FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

And here's another batchoyan that would make your crave for this delectable Ilonggo noodle dish. This time you eat the noodles, pork, innards and chicharon then sip the caldo in a rustic setting - a quaint bahay kubo under the shade of rustling trees. Barely a month old, Tay Rudy's batchoy is already making a name for itself among the townsfolk.  Served at Payag Evelyn Batchoyan in Brgy. Bolong Oeste in Santa Barbara, Iloilo, this batchoyan has the making of a hole in the wall as more and more people are discovering this place.  Getting There Your landmark is Wilcon Home Depot in Santa Barbara along the highway that connects Iloilo City and the Iloilo International Airport. Across is a branch office DPWH with a road going to the Western Visayas Sanitarium. But you won't reach the hospital as you will have to turn right towards a cemetery and another right then left. Confused? Just ask around when you enter the road, its the only batchoyan in the...

Inspired by Project Pie, wherein you create your own pizza,  I also had my own project and it involves one o the most popular Ilonggo native delicacies - baye-baye. It was a spur of the moment thought having lots of baye-baye around that I thought of making one that would certainly be a notch higher. So searching for some ingredients that I can use, I found some pecan "nuts" and dulce de leche aka "boiled condensed milk".  And after some thoughts I came up with these - Baye-Baye rolled in crsuhed pecan, Baye-Baye rolls with pecan-condensed milk filling and pecan topped Baye-Baye "sandwich squares". Now which is my favorite? The rolls I would say - I just love condensed milk. I'd certainly have another project coming very soon so stay tuned...

I don't usually eat talaba but if it's the cheesey (and garlicky) baked talaba from Tatoy's Manukan and Seafoods , bring it on! A simple way of cooking talaba , I just love the generous cheese and fried garlic topping that even non-seasoned oyster eaters like me are just tempted by the "looks" and aroma of it. Though around 3x the price of the steamed oysters (PhP180 vs PhP65 as of the last time), its still quite a steal given the quality and how delicious and very satisfied customers like me will be.

I got a pack of Ma Mon Luk egg noodles from Iloilo Supermart - a 250gm pack consists of 6 dried noodle "patties"  and costs around PhP50.  I suddenly had cravings of the noodle soup served in some Chinese restos that I decided to make one at home.  But mine turned out to be more of a pancit canton.  Didn't want to use artificial broth cubes, so I just cooked the noodles and luckily we had some chopsuey leftover that made a perfect mix.  I just drenched the noodles sesame oil, put on the toppings and added more I found on in the fridge like these Spam cubes. The result was a mix of delicious flavours and good aroma (from my fave sesame oil) - that gave me a fully  satisfied tummy from an on the spot experiment.

Victorias . Mention this Negros Occidental component city and it makes me think of two things.  First is SUGAR . It is home to Victorias Milling Company - the Philippines largest sugar refinery at the same time the world's largest integrated sugar mill.  And second, is HOT SARDINES . I can still  remember this iconic brand wayback in the late 80s and 90s, in its bright yellow labeled cans.  Opening a can or bottle of Victorias  Hot Sardines or Bangus, I can still vividly recall the contents swimming in rich soya or olive oil. And as far as I can remember, I  always have that sublime gastronomic experience each time we have a Victorias meal. I considered it a luxury back then as it was among the really few oil-based products in the sea of tomato-based canned sardines.  Years passed and with more new competing brands out there, Victorias has still maintained its quality and tastes deliciously the same - as always.  A TASTE OF NEGROS   With a go...

The Valentine Dinner Buffet at The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo is no doubt among the top Valentine gastronomic events in the city during Hearts' Day. Dubbed as FEAST OF THE HEART, it is one of the most indulgent buffets the hotel has to offer throughout the year with its wide selection of food. From hors d'oeuvres, soups and breads to the  organic salad bar, sushi & sashimi, main entrees, carvint station and desserts, it's all one big delicious gastromantic celebration! And for the NTH year, I spent Valentine's Day 2020 together with the Iloilo Bloggers Inc. indulging in the sumptuous offerings Days Hotel Iloilo has in store during the most romantic day of the year. Here's what we enjoyed last Valentine at The Promenade at Days Hotel Iloilo's  FEAST OF THE HEART  Let's whet up our appetites with the HORS D' OUEVRES/APPETIZERS/SOUP Stations. Breads come in many variants. Make your own salad in...