Shrimps and crab fat makes Lukon Na May Aligue a rich dish. Chow Buzz photo for InterAksyon.com.
Celebrate Makati City’s 342nd Foundation Day and its sisterhood with Iloilo City via a delectable Ilonggo buffet spread featuring the prized shellfish diwal (angel wings clam) and other traditional Ilonggo flavors at Mandarin Oriental Manila’s Paseo Uno where US-trained Ilongga Chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing will once again showcase her own version of some well-loved traditional Ilonggo dishes.
Chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing cooks up a grand Ilonggo buffet at the Mandarin Hotel to celebrate Makati City and Iloilo City's sisterhood. Chow Buzz photo for InterAksyon.com.
Diners can look forward to an interesting line-up that will of course include the now famed diwal or angel wing clams, a specie native to the Visayan region that is now staging a mean comeback after being included in the endangered species list just a few years back and other Iloilo seafood delights like Steamed Talaba, or large oysters, and Grilled Mangrove Jack fish or managat.
After Iloilo City's local government imposed a moratorium on diwal harvesting and declaring diwal sanctuaries, the shellfish makes a comeback. Chow Buzz photo for InterAksyon.com.iwal makes a comeback
Also, on the menu are Ilonggo specialties such as Chicken Inasal, Iloilo’s iconic barbecue chicken dish; Chicken Tinuom (steamed chicken cooked in banana leaves); Kinilawin na Tanigue na may Tuba (slices of tanigue fish marinated in a special native vinegar from the mountains of Leon, Iloilo); Lukon na may Aligue (fresh prawns from Roxas City with crab fat) and a Batuan soured Beef Kansi plus many more.
Chicken tinuom consists of native chicken with tomatoes, onions, ginger, and lemongrass wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Chow Buzz photo for InterAksyon.com.
Chow Buzz highly recommends that you leave space for the Yema Cake and the super namit Ube Brazo de Mercedes desserts that were specially prepared for this festival.
Chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing's Yema cake. Chow Buzz photo for InterAksyon.com.
The 10-day Ilonggo buffet food fest entitled, “Diwal and other Ilonggo Flavours” will run beginning today May 25 till June 3 and will be available for lunch and dinner at Paseo Uno, Mandarin Oriental Manila Hotel. For more information and table reservations, call the Mandarin’s Paseo Uno directly at (+632) 750-8888.
Ube Braso de Mercedes. Chow Buzz photo for InterAksyon.com.
