Goodies from Iloilo



These goodies are pasalubongs from a friend who visited Iloilo recently. And since she knows very well that I'm addicted to food, well, she gave me a lot of yummy choices.

Larsian Cebu


This is a big ihaw-ihaw place in Cebu with lots of ihawan resto choices. Located near Fuente Osmena Circle in Cebu. People visiting (especially first-timers) Cebu are encouraged to eat here.

 

So hard to choose which resto to go to. Luckily, my friend and I saw this pink tablecloth with pinkish flowers.

Aside from the grilled longganisa (sorry, can't find the photo), I ordered this interesting mix of salted egg, tomatoes and vinegar. Quite good even if it doesn't look appealing. Hehe

This is our ihawan choice. Nice 'no?

Guapa! She's our cheerful server. I'd love to send her this picture but still haven't find the time to print it. Sorry!

sabroso lechon


i guess when one is in manila, one can't expect to taste cebu lechon here unless of course you order from CNT in cebu and have the lechon flown here in manila..

as for sabroso lechon, hmmmm.. its flavorful alright.. but i miss the crunchy balat (skin).. and i find it too flavorful for me.. maybe something is wrong with me.. more salty and there's a sour tastes.. based on the photo that i saw on the internet, they add tons and tons of tanglad (lemongrass) inside the lechon to make it flavorful. the one delivered to me (yes, they deliver per kilo) contains some sampaloc leaves.. as for the sour/salty tastes, could it be sinigang mix? hmmm... i know that some people use sinigang mix when making roast chicken. they rub the sinigang mix liberally on the skin and crevices of the butchered fowl..

Razon's In Pampanga

We love Razon's Halo-halo and we always have an order or two whenever we visit the mall. It has a different and creamier texture from the usual halo-halo, and it doesn't have beans. I don't like beans.

Blast From The Past

This is a favorite biscuit from my childhood days that I happen to see at the Canossa Weekend Bazaar in Tagaytay. It also reminds me of my paternal grandfather who loved to eat this biscuit that he even named one of his daughter--- yep, you guess it right, Jacobina. Think what happened to Anton Ego when he was served ratatouille? Deja 'vu!

So what are the foods that you remember from your childhood?

Kwek Kwek Kwek


These are quail eggs dipped in orange-colored flour then deep fried. I don't know why it's called kwek-kwek or what's the story behind the name. Kwek-kwek's are usually sold by street vendors near schools although some entrepreneurs brought the kwek-kwek to new heights and sold them in the fastfood areas located inside the malls. And who knows, maybe some chef is also preparing kwek-kwek in fine dining restos.

And this is how you eat the kwek-kwek. Dip it in sweet-spicy sauce first before plopping it in your mouth. Yum!

marta's cupcakes

Steak It

We discovered this resto during one of our trip to Tagaytay. It's because we got tired of eating pizza and bulalo. Also, the meals costs less than a hundred bucks so its really budget friendly on a backpacker's budget. Another plus is that the food tastes great! Hubby loves the german franks and bratwursts while daughter and I prefered the steaks.



The resto also has a rooftop area which is where we always prefer to dine since you can really feel the cold Tagaytay air there. Some nights, they have a band performing pop music there.

Estrel's Caramel Cake



This is not your usual mass-market type of cake. I remember eating this cake whenever someone in the family is celebrating a milestone in his or her life. In fact, Estrel's was the one who made my 18th birthday cake.

So fast forward to my daughter's 7th birthday. We got her a round caramel cake form Estrel's and requested for purple and pink (her fave colors) icing roses. Btw, Estrel's was also famous for its icing roses.

Quezon Real

chesa, tieza? the yellow-ochre fruit..
either you love it or you hate it..
its laden with beta-carotene

how to spell it? help!

Happy Birthday, Nanay!

I learned how to cook from the master =)

n.b. she would've been 80 years old today

Monterey's Vigan Longganisa

Not bad but if you are craving for Vigan Longganisa and live on the other end of the planet. Also, it doesn't taste Vigan-ish to me. Pwede na rin. Pack of 350gms costs P89.

Malolos Goodies


After making rounds of the old churches and museums in Malolos, the next on my agenda was this hugely popular bakeshop called-- Barasoain Bakeshop. You really can't miss this store which was just in front of Barasoain church because the color scheme doesn't blend well with the old church and old house nearby. But I love pink and it does stand out among the browns and grays.

Inipit. Custard creme sandwich between sugared chiffon. Thus the name "inipit." Years ago when hubby was still BF, he used to bring me some inipit whenever he goes home to his province- Bulacan. So now that we are married, I guess I had my fill of inipits before so its now totally out of my list.

Special Ensaimada. Special because it has salted eggs. This is so, so good! And so, so BIG!

Cheese Bread. Actually, I forgot what they call this puto-like or maybe cake-like goodie. Didn't leave a lasting impression.

Handuraw

According to my hubby's nephew who lives in Cebu, this restaurant is one of his fave hang-out place. And I can see why! Aside from being a restaurant, there's also a space where one can sip coffee or tea while surfing the internet. Some part of the restaurant are also reserved for artists if I'm not mistaken.

Mushroom Soup


Cheese Triangles


Cheese Pizza

Watermelon Seeds?

I haven't tasted butong pakwan for a long time (years na!) and upon seeing it being sold in a pasalubong store in Bulacan, I bought a small supot (P35). Of course na-excite si Isabel since fave nya ang watermelon. She find it also easy to crack open the seeds.

But thinking out loud, is it really watermelon seeds? Looks suspiciously different to me if you compare the seeds of a 'real' watermelon and the butong pakwan being sold. So what kind of a seed is it?

Yoh-Gurt Froz

We always see this whenever we go to Robinsons Midtown but didn't have the chance to try it until only recently. We just ordered a regular cup for Isabel- watermelon with candy sprinkles. Not bad for P55 but i'd rather buy a cone/cup of FIC ice-cream. I guess i'm not keen on the yogurt taste.

Anita's Bakeshop


This is one of the most popular bakeshop in Cebu and is also conveniently located in Osmena Circle.

Torta. Good! But heavy on the tummy.

Cheese Bread. Daughter requested this. Yum!
 

caramel bar from pulilan, bulacan

Giant Ulang

These are freshwater shrimps or ulang bought in a market in Plaridel, Bulacan. It costs P120/kilo. These are sometimes available in Farmers Market and in Salcedo Market.




Cooked in garlic and butter sauce. All you need to do is to squeeze some calamansi or lime to make it more flavorful- yum!