ILOILO FOOD TRIP

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