About a decade ago, I've had my first taste of balbacua in Baguio. Yes, that popular summer destination in the north serves balbacua at the equally popular Ili-Likha. That soup was so memorable and comforting that it was lovingly-kept in my food memory bank. As for Chef Datu Shariff, I've had the pleasure of attending the luncheon that he hosted- The Coconut Cuisines of Muslim Mindanao, organized by the Culinary Historians of the Philippines. Talk about serendipity, right?
