Eat Matters

Lunch by the River

A day before flying to Manila, my brood treated me to a farewell lunch.The  seafood restaurant where we ate was made of  bamboo and nipa(palm leaves). It is a small unassuming affair  nestled by the river. Its is called Joy-Joy's.A  foodie's JOY indeed!

See for yourself .

Joy-Joy's Seafood Eatery

 

The  to -die-for Menu  consisting of the freshest,shrimps, steamed oysters and and seaweed salad w/strips of green mangoes

Steamed Talaba(oysters)on the shell

Fresh Gulaman(seaweed) salad  generously drizzled with native palm vinegar  and garnished with sliced tomatoes, onions and strips of drool- inducing green mango.

Charcoal grilled Managat(Red Snapper). A very popular fare for sea food junkies.

Fish Sinigang whose piquant sourness whets the appetite and turns on the sweat glands.Nice cure for hangover. Believe me.

Steamed  shrimps that  shuts out the word uric acid in your vocabulary.

Crabs galore ooozing with. . . . . .

talangka.....fat...fat...fat

Sinamak-The mother of all vinegars. You can't just eat your seafood without this.

There were about 10 of us in the group and had a double order of each dish. Guess how much we spent for the delicious feast? P1,500 or less than $50. Unbelievable?.Only in Iloilo.

If you happen to go to Iloilo and want to eat in this place, email me. I'll be happy to show the way. Basta treat mo.

Dressed To Chill

 

I was thinking of bringing a case of these  dressed up San Miguel Beer bottles to  my fridge in Canada so that I can continue  the Dinagyang merrymaking. T'was a wise decision not to because the security at the NAIA2 was supert tight. Three security checks can raise your  stress levels mind you.How much more if you had a case of these in tow.

Anyway, San Miguel beer was(or were?)  a constant presence  during my holiday binging  in the Philipines. (Did I hear sclerosis?)From the homecoming party to Jesus' B-day celebration , to Boracay Island  while bikini watching and tanning on the white sand beach ,onward to the Dinagyang revelry, to the Jaro fiesta and the despidida(farewell party),chilled San Mig was  a great thirst quencher  and  cool companion.

BalikBayan, Balik Blog, Hala Bira

I'm Back. Na naman, I am resurrected after all the holiday feasting frenzy.I know its a little weird to write about holiday hangovers when the season is breezing to the last days of February. Am I having a delayed reaction? The holidays should have ended right after the Feast of the Three Kings. Not for me.

I went home for the Holidays  a few days before Christmas  to Jaro, Iloilo City ,Philippines and went overdrive with the binging for about a month and half. I am not  lying when  I brag that my bacchanalian overload just ended last February the second with the celebration of the Feast of Nuestra Candeleria de Jaro. It is touted to be one of the biggest Fiesta celebrations in the archipelago. (Maybe after Quiapo?)

The Fiesta sa Jaro is miraculous, festive and chi chi.

It is miraculous because  the mix of the hoi polloi, the well-heeled,the pseudo celebrities, the doubting Thomases make a beeline to the Lady of Candles(the santos(statue) is said to be  gradually growing ) to ask for holy favors in her cathedral. In the gates of the convento, devotees buy her blessed candles with a far reaching reputation for cure alls.

The Candelaria is festive because.... ah... that's self explanatory. San Mig sales people need not explain to the ignorant. In this aspect, I am a devotee.

The glitz and glamor is underscored when daughters of the country's who's who in Pinoy politics and business are happily dressed by famous couturiers to sit as Fiesta Queens. Last year it was the Senate President's Villar comely daughter who got the right to hold and wear the much sought ( an exclusive committee chooses,with political ,manoeuvrings, the lucky lady)scepter and tiara. This year it was a granddaughter of one of the Lopez's of the ABS_CBN and etc. fame who warmed the  glitzy throne.

A week before the Fiesta de Candelaria was the Dinagyang where the Ilonggo's culture, artistry and festive spirit was showcased; not mention the stamina for alcohol consumption. This is actually a ceebration of the Feast of the Santo Nino that has been unofficially challenged to  be the feast of San Miguel. After the world-class performance of the different contesting ati tribes, people take to the streets to dance and well, take it to limit.. ..one more time. Shouts of Hala Bira! fill the air.

I am now in the tail end of my fabulous holiday.I am now in Manila chilling out, remembering the wonderful memories still clear as day even when distilled with the ice cold powers of my fave brew. In a few days I will be flying the Land of the Maple Leaf which is my second home. All of these experiences will become stories that  will tell to the homesick Pinoy friends.