FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

“ From the ambient setting to the galore of good food, it would certainly be not my last enjoying all the goodness of a buffet at Esca’s Garden Restauran t ” I ended my blog post about Esca’s Friday dinner buffet with those words and two days after, I was back for their Sunday Lunch buffet. As Chef Miguel Cordova was overseeing the preparations, I ventured out and enjoy the gardens Esca’s is noted for as venue for wedding and baptismal receptions plus parties of any kind. In fact they, they host a party for almost everyday of the week – indoors or outdoors. Chef Miguel informed that Esca’s will be having a big permanent party tent in the gardens to accommodate more guests who prefer an alfresco dining ambiance. Esca’s as of now has three “ambiance” so to speak, the aircon room/s for those who prefer a “cool” setting, an indoor “al fresco” dining area for those who prefer the “ambient” temperature and the garden al fresco under the tents or shade. But was just a quick tour because the...

The All-Time Favorite Ilonggo Comfort Food, Now Guilt-Free! Originally and Distinctly Ilonggo. In 1945 after the war, a local butcher at the Iloilo La Paz Public Market was looking for ways to make use of the pork and beef innards and bones left at the end of the day. He made steaming broth out of the bones, added some shrimp and chicken stock, tossed in the chopped stir-fried innards, some chicken and beef strips, a dash of soy sauce, poured the steaming broth over a bowl of miki noodles, then sprinkled with leeks and chicharon, and finally finished by cracking a raw egg on top for good measure. This created a dish with a distinctly salty-sweet-spicy flavor called “batchoy”, which eventually became the all-time comfort food of the Ilonggos, usually paired with pandesal or puto, and enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, merienda, dinner and midnight snack until this day. Originally and Distinctly MARINA. In keeping with its proud Ilonggo heritage as well as promoting the health benefits of sea...

Green Mango concocts two fruity desserts that will surely be the perfect ending to any delicious meal from Iloilo's very own fast food chain. Familiar Filipino desserts given the Green Mango twist and flair are GM's Buko Pandan and Fruit Delight . Very reminiscent of the sago fruit salad we make at home is the the Fruit Delight . A mix of fruit cocktail and sago in cream, its aptly named since it is a really delight to have a cup to sweeten any visit to the restaurant. Though I would prefer to have the cream more on the liquid side rather than the chilled (solid) type so as to savour it more ..... ... just like the Buko Pandan . The signature green and white colours of this dessert give the familiarity edge. I loved this creamy mixture that I slurped it straight from the cup instead of having it by the spoonful. For less than PhP 30 each, get these delightful treats at Green Mango Fastfood with branches at Valeria Street, Plaza Libertad, E. Lopez Street (Jaro), Nelly Ga...

It’s a buffet of selected Japanese specialties they serve - all the Japanese food you can eat as you create your own bento meal. But it’s not like the usual buffet where you go around the set up and choose what is appetizing. It was a few years back when I had my first “bento-bento” experience at Maki. While searching the menu on what to eat that time, Chef Ms Pauline Banusing, restaurateur and owner of Maki came to our table and easily convinced to try this bento bento experience. It is a more relaxing buffet where the food servers present you with a list of what you can have in your bento box. Sushi and sashimi; appetizers, noodles and soups; teriyaki and teppanyaki; tempura; and rice. All you have to do is check one per category – you must be familiar about Japanese cuisine or just order what seems to “taste good” on the list. That time the sushi and sashimi list was already worth it. Each order of California maki, New York maki, Crazy maki and Spicy Tuna roll brings in 4 pieces...

If you think you’ve tasted the best-tasting barbecue in town, then wait until you've tasted Floyd’s Famous Barbecue. Prepare yourself for the delicious, affordable, and fun Floyd’s. Your palate will be ignited with a zesty variety of classic dishes, from breakfast to dinner, very affordably priced for all those craving for mouthwatering delights. From sizzling Pork Sisig , to the classic Spicy Buffalo Wings , to the perennial bestseller, the famously irresistible Pork Barbecue , Floyd’s offers a wide variety of excellently-prepared dishes. Floyd’s will also be open for a fun-filled night out with your barkada. It will serve a variety of favorite beers and even serves beer towers for group drinking spree. Very soon, Floyd’s will open at Ayala Technohub, located at Boardwalk, Glicerio Pison Avenue, Mandurriao, Iloilo City ./*PR

Usually, I make it a point to be a few minutes early in any event so as “not to lose composure” brought about by being late or making a “grand entrance”. Upon the invitation of one of Iloilo’s foremost restaurateur, Chef Miguel Cordova, I arrived at Esca's Garden restaurant and found him at the helm of the dinner preparations upon arrival. Chef Miguel rose to local culinary “stardom” when he started Afriques restaurant years ago. Among the most popular restaurants in Iloilo City, Afrique’s now has around 5 branches in the metro. While at it, he also opened Esca’s Garden Restaurant inside Aurora Subdivision to cater cuisine more familiar to the taste buds – be it native Ilonggo, Filipino or a mix of continental fares like Spanish, American and Asian among others. And I had my first taste of these specialties in his standing Friday nights buffet yesterday. I’ve been to Esca’s many times before, but it was more on ala carte orders that neither ventured into the unfamiliar category – j...