ILOILO FOOD TRIP

Whenever there are some left over fried fish at home, chances it will end as either cardillo or sweet-and-sour. While the former is cooked by adding beaten egg to the sauteed fried fish for a savoury dish the latter has the vinegar and sugar combination that creates a flavourful sauce for the fish.  And there so many variations to the sweet and sour fish recipe but all point to the delicious mix of " sugared vinegar "!  Here's the recipe for Sweet and Sour Fish

When it comes to healthy gastronomic options in Iloilo, LIVE is most often the top choice. With its " Promoting Healthy Living through Healthy Eating " tagline, the restaurant caters not only to the health conscious but also to the discriminating taste of the Ilonggos. LIVE recently underwent a store re-branding to become  LIVE Comfort Food.  And along with its new name comes an array of new dishes - all  healthy and delightful comfort food. But to start with, it was a gastronomic review of their all-time favorites which our taste buds instantly recognize.

When it's in season, almost 80% of all the fruits sold along the streets in the city are lansones. With so much competition, prices tend to drop and one can get these succulent fruits for as low as PhP40/kilo. (Though these are not the Cagayan or Camiguin lansones which command a higher price.)

Tocino del Cielo is similar with leche flan but these two desserts are made with very different ingredients. Leche flan is made with whole eggs, and milk and/or cream while tocino de cielo is made only with egg yolks, sugar and water. The combination of (lesser) ingredients leads to an extremely light and tender custard – much lighter than the traditional leche flan. Here's a simple recipe for Tocino del Cielo

How about some Fried Ibos? This creation makes a  new taste, texture and flavor dimension to a well-loved native delicacy - suman sa ibos . It's easy, just fry the ibos and serve it with the its usual partners - fresh ripe mango (or in jelly dip) and tsokolate tablea . Or you can have it with honey or pulot . 

Bouillabaisse with Istiwitis ? Osso Buco with Kalawag ?  Give it to Chef Garelito “Gary” Landicho to come up with these  local twists to these  popular international dishes!   His cooking style is defined by the use of fresh ingredients to create a seamless fusion of Western and Asian culture. With more than 16 years of experience on various cruise ships as cook, sous chef, assistant chef de cuisine , he now lands himself the  coveted position of Executive Sous Chef at SEDA Atria Iloilo.

Papisik Native Chicken Native chicken, duck and goat meat are a staple of most rural Iloilo cuisine especially on special occasions.  They are served in many ways and the best place to try is in  a roadside place run by a former agent from one of the biggest pharmaceutical company in the Philippines as a way to share his passion in eating.   Barangay Maliao, Pavia, Iloilo PAPISIK Restobar of Ariel Imperial precisely captures what local food is all about. He is not primarily concerned by the ambience of a restaurant. What he is primarily after for is good food that reflects the stated intentions of the owner. PAPISIK perfectly cooked, honest food that used simplest yet the best ingredients that reflect the soul of the cuisine of rural Iloilo.

Crema de Fruta is one of the more visually appetizing desserts and among the more complicated ones that people often just buy from their favorite bakeshops. This dessert is basically a layer of sponge or chiffon cake, custard, canned fruits and clear gelatin. For me, its the quality and taste of the custard  filling and sponge cake that makes a delicious Crema de Fruta Here's a recipe for Crema de Fruta

My Pancit Palabok cravings prompted me to experiment with the readily available ingredients at the same time shortened the lengthy and more complicated palabok recipe . I also used an instant palabok mix thus satisfying my craving with this on-the-spot palabok was just a breeze. Here's the recipe for Pancit Palabok with Tuna and Dried Alamang

You won't find any rabbit with a pocket watch running around nor you fall down a hole into a room with many locked doors of all sizes. And this is not a rabbit stew but Ossobuco - a specialty from Milan, Italy of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth. Ossobuco is Italian for " bone with a hole " referring to the marrow hole at the center of the shank (from Wikipedia) .  It is among the many specialties of The Rabbit Hole located at Goldberry Lite Hotel along Mapa Street in Iloilo City. And between the hotel and the restaurant is a small opening that makes one literally pass through a " rabbit-hole ". A restaurant, cafe and bar in one, The Rabbit Hole Iloilo also serves as the main dining outlet of the hotel specializing in Filipino and fusion cuisine.  Here's an appetizing glimpse of some of its best-sellers.

