FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

I was in Bacolod City few months back for a very quick trip – maybe just around 6 hours. Too short to enjoy the gastronomic flavours of Iloilo City’s twin but just enough time to savour the new menu selection from one of the city’s hippest and good value accommodations – O Hotel . On the invitation of its food consultant, Chef Miner Del Mundo , I was able to have a taste of the newest menu selection for the hotel’s Master’s Coffee Shop . But this is just not just a “coffee shop” for it serves delectable food that’s appetizing both to the eyes and the palate! For starters, the Apple, Turnip and Cucumber Slaw had a sour cream dressing with mangoes and salmon roe resting on a bed of lettuce. The strips of fruits and vegetable provide complementing flavours and texture s that are refreshingly crunchy. The sour cream blend harmonized them with a tinge of sourness that balanced off the sweetness of the mangoes. (PhP 235) You don’t have to be a millionaire or got tons of cash, just PhP250, t...

Each town or city has some popular bakeshop or pasalubong store that often stands out. And based on what I’ve read online, heard and on what I’ve tasted, Panulce Bakeshop seems to be “it” when in Roxas City. I’ve never been to Roxas City. I just passed some towns in Capiz on my way to Boracay (not Bora) few times before. And I’m hoping that the planned trip we had excitedly discussed over Facebook the other night would push through. Known as the Seafood Capital of the Philippines, Roxas City boasts of the freshest catch of the day, the variety it offers and the wide array of seafood it produces, Most of it goes to Manila on a daily basis. But that’s another topic I’m hoping to expound if the trip pushes through. Now, let me talk about this singularly awesome product of Panulce – biscottini. Literally a small biscotti (twice cooked bread) where biscocho also might have been patterned after. But the suffix “ni” makes it a little version of it. But nonetheless, it’s really BIG IN TASTE! I...

It's simplicity makes people wonder why this is considered to be halo halo. With only three key ingredients, minatamis na saging, macapuno and leche flan, Razon's halo halo barely qualifies it as such, they say. Maybe they are accustomed to colorful and a whole lot of ingredients that make their halo halo. But after tasting this "simple" halo-halo, they now know what makes it so popular. Now what made this halo halo survive and even beat the competition? Is it the simple yet complementing mix of it's three basic ingredients - banana, coconuts and leche flan? Or is it the "finely" shaved ice that makes it more of a delight to eat compared with others? And lastly, it could be the milk used. Searching online reveals they used carabao's milk contrary to what one of their servers said when I asked him, " Angel Evapora da! " Whatever it is, it's for you to find out for food is always subject to one's taste and preference. And I hope they...

A quick 2-hour trip to Guimaras sideligted yesterday's itinerary. Mainly went to the Provincial Capitol complex and the Museum plus, ofcourse, some goodies on the way home. Two boat rides plus a couple of jeepney rides and finally goodies all worth less than a hundred pesos. Kasuy, cassava chips and bandi-kasuy

One of the most recognizable bottles around, San Mig Light Beef with brocolli and mushroom An afternoon with pancit bihon and iced tea Desserts at Coffeebreak Meats and desserts Macapuno buns, a more " sosyal " pan de coco Good eats at Avenetto in Trinoma Asado and brocolli at Hap Chang in Market Market at The Fort Wimpy burger at Kuppa in Bacolod City

Looking for something to eat, I was lucky enough to have found this last (half) piece of guapple in the fridge. I just ate it on its own without salt since I am watching my sodium intake but still it tasted good. I then remembered my trip to Silay City, August of last year and Bacolod City during Masskara 2007 because of a guapple treat. El Ideal's guapple pie seems like an ordinary pie with a special and not so common filling, guapple . Add to the fact that only a few bakeshops, I myself only know of El Ideal, creates this pie, makes this an item of curiousity to first timers. It was also featured in Yummy magazine in an article about Iloilo and Negros must buy's, so when I did have the chance, I naturally didn't let it go. Good thing this guapple pie come in two sizes; single-serve pie, not a slice (PhP 25), good for satisfying your curiousity and a whole pie(PhP 200) for sharing your new discovery, which I did since I brought home 2 boxes for pasalubong.

It was another Cagayan de Oro-Butuan trip for my aunt and uncle and have these goodies and treats "suffocate our fridge". The never to be missed item from Cagayan de Oro is obviously Pastel, which is actually from Camiguin Island. Though others say it's overrated , I cant help myself overindulging with pastel. It seems one bun isn't enough and still the great buy and the best pasalubong from CdO no matter what others think of it. Then there's this chicharon from Slers that ruined my diet for the day. Now come Butuan's durian specialties from the usual milk candy to tarts ( also in mango) and polvoron. Too bad they missed buko-cheese balls.

A trip to any destination wont be complete without having a taste of its local cuisine and delicacies and bringing some of it home, what ever those maybe. Our recent trip to Mindanao saw us first having dinner, during our overnight in Cagayan de Oro city, at P.Joes in Limketkai center. With its WWII theme and ambiance, I surrendered to puttanesca and tuna sandwich. The next day we had breakfast at a floating restaurant in Talisayan town. With the usual fresh catch of the day being displayed and cooked to your will, it was a good start for the day considering the view. With a cousin working for Del Monte Phils in CDO, our meals always had plenty of fresh Del Monte pineapples of which oftentimes I make a substitute for rice. Naturally very sweet, that we even took a whole fruit with us home A cousin's family prepared this lunch for us when we visited them last March 18 in Sibagat, Agusan Del Sur. It was almost an all meat ensemble with fish escabeche, chicken adobo, pork adobo,...