FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

A visit to Breakthrough Restaurant along Villa beach is always filled with gastronomic memories - from their extensive line up of the freshest seafood to mouth watering meat dishes like lechon baboy. And of course there's this fish called managat . Usually it is sold by the kilo, as guests can choose from the display of fishes they have at the counter. Tucked in a corner are these managat which you can choose according to size and price per kilo. They are usually served in two ways; the head and upper body part usually is sinabawan (cooked in broth with vegetables) and the tail and lower body part sinugba (grilled). Though it is not only Breakthrough that serves managat , but I have to highlight this popular restaurant since most online articles mentioned this seaside restaurant. And most of the photos I have for this fish came from Breakthrough, a testament of it's popularity, both the resto and the fish. Anyway here are excerpts...

Breakthrough Restaurant in Villa Arevalo has perfected the art of leisure gastronomy. From the ambient beach-side location to the delectable food they serve - life seems to stop whenever one dines beside the beach. The cabanas are my favorite location for they bring one closer to the sea and as if having a personal space amidst the throng of hungry people. Of course, there are duyans which makes a perfect stop after being filled with the delectable Ilonggo dishes and cuisine dished up by Breakthrough. Their specialty is the Managat fish - the tail's grilled and the head part ends up in a soup whether sinigang or just plain sinabawan. They have a live tank where fishes, crustaceans and shellfishes are in a death row of sorts as customers can pick their choice and have them on their plates a few minutes after. A recent discovery were the "krusan" crabs. I have no idea if this is the right term and I just deduced they are called as...

Kinilaw is the Pinoy version of ceviche wherein raw seafood are "cooked" in vinegar and the addition of other spices. In the Philippines, there's fish, oysters, squid and then there are shrimps. Most seafood places in Iloilo have their own version of kinilaw nga pasayan and the best I've tried so far is from Breakthrough Seafood Restaurant along Villa Beach. I remember having my first bite and it was during the time when I wasn't a kinilaw person to start with. The tanginess of the vinegar is complemented by the flavors of ginger, onions, sweet and chili peppers making a medley of sour and sweet tastes. The freshness of the shrimps are evidenced by the perfect orange hue they make after being cooked in the concoction. At around PhP125/serving, its a great sampler of how the simple but right food preparation techniques makes a dish with a complexity of flavours. Have a plate of Breakthrough's Kinilaw nga Pasayan today...

I'm not really an oyster person. I just eat one or two when these steamed shellfishes are on the table. But when they are baked with cheese and garlic toppings - I could finish one big lot! Like this big "plate"  as served at Breakthrough a few days ago during our lunch break while having a heritage tour around Iloilo for the launch of the Iloilo Digital Tourism: The QR Code Project .  I may have eaten 10 of these and I could have eaten more if I wasn't that conscious of the travel we're up to after. With just simple cooking/baking techniques and ingredients -it's still becomes something special when it arrives on the table. And good thing, there isn't a shortage oysters in Iloilo most of the time and anytime, I can go back to Villa to satisfy my craving for cheesey-garlic oysters!

It was a few months ago that I got wind that ANG PINAKA , one of the longest running shows on GMA News TV (even when it was still QTV), will finally be listing the Ang Pinaka Yummy Restos in Iloilo for its monthly food feature. Based on the info I got of their "eatinerary", I had the suspicion that my 2010 blogpost about the 13 Gastronomical Pitstops in Iloilo would play a big role in their list. And a few hours ago, I was right for I had 7 out of 10, though I can say 9, since during the time I made my own list, I have yet to discover the other two. So here's how the list went on... No. 10 Green Mango Filipino Fastfood Grilled Bangus Combo Meal No. 9 The Mango Tree Chopsuey No. 8 Roberto's House Queen Sio Pao No. 7 Netong's Original Lapaz Batchoy Extra Super Lapaz Batchoy No. 6 Afrique's Parmesan Crusted Fried Chicken No. 5 Al Dente Ristorante Italiano Biscuit crust Chicken Barbecue Pizza No. 4 Bourbon Street Bac...

I don't usually oysters with much gusto but if it comes baked with cheese and fried garlic, I think I can finish this whole spread. It was during the launch of Iloilo Digital Tourism: The QR Code Project last March when this lot of baked oysters awakened our gastronomic senses at Breakthrough. The aroma was so appetizing that even though it was among the last to be served, we were already full then, I still managed to grab a considerable number and enjoyed every bite. You want some?

This Valentine "Express Love with No Limits" with a dinner buffet at Breakthrough on Heart's Day. With specialties like baked oysters, catfish salad, prwans, garlic buttered blue marlin, baked oysters and whole roast pig complemented by roast beef, seafood pasta and steamed duck, it's more than usual usual this popular native Ilonggo and seafood restaurant along the beach has to offer.  The buffet happens around 6pm of Feb. 14, 2013 at the Iririmaw Hall. Tickets are pegged at PhP 595 and available oat Ponsyon, Dapli, and Breakthrough SM City Food court.

It's always a feast whenever at Breakthrough Restaurant especially along the breezy Villa beach. It may have some mendicants and insects brought about by the al fresco ambiance but the scenery and the beauty of enjoying a glorious meal by the beach overcome these nuisances. At times, the beach adds beauty or gore depending on how clean the surroundings but most of the it's the former. To start with we had the juiciest piece of grilled managat - the best one I had ever since. Fleshy and oozing with flavours in every bite, even without the dip it was one great eat. Next came one of my favorites, kinilaw nga pasayan. The first time I had them it was love at first taste and now it has become my one true love. If ever I can I always order a plate on in order to please my palate and share this to others who instantly fall in love too - hmpf! karibals (competitors)! What a discovery I exclaimed when I tasted grilled imbao. A shellfish that is both fleshy and plump; grilling and add...

Until the very last minute my column remained untitled so when my editor "forced" me give one so I settled for "Food Tourism" which is actually for my next one. So this will just be the first of two parts. F rom promoting the gastronomic delights of Iloilo for the past three years as a blogger, I found myself another medium – print. Now it would be much easier to reach out and share especially to those whose thoughts are still confined to the notion that mass media is just “print-radio-television” and often refer those outside the triumvirate as “illegitimate” media. L et me start by asking what defines the flavors of Iloilo. Is it a bowl of steaming La Paz batchoy or Pancit Molo? How about native delicacies like baye-baye, bingka and bandi ? Or perhaps pasalubong items like butterscotch, biscocho, barquillos and galletas? Can it also be native dishes like KBL, laswa and pinamalhan? Or even vegetables like alugbati, batwan, ubad and takway. Maybe it could be the f...

This feature published by the Manila Standard Today narrates how gastronomy played an important role in the author's recent visit to Iloilo City. It simply shows that food is very much a part of the city's "tourism" and as the title says it's "Beyond batchoy". Enjoy this article (written by Nana Nadal) more with some photos from Flavours of Iloilo archives. Mention Iloilo and batchoy is not far behind. With everyone sending me off to the province with “enjoy the batchoy” messages, I was half expecting to live on the noodle soup for the duration of my three-day stay. After devouring a bowlful paired with soft white puto at Ted’s Old Timer La Paz Batchoy along Valeria Street, I realized that I had nothing to worry about, I would have been perfectly happy eating it for several meals. I’m no batchoy connoisseur but I think Ted’s 65 years in the business and 34 branches nationwide prove that their recipe’s a winner. I had another round of the dish at Days ...