FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

The easiest way to cook shrimps is halabos -  just boil in salt and water until almost dries up. It's perfect with your dip of choice like toyomansi or just a good eaten on its own. With this kind of simple cooking, many decided to complicate it a bit for some challenge thus born one of the most popular halabos recipe which uses lemon soda like 7Up or Sprite instead of water. And the experiment continues... Here's one of those more "complicated" recipe but still very easy to do even for first time cooks. Ingredients 1 kilo shrimps (big ones like the ones used in sinigang) 1 minced garlic 1 500-ml bottle 7-Up (or Sprite) 2 tbsp Calamansi/Lemon juice Salt Pepper Sesame Oil Procedure Wash and clean the shrimps. Use scissors to remove excesses (antennae, legs,etc) In a pan, place the shrimps then add the 7-Up, garlic and calamansi/lemon juice. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Heat the pan and let it boil until almost dry. Be sure to s...

I know you want one, especially that one in middle which is obviously burnt. I got these from a local bakeshop here in town and for less than PhP 10 a piece, it brings back the gastronomic memories of yesteryears. I remember it to be a favorite childhood treat - something you get as a reward for being good or just as pasalubong. Now, it still is a treat but more on bringing back the taste memories and sharing others too.  Short Stop Bakery here in Santa Barbara, Iloilo makes two varieties, this yellow one and one that is sort of very light brown.  But still both variants taste the same and we still fight over the burnt ones. Other places where these are available aside from the "neighbourhood" bakeries are Tinapayan at The Atrium and St. Paul's Bakery along Valeria Ext. But surely there could be more ...

Are you a big fan of those soft, fluffy, buttery, sweet cheese rolls? If yes, chances are you'd really fall for these cheese rolls from Sweet Fix by Calix . With two variants - Cheese (original) and Chube (that "viral" Ube-Cheese gastronomic phenomenon), these rolls have been "selling like hotcakes" since July. Comparable to the iconic Mary Grace brand, the cheese roll are big yet light and generously topped with butter and sugar. One bite reveals its fluffiness and cheesiness in the inside with its softness enticing you to take another bite. I could finish this box of 6s in just one sitting - no joke! And the Chube Rolls are just as delicious and tempting especially with the buttery-ube sugar toppings. And it explodes with a yummy ube halaya and cheese filling in every bite. Can you guess how many I could finish in one sitting? A perfect page turner from the sweet and cheesy flavor is the recently lau...

At first, I had doubts about kombucha after Googling about it. While the articles I read listed a lot of benefits, it also came with some warnings and side effects. But after a lot of thinking, I gave in to my curiosity rather than my doubts realizing that everything comes with this dilemma. And when I finally had my first sip - it was ❤ 👍 Thanks to Kombē Kombucha for very a delicious and refreshing first impression on this health drink! Kombē is a homegrown Ilonggo brand specialized in brewing Kombucha. The company is  the first to introduce this health drink to the City of Love. Given today's necessity for better health, its digital launching a few days ago came at the right time. As a simple backgrounder kombucha is a fermented tea-based probiotic drink. It is made with green or black tea, sugar and yeast producing SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) plus some citrus fruits. It ...

Got a very special and mouth-watering delivery from Kapitan Gimmo Iloilo!  And I couldn't hold my excitement as well as the grumbling of my tummy as the aroma reach my nose and it was a gastronomic sight to behold! Surf N Turf is one of the restaurant's best-sellers as it highlights Kapitan Gimmo's specialties - all in one plate!  It's a mix of delectable seafood and savory meats cooked in a variety of ways. You can choose from   steamed, garlic butter, sweet chili, fried garlic, teriyaki and barbecue, among others. These complementing flavors surely brings out that you have to to use your hands in order to savor the very best flavors. The SURF portion of is made up of crabs, shrimps and shellfish while the TURF has pork ribs and chicken. Grilled corn provides some color as well as flavor and texture component complenting the entire mouth-watering dish. So, are ready to enjoy Kapitan Gimmo's Surf N Tur...

Just the mere mention  Pub Express  will bring mouth-watering ribs goodness into my gastronomic imagination.  Be it a whole rack of ribs smothered in smoky barbecue sauce or a solo ribs drenched in the savory sauce, both are worth the calories and cholesterol!   The delectable goodness of these ribs tickled our taste buds a few days ago inside Pub Express' main branch in Molo, along MH Del Pilar street. The new hip yet cozy interiors not make creates an Instagram-worthy resto but also adds an appetizing atmosphere for us to enjoy what it has to offer. The whole rack of ribs comes with three sides - rangoons, fat fries and chicken skin. The rangoons are cream cheese-filled wonton wrappers that are deep-fried until crisp and comes with chilli sauce.   The fat fries are actually criss-cut fries made ala poutine (Canadian-style) with cream and bacon toppings. But even without these, the fries are already very good on their ...

Heads up, people.... July is National Ice Cream Month! And to celebrate its pride and core, Dairy Queen is lining up a Blizzard of sweet treats for all the ice cream lovers out there! To kick-start the month-long celebration, Dairy Queen has brought back all the Blizzard favorites with the launch of the DQ Fan Fave Blizzard Treats. Available in three flavors—Milk Tea Brownie Latte, Caramel Almond Cluster, and Sweet Corn Crunch, these frozen Blizzard favorites will surely capture the hearts and palates of all the DQ fans out there. The fun doesn’t stop there. Dairy Queen will have two NEW Blizzard Cakes: Sweet Corn Crunch Blizzard Cake and Milk Tea Blizzard Cake – DQ’s shareable and refreshing new take on the classic Mais con Hielo and everyone’s beloved Milk Tea. The new Blizzard cakes are delectable frozen treats made with 100 percent Ice Cream and are available in 8” and 6” sizes. Exclusive treat for GrabFo...