World Class Chefs
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Ramilo (Ram) Villaluna
Ram is a budding chef from Iloilo City (Molo). He gained his training in Culinary Arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies under food guru Gene Gonzalez, Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kumpps) in New York. He took up bread making, and he studied food styling under Delores Custer of the Culinary Institute of America. It all started in Antique where his father owned a restaurant many Antiquenos learned to love. He continued the culinary legacy of his father and now, Ram owns a catering business, Cindy\'s Catering. Food is Ram\'s life, seriously speaking. I am short in saying that he is married to the food industry that, he spends most of his time teaching and mentoring at the Department of Culinary Arts at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo. If one cannot find him in the classroom, Ram will be on the road crisscrossing Iloilo and Antique having first hand in the management of his thriving businesses from both provinces. He also has a once-a-week TV show in GMA 7 \"Food Trip\". I met with Ram once before and he exudes perfectionism, the character that will beam him up to the limelight of culinary arts. At present time, Ram is extremely busy in Manila. I believe he is one of the finalists in The National Food Showdown 2010 sponsored by ABS-CBN. We wish you all the luck, Ram! Maybe, after this showdown, Ram will have the opportunity share favorite recipe here at ILONGGO LIVING.
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Archive for the ‘Restaurants’ Category
Kinilaw na Pasayan
Lately, I have been dreaming of seafoods from the Philippines. My hometown, Iloilo, is well known for its abundance of seafoods. Not just your ordinary seafoods but, the best in the region for its freshest and unrelenting supply of them. It would be very modest to claim that Iloilo is one of the best places in the whole country of the Philippines to find seafoods at its best. Don’t take my word for it! If you got the chance to visit our beloved country, drop by Iloilo City and check out the seafoods they can offer to you. You won’t regret you did.
KINILAW NA PASAYAN (Esca's Restaurant). This is my latest discovery of seafoods in Iloilo, also known as Enchaladang Hipon. This dish makes one's mouth watery just by glancing at it. What more if you get the chance to savor it when you visit Iloilo.
Up close, one will notice the soupy coconut milk working in tandem with a bite of white vinegar. The usual raw shrimps supposedly "cooked" by or marinated in vinegar tasted sweet. Added freshly chopped hot red pepper and red onions spice up the dish. Finally, topping up the dish are slivers of green mango adding zing to the kinilaw! One can substitute fresh shrimps with other seafoods such as fresh tuna or fresh anchovies. Only one's imagination limits the kind of fresh seafoods one can use in making kinilaw or enchaladas.
One may pair up this fusion kinilaw na pasayan with crispy kangkong prepared the tempura way. Now, isn't that Ilonggo cuisine versatile or what? The newer generations of chefs are more up to fusion cooking than being traditional. Mind you, I like traditional cooking but, it makes me more excited to see and taste fusion cooking.
Caviar or Not?
Caviar or fish roe is nothing but an unfertilized, raw fish eggs of the sturgeon family. The true caviar, or sometimes called black caviar, is interestingly dubbed as ” food for the gods” as it is expensive. My Russian friend used to tell me that her hubby and his uncle used to go up northwestern Ontario at a certain lake or river one summer to hunt for pregnant sturgeons. She would not reveal the name of the place as they want to keep it as secret so that no one will compete with them harvesting the fish eggs. Not to mention it is an illegal activity here in Canada.
Strictly speaking, if the roe does not come from the sturgeon family of fish, it has no “royal right” to be called caviar. So, it is rightfully called “substitutes of caviar” (Wikipedia). Under this category, salmon roe or red caviar belongs in and other non-sturgeon variety. Let’s check it out, if you may.
I used black caviar to embelish my home made pizza with lots of anchovies and parmigiano reggiano cheese.
Now, the star of the show, the black caviar (bottom left most). It is an expensive commodity and one should check out the label if it is really the "real one". Meaning, of sturgeon origin as there are many fake black caviar in the market, wherein, it comes from non-sturgeon variety and just dye them in black color to appear like it is black caviar. As the old saying goes, "beware of imitations"!
Salmon roe sushi, a good example of non-sturgeon roe. Also called, red caviar.
Japanese foods would like to embelish their rolls with caviar to make it more appetizing and added texture. Here, they sprinkle red caviar all over California rolls (foreground).
This roe or fish eggs (bihod in HIligaynon) are of cod fish. They do not qualify as caviar as they are cooked and obviously, of non-sturgeon variety. Black caviar is raw and salted. Nevertheless, it is fish roe.
Cibo Experience
I have heard a lot of fuzz from fellow bloggers about this place before. A few months back, while I was at a mall in Manila, I stumbled upon Cibo and right away, the name rung a bell. For me, testing this kind of a place is quite casual but in a unique way… dessert first! For curiosity sake, I tried their panna cotta mango at that time as I was still full. Hot green tea went well with panna cotta mango and, that experience lingered for a few months. Just recently, the evening before my flight back to Canada, I had another chance of invading Cibo at their Greenbelt branch. This time, no holding back for a full-course meal. No regrets!
