FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Tasted any good Pancit Molo lately? I surely had and thanks to one awesome afternoon at the Camiña Balay nga Bato in Arevalo. A perfect afternoon snack and gastronomic finale to Sir Eugene Jamerlan's guests, Anton Diaz (of Our Awesome Planet ) and his wife, Rachelle. Even if we just had lunch , the aroma of the pancit Molo was so enticing that we wasted no time and enjoyed a bowl (actually we all had more than one) of Kapitan Ising's Pancit Molo . Now who is Kapitan Ising ? He's no longer the kapitan of his baranggay (South San Jose, I assume) as I was informed but he's still referred to as one. I only heard about Kapitan Ising Villanueva last month when Miss Luth Camiña ordered a lot of delights from him - fresh lumpia, panara and of course pancit Molo, during the shoot of My City, MY SM, My Cuisine . Maybe because of the hectic ambiance that I didn't really to appreciate the taste of the pancit Molo then. But now, we had it as leisurely as we could and e...

I never knew they had it on their menu but as explained it was just almost a month ago that Floyd's Famous BBQ at The Atrium served Pancit Molo. A perfect partner for all their barbecued specialties like their famous pork and chicken barbecues, this pancit Molo is smells good and tastes even better. The soup is clear and like the original recipe has flavours of pork, shrimps and chicken. It also has a garlicky essence as bits of this spice were sprinkled as toppings. I literally saved the best for last for I really loved how the Molo balls tasted even though the amount of filling was small. The meat had a sort of spice and flavour that makes you want to have more. And for PhP50/bowl, you will certainly yearn for more. 

The district Jaro, Iloilo celebrates biggest fiesta in the region characterized by the pageantry and the grandeur of the occasion paying homage to Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria , the patron saint of Western Visayas. Every February 2, all roads lead to Jaro as Ilonggos celebrate the feast of O ur Lady of Candles in different aspects - religious, gastronomic, enterprising, and more. (For) As early as December the Jaro Plaza is teeming with the Jaro Grand Carnival with activities like carnival games, food stalls, fruit stands and ukay-ukay, among others. It culminates on fiesta day with the coronation of the Fiesta Queen, chosen among the lasses of Jaro families. For the second straight year, I was at the Jamerlan household (thanks Sir Eugene) to celebrate the gastronomic part of the Jaro Fiesta. And just looking at the spread alone, it is indeed a grand way of celebrating the fiesta with one of the prominent Jareño families. And the gastronomic journey started with these a...

The disreputable Adobo Ilonggo, a popular meal not only among Ilonggos but Filipinos from all walks of life, has come under fire from fellow culinary treats in Iloilo for conduct unbecoming, gross misrepresentation, etc. The legendary La Paz Batchoy , whose exploits and reputation has long surpassed the boundaries of Iloilo, has lodged a complaint with the Iloilo Culinary Association’s Board of Governors (ICABOG) saying that Abodo Ilongo has disgraced Iloilo Cuisine. “Adobo’s recent behavior is bringing disrepute to Ilonggo food and the people that love them unconditionally,” Mr. Batchoy said. Mang Inasal , ICABOG chairman, said Adobo Ilonggo, if found guilty of the charges, will suffer the penalty of prison correctional (being relegated to the kitchen, for the minor offense), or prison mayor for the major offense, which means cancellation of membership and a total ban from the franchise and other association member outlets. Here’s a litany of charges against Adobo Ilonggo: ●...

Today is the annual fiesta of the district of Molo, Iloilo. Now who isn’t excited during this time of the year? The carnival and fair in the plaza, the flair and grandeur it brings, and of course, the FOOD! It is even made more special when the place is renowned for its gastronomic and cultural heritage. Known as the “Athens of t he Philippines”, the district of Molo has provided leaders, statesmen and a lot more prompting scholars before to compare it to what the Greek capital has provided the western civilization. But it also has provided culinary contributions that make every Ilonggo, where from Molo or not to be proud of. A Chinese soup adaptation that has conquered the Philippine gastronomy is the district’s foremost contribution. Pancit Molo is among the most loved soups in the country and for Filipino abroads. It is more of a homemade delight that every household has its own unique recipe and no restaurant even in Molo itself can claim to have the best bowl of pancit Molo. Giant...

As the rainy season continues and the "ber" months usher in longer and colder nights, there is nothing like waking up to the homemade goodness of Pancit Molo . Named after one of Iloilo City’s districts, Pancit Molo is one of the more identifiable pancit dishes in the country. It stands out uniquely among the noodle dishes mainly because of its non-traditional pancit look. It is a derivative of the Chinese wonton (filled dumplings) made into a soup. What makes the pancit Molo different from fro mall the other pancit dishes is that the Molo wrapper used to wrap the filling is not cut into thin noodle strips but is a rolled square sheet of pasta dough used to encase the ground meat filling. Just like the Italian ravioli or tortellini which hare classified as pasta, pancit Molo , by virtue of its wonton wrapper is classified as a noodle. The filled dumplings used for this soup often use ingredients such a ground pork, chicken and/or shrimps that are mixed together with vege...

Named after one of Iloilo City’s districts, Pancit Molo is one of the more identifiable pancit dishes in the country. It stands out uniquely among the noodle dishes mainly because of its non-traditional pancit look. It is a derivative of the Chinese wonton (filled dumplings) made into a soup. Pancit Molo ’s origins must also have been the same time that the concept of Cantonese Chinese dim sum, linked to the Chinese tradition of drinking tea or yum cha, started in the country. The Chinese traders journeying through their trade routes would probably makes stops at tea house to rest and snack on light dim sum items – noodles, dumplings, soups and little cakes. Thus it came to be that the favored stop at the time was probably Iloilo, particularly the quiet little town of Molo (know as Parian then), where enterprising Chinese businessmen probably decided to settle and set up little tea houses to cater to Chinese customers. Over time, intermarriages between Chinese and Filipinos ev...