FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

 Among my most unforgettable gastronomic experience in Cebu City three months ago was dinner at Café Elysa. Located at the Pari-an district of Cebu, it echoes the rich cultural heritage of the city in its array of Cebuano at the same time, colonial cuisine and how they fused them together to come up something their very own. Unlike most fusion restaurants, Café Elysa still retains its old world charm inside out. The interior boasts of quaint furnishing and design – simple yet elegant; while outside you’ll feel magnetized to the rich heritage of Cebu. The restaurant is conveniently located within walking distance from Cebu’s historical attractions including Casa Gorordo, Museo Pari-an (Jesuit House) and Colon Street, the Philippine’s oldest. It was the perfect place to meet up with the team from Smart Communications and Max & Marlene Limpag, whose QR Code Project has fused history with technology. Just by using any android mobile phone and scanning codes placed in c...

My historic hometown of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo welcomed around 300 councilors from all over the Philippines around a week ago.  It was the Philippine Councilors League’s quarterly National Convention in Iloilo City and part of their activity is a tour around Iloilo. Sta. Barbara offered a historic, cultural and gastronomic tour the delegates surely enjoyed.  A flag raising ceremony at the Flag Pole Park commenced their tour seeing the 30x60 feet flag atop the 120 feet pole.  A performance by the award winning Kahilwayan Tribe gave them a preview of the town’s rich historic past.   It is a combination of dance, music and acrobatics telling the story of how the Sta. Barbaranhons led by Gen. Martin Delagado fought for freedom. The tour also included a visit to the centennial museum and going around the plaza, the Catholic church and convent, the Cry of Sta. Barbara Marker, bobbin lace making at WUTHLE and the oldest existing gold course in...

I was in Cebu City during the last weekend of May to take part in the annual Gabi- sa Kabilin. Meaning “Night of Heritage”, it is patterned after Lange Nacht der Museen or Long Night of the Museums in Berlin, Germany. Now on its 6th year, this cultural event spearheaded by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated (RAFI) brings together museums and cultural institutions in various places towns and cities in Cebu, to open to the public until midnight. But as the event took place at night, we spent the day indulging in a lot of Cebuano cuisine and delicacies. Together with Eugene Jamerlan and Luth Camiña, lunch was at NL Café, a big carinderia at the North Reclamation area a block away from SM City Cebu. It was a literally homey restaurant as one is welcomed to somewhat like a living room of a simple house. One will then be faced with some tough choices which ones to try. Good thing we were a group of five so we tried as many as we could. I particularly loved the “Balbacua...

Mark your calendars as the Red Corner makes your dim sum dreams come true with its Dim sum All You Can treat every Monday and Friday. From 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 9pm, this Chinese joint operated by Hong Kong Kitchen serves a galore of dim sum like sio mai, nori sio mai, chicken feet, sio pao and a whole lot more. A few days ago, I personally tried what they had to offer during a luncheon meeting together with Ms. Carol, PR Officer of the restaurant. There I discovered that aside from the dim sum galore once can expect, the buffet also includes soup, noodles, rice, soup, vegetables and at least two Red Corner Specials of the day. The sweet corn and egg soup started my lunch and even though how delectable it was I had to restrain myself so that I can have space for more food. I then tried got three pieces of their crunchy lumpiang shanghai to satisfy my craving for lumpia the day before. It was generously filled with meat seasoned so well that I didn’t even bother di...