The main attraction was their fiore di zucca pizza. When I saw this pizza in one of the blogs I follow, I right away tested it in my kitchen. I was pretty much impressed by the flavor of the squash flowers, very subtle, not to mention the aesthetic effect upon pizza.
Next stop is, telefond pasta! Though I am not a pasta lover, I enjoyed the flavor of this entree.
Their panna cotta mango is superlative! Very light, refreshing and very elegantly presented. After all, I was looking forward with anticipation, to sink my teeth again to this delicious dessert!
It was very warm and humid at that time in Makati that, I opted having cold and refreshing drinks Cibo can offer to quench my arrid mouth while devouring the main entrees. Here, on your left is their limonata (lemonade with fresh zuchinni slivers) and, to your right, pompelmo (pink pomelo drink with a hint of strawberry).
Totally SOLD OUT to Cibo's foods. Such a simple ambiance with unique entrees!
Shabu-Shabu at Queens
No doubt this post can not past the pages of Ilonggo Living without getting recognition. Shabu-shabu is a unique way of cooking practiced among Koreans and Japanese, as well. If one get the chance to visit an authentic Korean or Japanese resto, it is easy to recognize they offer shabu-shabu cooking. The presence of a stove built in to the table and a smoke hood over it will ensure one will enjoy shabu-shabu cooking. For us, it was our first and for sure, not the last to enjoy such way of preparing food.
This soup is prepared the healthy way, without the use of cooking oil.
The raw materials are basically vegetables and fish paper. One has the option of adding fish sauce (patis), soy sauce, sesami oil and chili oil.
A huge stainless steel bowl with water and added spices is all that is needed. Once the soup base simmers then one can add the rest of the ingredients.
Rice noodles (sotanghon) is an option for making shabu-shabu.
Double Japanese Treat in NYC
It was a wonderful weekend stay in New York City and, I have to share with you a very exciting unplanned rendezvous at the Japanese restaurants in the said city. It all started a day before at a Korean restaurant at Queens borough having our Korean shabu-shabu lunch. As if it was the culmination of our gastronomic experience in New York but, it was not. The following day, after our tour of Central Park on a sweltering heat, we were invited to a birthday party at a Japanese/Korean restaurant. That was quite an experience as the party was set in a Japanese garden. What a lovely way enjoying Japanese cuisine in an authentic ambiance! Since we were invited by another New Yorker friends to a dinner that same day, we ate with caution so as to leave extra room for another bout of indulgence. To our amazement, we were invited to have dinner at another Japanese restaurant in Long Island, New York. We were overwhelmed by the amount and variety of Japanese foods they served in that restaurant. Nowhere to be experienced in Canada, just to keep the records straight. It was an exciting experience, indeed…. Japanese cuisine at its best! And, what could be more exciting than posting this entry while I am in Seoul, South Korea, in transit for my flight to the Philippines. ENJOY!!!
Kosmos special which includes chicken teriyaki, California rolls and shrimps & vegetable tempura.
They call this Momo special, consisting of salmon teriyaki, syumai deep fried fluke. A very good alternative for the vegetarians.
The birthday party at a Japanese restaurant, specifically in a Japanese garden. What could be more authentic than this!
Yuraku Japanese/Korean restaurant at Queens borough. Thanks to Viron, Ching and family for inviting us. It was a memorable experience.
This one is from Minado Japanese restaurant in Long Island, New York. My New Yorker friends Danny and Christine treated us to this huge Japanese resto. Thanks to both of you!
Seafoods galore, including this fresh oysters and king crab legs.
We had the chance to taste all kinds of sushis, sashimis and rolls but, this one caught my attention.. it is fish eggs! This fish egg sushi is made of salmon roe.
Dimsum at North Park, Makati
North Park Makati is a Chinese Dim Sum Restaurant that offers simple dishes at a budget price. It is one of the many restaurants that dots Makati Avenue. Make no mistake when I say budget meals which at times associated with cheap- tasting foods. Not so with North Park! The foods they serve are truly authentic Chinese and exquisitely delicious. Their dim sum entries are varied and sumptuous. Let’s go check it out now!
Their sio mai is simply delicious.
This entree caught my attention because of the name. It is called Cantonese lechon sitting on jasmine garlic rice.
Interestingly enough, this dish is called tofu and fish combo in a sauce.
Chicken sa Buko
July 01, 2010
It was just a few months ago since I tried Jo Inato’s chicken but, their chicken sa buko really caught my attention the last time I visited the place. Needless to say, I want to reconnect with that dish again. And, it was a perfect timing since they just opened a new branch along Valeria Street (I was told). However, I tried this dish before and had set the standard since. So, I cannot avoid comparing their chicken sa buko from the original branch. As soon as I savor the soup, I can say that, there’s a big difference as to the sweetness of the concoction. Let us check it out.
The novelty presentation is pretty much the same. The fresh buko with the lid on, was served with pride by the our server.
The chicken soup imanates inside the buko so, one has to scope out the chicken and the rest of the ingredients. The ritual continues and the excitement builds up as I tried the soup. To my dismay, the soup was not that sweet as the one I tasted before at their original branch along General Luna Street.