Churros!  They're crisp in the outside yet soft inside. You can eat them plain,  dusted or dipped and have them  many other ways. And if you are looking for your churro heaven... Welcome to Churreria La Lola ! La Lola Mania! Located at the newly-opened Festive Walk Mall at the Iloilo Business Park, this is paradise for churro lovers!  Starting out in the foodcourt of Powerplant Mall in Rockwell Makati in December of 2014, Churreria La Lola now has 17 branches across the country.

I just love cooking a mix and match dish throwing what ever is available in the fridge. This time is another version of the Ginisang Upo at Togue dish that is simple and delicious. Actually, its just adding kalabasa and getting rid of the pork from the other recipe. Though this one is more soupy, you can adjust it to be more of a stir-fry dish that's perfect on the side.  Here's a simple recipe for Ginisang Upo, Togue at Kalabasa na may Hipon

Inspired by the " dampa-style " restaurants dotting the seaside across the country, the PALUTO section inside All Day Supermarket at Vista Mall Iloilo , gives the Ilonggos a new dining experience.  Tastes like home even when its not home-coked With the convenience of an air-conditioned environment and the ease of pushing a cart, it is " paluto " taken to a whole new level! The kitchen army at All Day Supermarket To make the most out of this experience, take time to be early (the mall is open from 9am to 9pm) for when it nears lunch or dinner time, the line and waiting time tend to be longer. Paluto 101 You start by checking out what kind of dish is available and you want on the PALUTO menu. Don't worry, they have a wide variety of Filipino specialties to choose from.

 Whenever there are some left over fried fish at home, chances it will end as either cardillo or sweet-and-sour. While the former is cooked by adding beaten egg to the sauteed fried fish for a savoury dish the latter has the vinegar and sugar combination that creates a flavourful sauce for the fish. And there so many variations to the sweet and sour fish recipe but all point to the delicious mix of " sugared vinegar "! Here's the recipe for Sweet and Sour Fish

I love making sotanghon guisado one using shredded chicken with lots of ground pepper. And cooking one is just very simple and this recipe can be used in making either a dry pancit sotanghon guisado or a soup version. Whether a soupy dish or not, sotanghon is one of my favorite noodles to cook with. I like the texture of the noodles as well as its ability to absorb much of the flavor. I like the Marca Pato brand here in Iloilo as it "soft and fluffy" - I don't know if these are the right words, when cooked. Nonetheless, any dish with this brand is just deliciously good. Here's a basic recipe for a Sotanghon Guisado where you can tweak using more or less ingredients of your choice.

A perfect appetizer, this Green Mango with Bago-ong Salad is so easy to make. Just dice green mangoes (the ones that are halfway between green and ripe are the best), then add slices of onions and tomatoes and mix sauteed bago-ong . On it's own, it is already a treat but as side dish to fried or grilled meat or fish, it's the bomb! Happy eating... Here's a recipe for this Mango and Bago-ong Salad

A favorite of many Ilonggos, ginat-an nga tambo is heaven to them and fans of Ilonggo cuisine. With coconut milk and greens like saluyot, takway and okra plus subak like shrimps or crabs – this would automatically induce a lot of cravings. Especially when you’re abroad where raw ingredients are often hard to find and if they are luckily available, it still doesn’t taste like the one you might have grown up with. Even so, it is more than enough one's craving for this Ilonggo cuisine, no matter where you are in the world. Ginata-ang Tambo/Labong with Bago-ngon Here's a recipe for Ginat-an nga Tambo

One of the yummiest gifts I received this Holiday season was a big batch of pastillas de leche . I like that it has a tamed sweetness and had the right  density - not too hard nor too soft.  The recipe of making  pastillas  very simple and one can just let his creative mind do the work in making it more special. Here's a basic pastillas recipe.

