counted among “Filipinized” Chinese dishes, like pancit” points out food writer Margaux Salcedo. But her quick search on the Internet shows that nowhere else in the world are these buns also called siopao. “ The Chinese (apparently) calls them baozi, the Thais – salapao, Hawaiians refer to them as char siu bao; the Vietnamese identifies them as banh bao” she writes in her column on the Philippine Daily Inquirer ” But they all mean the same thing - a filled bun.” “The difference seems to be in the filling. The Hawaiians’ char siu bao offers barbecued pork inside, similar to our asado siopao, while the Vietnamese version offers ground pork, like our bola-bola siopao” reveals her further search. “The “Filipinization” is obvious with the asado filling, pork asado being a viand of Spanish influence derived from the Spanish word “asado” meaning “roasted,” although pork asado is a favorite at Filipino-Chinese restaurants” she finishes. Il...

Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment in Mandurriao prides itself as the home of the best sio pao, sio mai and mami in the city. For a snack shop that serves these Chinese specialties, the place itself doesn't look and feel like a Chinese food place. It's just an ordinary snack bar serving variations of these three specialties. But they are so good that most of the time it is packed with patrons and parking space, at times, becomes a problem. Yes, even those "big time" queue in this "small time" snack bar. I met Lee and Inday Hami weeks ago in this hole in the wall and over their sumptuous treats talked about, what else, food, food and more food. For around P35 one gets 4 pieces of sio mai which are simple yet very good - though I have tasted better ones, yet for the price one pays, Jiecel and Thea's wins "pound for pound", as one may say. Made even more appetizing by the chili-garlic sauce and if concocted with calamansi and soy sauce makes a ...

Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment proclaims they have the best mami, sio pao and sio mai in town, and many definitely agree. Now I know why this little snack shop survived, they give you your money's worth . This little snackshop was even mentioned in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, together with other sio pao and sio mai "greats" in the country, in an article written by Micky Fenix, Editor of Food Magazine. Read full article. A platito consisting of 4 pieces costs PhP30 and it's a well spent amount at the Jiecel and Thea's. I like it from the moment it came to my table until the time my last bite dipped in the soy sauce-chili-calamansi concoction. It was so good that I ordered another platito and devoured it in a minute. Not that I have tasted all sio mais here in Iloilo City, but it's an expression of approving of a general perception. Now I'm hungry for more! Now their famous sio pao. Having this one last had my expectations raised a little highe...

When talks zero in on sio mai and sio pao (in Iloilo City), it would be incomplete when one snack shop is not mentioned. Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment had long been synonymous with these two Chinese delights and finally, I was able to personally visit the place, tasted their specialties and of course blogged about it. Just a simple menu with three of the specialties; mami, sio pao and sio mai. It was a short ride from the "Carlos" junction to this snack shop and even though I theoretically know where it was, I was still all eyes during the my travel. But luckily they had a very big signage that proclaimed "We serve the BEST mami, sio pao and sio mai in town". Now that got me gastronomically excited. Simple interiors of Jiecel and Thea's Refreshment makes you conentrate more on the food rather than the ambiance. It was around 1030am when I finally got there to see a sort of family brunch on going occupying half of the snack shop. But fortunately they were a...