It makes me wonder if, maybe, the buko that was utilized was not that kind of sweet. Thereby, influencing the sweetness of the soup. Or was it prepared differently by this branch. Nevertheless, I enjoyed scraping the young coconut (buko) and eat it along with the chicken tinola. Hopefully, next time, I will go back to their main branch and enjoy their chicken sa buko without a hitch.
Mekeni in San Antonio
June 9, 2010
My venture for Filipino restaurants in the U.S. was just beginning. Somehow, my cousin Dennis is also hooked on foods! Without hesitation, he scooted us today to a Kapampangan restaurant called Mekeni (meaning COME!). The owner is a Chinese married to a Filipina who incidentally, is also have a Filipino store in the area. They practically serve favourite Kapampangan cuisine and other Filipino foods. The ambiance is typical Filipino restaurant, a decent one I would say compared to other similar restaurants. One has the freedom to choose their food combination as this is a “turo-turo” or buffet-style of eating. The owner and the kitchen staff are very friendly and one will feel the welcoming spirit that we expect from Filipinos.
The foods they serve are quite flavorful and one will surely reconnect their Filipino tastebuds.
Seafoods are one of the main features of this restaurant. A variety of dishes are available.
Native desserts are endless! Here puto cochinta, pichi-pichi, dila-dila, biko, cassava cake and ginataan.
Aftermath..Mother’s Day Lunch
May 10, 2010
Everyone was busy during Mother’s Day finding a gift or a place to treat their beloved moms. And most people will try beat the odds finding a spot the last minute, thereby defying the rule of advance reservation during special occasions such as Mother’s Day. That’s what we exactly did! John is home from London and I tactfully delegated that responsibility to him. Since everyone voted for a Japanese restaurant, off we went to this place called Atami Sushi Bar. Actually, this place is in our hit list for our supposedly upcoming Japanese food adventure. Come, check this one out.
This is the aftermath of a Mother's Day celebration at Atami's. Five voracious eaters of Japanese foods will surely looked like a war zone!
Okay, let me back track a bit here. We had a four-hour notice at this restaurant so, we were able to get a private room good for 6 eaters. At the very far end was our room. Otherwise, we could have had ended up out in the "general public" eating zone.
A refreshing green tea with a hint of roasted almonds dominated our drink. I tried to initiate my boys having this healthy choice of a drink as opposed to soda pop.
Rainbow Sashimi with fresh salmon and white mackerel fish. On the background were hand rolls.
Shrimps & Crabs Tempura. Very tempting combination!
Beef terriyaki and Japanese odun noddles.
Salmon belly, probably our equivalent for Bangus belly in the Philippines.
Atami Sushi Bar, along Rymal Road East in Hamilton.
Passion for Indian Foods
May 7, 2010
Over the past few years, my propensity towards Indian foods has been growing strong steadily. This is because I totally respect Indian foods: the way they are prepared and, the unique spices being utilized in their culinary. Indian cuisine are mystical in nature with added excitement as different flavors interplay with each other in one’s palate. To say the least, I enjoy savoring Indian cooking.
My journey with Indian foods started few years back with a flopped chicken tandoori from a local Indian restaurant here in Hamilton. But that unfortunate experience did not deter me from my quest. Then, my succeeding journeys has gotten more intense as I expanded my quest for Indian foods from Toronto to Montreal in Canada to New York city in the US. Those experiences sharpened my taste buds for Indian foods and made me more confident in preparing them at home myself. My chef is quite reluctant to prepare them as she’s unsure of the outcome but, I am more daring than her. I always take up the challenge where my chef left off!
Just recently, a French-Canadian friend of mine recommended a small Indian restaurant in Ancaster as he was impressed by my passion for Indian foods. I was adamant initially to go because, there is always a big question of authenticity that crops into my mind when a small restaurant of any kind is being recommended to me. But, again, I proved myself wrong. Let’s go check it out, you will be amazed!
I always pay close attention to the chicken tandoori an Indian restaurant prepares. It seems to me that this dish measures up the rest of the Indian foods being served. Most times, a good chicken tandoori will equate good Indian foods being served for the rest of the meal. So far, I am right at this juncture.
To my amazement, this particular dish came out sizzling! A totally different experience and my first.
If one peers closely, you will notice pieces of freshly chopped green pepper on top of the chicken tandoori. Not to mention it comes in a skewer. This tandoori is the best so far I have ever tasted.
As I have said earlier, once the chicken tandoori is perfect, the rest of the foods served will be good as well. One healthy Indian food we love is saag paneer. It's made of spinach cooked in spices and topped with white cheese. It is served as an "antipasto" to the spicy Indian foods.
This is a quilt blanket made in India transformed into a ceiling centerpiece. The name of the restaurant is India Village in Ancaster, Ontario. The lady owner took good care of us during our dining experience. She meticulous explained to us why their cooking is different from most of the local Indian restaurant. Her unique style of cooking is totally based from the northern part of India. Southern Indian cuisine is quite different. Just like in the Philippines.
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