There are many ways of cooking sapsap - fried, grilled, sinabawan , and even made into the salted and dried uga . But one of the most savory is pinamalhan , which is the Ilonggo way of making paksiw but is cooked a bit more so that it comes out dry. And there are many ways of making pinamalhan as the recipe varies from household to household. Here's a simple recipe for Pinamalhan na Sapsap

It was a perfect Saturday morning - the sun was shining bright, a steady warm breeze blowing, birds are chirping their sweetest songs, the countryside emits a fresh aroma. And the day couldn't have started much better than a picnic under a mango tree at Orchard Valley Farm in Pavia, Iloilo. I have been to this organic farm twice and this third time, so to speak, is a charm. And nothing's more charming and welcoming than a breakfast in the shade of a mango tree with all of Orchard Valley Farm's organic produce.

Bitsukoy / Bichocoy is an all-time favorite snack! As simple as it may seem (it's just sugar-rolled deep-fried dough), it's a delicious snack or even dessert as it could be the local version of a doughnut. While appearance may differ - some as twisted and others are really doughnut shaped, it basically tastes the same. A treat that brings back the taste memories at the same time satisfy one's craving witha sweet and delightful bite. Here's a simple recipe for Bichocoy / Bitsukoy

There's a new restaurant in town and it will satisfy your cravings for authentic Thai cuisine! From  prawn cakes, pomelo salad and spring rolls to tom yum, pad thai and sukhothai noodle soup, it'll be one delicious Thai food trip! The words " Eat Thai, Love Thai " greet diners at  SOI  together with its casual dining ambiance.   Opened last Friday at the Lower Ground Floor of SM City Iloilo, the restaurant's 7th branch serves a wide variety of Thai specialties - noodles, rice dishes, salads, soups, curry dishes, grill meats/seafood and desserts. With most of the ingredients freshly imported from Thailand and carefully selected for quality and flavor, SOI aims to bring the same Thai experience on the dishes they serve. It also take pride in giving guests total satisfaction and great variety of Thai food (over 70 Thai specialties ) using only the freshest and finest ingredients.

This Valentine, it's a Feast of Love at SEDA Atria Iloilo as the Ayala hotel chain features not one but two grand gastronomic celebrations on Hearts Day! Celebrate Love with a grand and flavorful feast at SEDA Atria on February 14 with a 4-course set-dinner at The Velvet Room or with a festive dinner buffet to share with the family and loved ones at Misto Restaurant.

This simple and easy-to-prepare menu for a special occasion or just a Sunday lunch is both a a visual and gastronomic treat. How about some FRIED LUMPIA with vinegar and fresh garlic dip? Pair it with some CHICKEN SOTANGHON GUISADO for a play of texture and flavor. Enjoy an Ilonggo favorite - VALENCIANA . Have a healthy dose of NATIVE CHICKEN TINOLA with malunggay. Make way for the bounty of the sea with FISH ESCABECHE (Sweet and Sour). Finally enjoy the crunch and cholesteroliffic goodness of a turbo-broiled PORK LIEMPO .  Now that's a simple yet delicious way to enjoy a simple reunion or a padespidida right at the comfort of your home. Recipes FRIED LUMPIA  | NATIVE CHICKEN TINOLA  | VALENCIANA  |  TURBO-BROILED LIEMPO  | CHICKEN SOTANGHON  |  FISH ESCABECHE

How about spicying up the usual cheese lumpia? Try making chili cheese lumpia for a pica-pica or side dish that will surely be a blast - a simple recipe but with an explosion of flavors.  Here's a simple recipe for CHILI-CHEESE LUMPIA

Don't we all love pizza? Be it pepperoni, margherita, 4-cheese or Hawaiian, we always look forward to the generous toppings and the gooey mozzarella cheese. There are even dessert pizzas with chocolates, fruits and more. But most of these pizzas we all love are considered junk food because of the high amount of refined carbohydrates, fat and sodium it contains. But some are the opposite like this Herb, Roasted Garlic and Shrimp Pizza. SM City Iloilo invited members of the Iloilo Bloggers Inc. for a gastronomic adventure showcasing SM Southpoint.  SM Southpoint makes dining al fresco a lot better with lots of greeneries and open spaces. The newest hang-out of the Ilonggos is an al fresco wing of the biggest mall in the region consisting of local and home grown restaurants and cafes as well new local and "imported" players in the food service industry. It's time to discover what SM Southpoint has to offer ...  "Promoting healthy living throu