Bread from Manolette Bakery. When K and I went to visit Miag-Ao Church, we weren't really that sure how far it was from La Paz. Through the help of an online friend whom I kept texting to ask which jeepneys to take (K wanted to experience jeepney rides more), we were able to reach our destination without spending too much (I learned from other pals and photography buddies that taking cabs would be expensive). It was already lunch time when we got there, and since we just planned to church hop 'til we got back in La Paz, K and I figured it would be best to eat lunch at Miag-Ao. Fronting the church is Manolette Bakery, and seeing a table with two chairs just outside the bakery, we knew this where we would eat lunch.
K chose these pieces of bread, which we shared half-half. I didn't ask the names of the bread, but my favorite was the rolled one. It was like a cross between bread and cake.
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Third day in Iloilo was the time I had too much sweets late in the afternoon. Around 7pm, K and I went out - hoping to find a nearby place to eat at, but we couldn't find any. What we saw, though, are some street food, which I took time to take pictures of:
Oysters. A photography buddy messaged me to try oysters in Oton, but I don't really eat oysters, so I didn't bother much. Seems oysters are quite big here in Iloilo, and are sold fresh and/or cooked.
Beef Skin. At first I thought they were Atsara (pickled young papaya), but asking the vendor, I found out it was Beef Skin - cooked, sliced, and seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar. The vendor told me this is often eaten as pulutan, but some people do eat it as ulam as well. It can also be eaten as is.
Nearby, there was a BBQ stall - selling different kinds of barbecue: pork meat, intestines, chicken meat, chicken blood, and milkfish, too.
Peanuts and Eggs. Not necessarily for dinner, but a good choice for snacks while watching TV. :)
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Paksiw na Bangus (head part). For the first two breakfasts we had, I chose to eat La Paz Batchoy. Since there were only two Batchoy places that we knew of (Ted's and Deco's), my third breakfast day was at Madge Cafe, which also serves rice meals. Among the available viands, this one caught my fancy because of its belly, and quickly ordered it. I am not sure how they cook Paksiw here (the owner of the place didn't want to share secrets), but this was the best Paksiw na Bangus I tasted. It was super tasty - the sauce was a little thick, and it had the great balance in the seasoning. I don't know what made it that good - was it the tomatoes? :) Anyway, one interesting thing to know about their Paksiw na Bangus - the head part is more expensive than the tail part. No complaints, I love the head part!
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This post concludes the Iloilo food journey; afternoon of Day 4, K and I flew back to Manila. We both loved the place, and while waiting for our flight back to Manila we knew we would just have to travel back there next time.
I come from a family who loves cooking and eating. I never had any formal training in cooking and that I taught myself how to cook based on the handed down recipes, but I could say that I can cook good food. In 2008, I started documenting my food trips for my