Ilonggos are known for their kind, malambing lilt in their voices, somehow a trademark for their personalities as being meek and subdued.
But nothing was meek or subdued in terms in flavors in this restaurant I tried with my fellow foodie friends. Ilonggo Food Company is simply that, a restaurant that serves Ilonggo cuisine, food coming from Ilonggo-speaking parts of the Central Philippines namely Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Guimaras, Capiz, and parts of Antique and Aklan.
We were treated to none other than Ilonggo favorites and staples. But before anything else, I have to give a shoutout to Kuppa Roastery for that wonderful cup of Cappucino which started my day right. With some napoleones on the side, which are only available at IFC, this was such a booster!
🍽️ TUNA KINILAW
- Kinilaw (literally "eaten raw") is a raw seafood dish native to the Philippines, similar to ceviche. It is more accurately a cooking process that relies on vinegar or acidic fruit juices to denature the ingredients, rather than a dish, as it can also be used to prepare meat and vegetables.
IFC's Tuna Kinilaw smells and tastes like the ocean. You can tell the freshness of the tuna, and the delicate balance of spices they added to make this appetizer more enjoyable. Great start to keep your palate excited.
🍽️ SINUGLAW
- Sinuglaw is a dish composed of grilled pork belly and fish ceviche. The name “sinuglaw” was derived from two famous cooking methods in the Visayas and Mindanao areas: sugba, meaning to grill; and kinilaw, which means to cook by soaking in vinegar or citric acid.
Even with the pork belly, this was a light refreshing dish. Another dish that captures the great combination of grilled pieces and the acid of the vinegar, I would like to think this would be perfect for bar chow too.
🍽️ PORBIDANG KANGKONG
- porbida is a Cebuano word which is oftne used as an expression of shock or anger, annoyance or irritation. However there is no hint of annoyance here as the fresh water spinach (yes, kangkong!) is flavored with garlic, ginger and spicy coconut milk.
🍽️ CHICKEN INASAL
- One of the staples of Ilonggo cuisine. Chicken marinated in vinegar, ginger, garlic, and spices and grilled over charcoal to give it a smokey flavor.
🍽️ GINAMOS NA MANOK
- Half chicken marinated overnight in a special ginamos and spice mix then roasted in the charcoal oven. Served with a ginamos sauce.
Ginamos is Ilonggo's version of bagoong and this dish really surprised me with its unique taste. It was not salty but had an unctious flavor that only the ginamos mix can give. The chicken was tender and the light char from the roasting gave it a little more character. One of the most notable new dishes I have tried.
🍽️ LINAGPANG NA MANOK
- Linagpang or nilagpang, is a Filipino cooking process that originates from the Western Visayas. It involves first char-grilling, roasting, or broiling chicken or fish and then adding them to a soup with tomatoes, onions, scallions, and ginger. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)
The resulting broth is spicy sour, much like sinigang but with a hint of bitter taste from the charred portions of the veggies and meat.
Ilonggo Food Company really amazed me with this dish. It was my first time to try this and it was just perfect for this cold rainy weather. Get the rice ready too!
🍽️ BATCHOY - The noodle soup from La Paz district in Iloilo. Miki noodle soup topped with beef, pork, liver, chicharon, and green onions
What makes this even special is the pork bones simmered for 2 to 3 hours, you can actually taste this in the broth! The crunch of the homemade chicharon on top is very distinct! This batchoy is like a warm comforting hug on this rainy night!
🍽️ KANSI - Fall-off-the-bone braised beef shank in batuan broth served with the bone marrow.
Batuan (Garcinia binucao) is the fruit of the batwan tree, looks like a lime or dalandan but is also very much like a bayabas and is the favorite souring agent for Western Vizayas dishes like kansi.
Ilonggo Food Company's Kansi is hearty and appetizing, with its red orange broth colored by local atsuete (no food coloring here). It is also spicy and sour, but the batuan gives it a different richness that you won't find in the Tagalog sinigang or bulalo.
Another dish that' s worth the carbs from extra extra rice! Hahaha
For dessert, we were wowed with 3 equally amazing local favorites: 🍽️ MAIS CON YELO, 🍽️HALO-HALO, and 🍽️LECHE FLAN.
Both the mais con yelo and halo-halo are refreshing but what took the cake was the soft buttery texture of the leche flan. It was smooth and dense but was not too sweet. The candied dayap rinds on top laced the sweetness with a citrusy punch.
I love dining here at IFC. The staff were friendly and attentive, plus, the ambiance is great. The cozy spacious seating encourages family gatherings and celebrations. I see myself eating here again with friends or for a big family celebration. Can't wait to taste that Linagpang again!
📌 Ilonggo Food Company
G/F Commercenter Building, 4th Avenue corner 31st Street, BGC
@ilonggofoodco
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