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.