The flavors of Iloilo

When in Iloilo, forget about your diet! Simply because the food there is namit gid!

I was formally introduced to Ilonggo cuisine late last year when I was invited to sit as one of the judges at the 2nd Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cooking Competition and Food Fair, held at Santa. Barbara. There, I discovered not only the well-loved Ilonggo cuisine firsthand but the hospitable and sweet nature of the Ilonggos as well.

We flew via Cebu Pacific and its inflight magazine Smile whet our appetites even more with its feature on iconic Ilonggo eats.

And so, food was on everyone’s mind as soon as we arrived at the Iloilo International Airport. It was way past lunchtime and our host, chef Rafael “Tibong” Jardeleza II, read our lips well. He knew we were starving so instead of taking us straight to our hotel, chef Tibong brought us to Esca restaurant, where I had my first fill of what was typically daily Ilonggo fare —  laswa (boiled malunggay, okra, squash, and eggplant with kalkag or dried shrimps) , adobo sa dilaw (native duck with turmeric) and ginataang bagongon (black cone shellfish). Simple, delectable, and comforting best describe the feast, which was carefully prepared by chef Miguel Cordova.

More food awaited us at the Santa Barbara Church grounds where the contestants prepared their featured dishes. Six groups — Aklan State University, West Visayas State University, IRC Sta. Barbara, Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, K Carsi Culinary School, and the Barangay Nutrition Scholars — joined the competition and each of them was required to prepare an appetizer, main course, and dessert. There were 18 dishes spread on the table, and yes, we tried them all!

There was  the panara, which reminded me of Vigan’s empanada.  But instead of grated green papaya and longanisa, the rice flour — molded into a half-moon — was filled with mongo sprouts and shrimps. Then there was okoy na talaba (oyster cake) that oozed with freshness.

We just couldn’t get our spoons off the tasty nilagpang nga pantat (hito or catfish), which was grilled, then sauteed with onions and tomatoes, flavored with vinegar, sugar, soy salsa, and chili, and then simmered to make a flavorful soup. This dish won for Barangay Nutrition Scholars the grand prize.

The Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cooking Competition and Food Fair were conceptualized by chef Tibong in 2010 to preserve Iloilo’s culinary heritage.

“Tabu-an,” which means “meeting place” in Ilonggo, also refers to a unique kind of Ilonggo food experience popularized by chef Tibong, one of Iloilo’s popular chefs and caterers.

Tabu-an is chef Tibong’s version of a boodle feast. It’s also an apt name considering he would serve his dishes right at the Iloilo Central Market, the meeting place of those who appreciate and are passionate about local food. Tabu-an requires a group with a minimum of 10 persons and a maximum of 20.

There were about 10 dishes — with the freshest seafood one could think of — spread out on the long table lined with banana leaves. With our bare hands, we succumbed to the temptation and savored each dish to the last bite. Well, that experience has been indelibly etched on my taste buds.

Savor the taste of the Visayas at Mandarin

If you want to try some of the Visayas’ iconic seafood delicacies and other gastronomic delights I’ve mentioned, you need not go far. From May 6 to 12, Mandarin Oriental’s Paseo Uno holds “Flavors of the Visayas,” a week-long festival featuring chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing’s signature Ilonggo dishes in its lunch and dinner buffets.

Paseo Uno will be transformed into a marketplace for the duration of the festival. A taho vendor will be on hand to take your orders, and there will be a piyaya station to satisfy your sweet cravings.

During the press preview, chef Pauline teased not just the taste buds but the imagination as well when she presented the windowpane oysters, popularly known as capiz shell oysters (lampirong or bay-ad in Ilonggo). I had no idea there was “meat” — which tasted like chicken — sandwiched between those shells!

“We wanted to bring in new and fresh ideas for the festival but, of course, we had to stick with the iconic Ilonggo food. I bet not all of you have tried the windowpane oysters,” chef Pauline says with a grin.

Chef Pauline is also proud of the gingaw, a kind of fish you won’t find in the wet markets here in Manila. She also let us sample the grilled blue and black marlin.

Marinated in soy sauce and kalamansi, the three kinds of fish were grilled to perfection. I fell in love with the black marlin. As I bit a morsel off the charred fish, I felt its natural oil drip down my lips.

“The black marlin is rich in omega 3 fatty acids so it’s good for the health,” notes chef Pauline.

Diners can also indulge in traditional Ilonggo fare such as kadios, baboy at langka, popularly known as KBL, a tangy soup made with kadios beans, pork, and jackfruit, soured with batuan seeds; chicken inasal, lukon na may aligue kag paho, fresh Aklan prawns with crab fat in garlic and scallions; and batchoy, a rich broth steep boiled for hours with soup bones, meat of pork and beef, innards, and guinamos for flavoring.

Adding to the experience is a spread of traditional Ilonggo desserts. Chef Pauline’s versatility stems from her roots as a student of the Culinary Institute of America, New School of New York, and the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump’s New York), where she had rigorous training.

In Iloilo, she operates four popular food establishments, including a successful catering business.

“We’ve prepared something really special for everyone — dishes you love and haven’t tried before. One thing I can assure diners, the food items are namit gid!” enthuses chef Pauline.

Chef Pauline also introduced the tultul salt, an organic salt block which she uses to flavor her dishes. It was the same salt, which Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council Eugene Jamerlan gave all of us when we visited the Camiña Balay Nga Bato.

“It has coconut milk so it isn’t too salty than the usual rock salt. There’s only one family in Guimaras who produces tultul so it’s a bit expensive. 

The Flavors of the Visayas  buffet is priced at P1,990+, and P2,450+ for the Luxury buffet, which is available for dinner on Friday and Saturday and lunch on Sunday.

An exquisite Mother’s Day lunch buffet wraps up the food festival on May 12.

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For reservations, call Paseo Uno at 750-8888 or e-mail [email protected].

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Cebu Pacific flies five times daily from Manila to Iloilo and vice versa.