Antiqueños, the Kinaray-a speaking people have their unique and special way of cooking and preparing food. Their cooking is basically simple; sweet and not too spicy.
Any Kinaray-a has an appetite for pinamarhan nga isda. Cooking is very simple; any variety of fish could be used to make pinamarhan. After preparing and cleaning the fish, it is mixed with plenty of vinegar, a dash of salt to taste, sliced onions, garlic and ginger. The whole preparation is brought to a boil until almost dry and presto, the pinamarhan is ready to be served. For some twists in pinamarhan cooking, others would add soy sauce, slices of tomato, some pepper to make it spicy, muscovado sugar to make it sweet, or to make it sour, batwan and iba (camias) fruits or simple calamansi juice are added. For those who like oily pinamarhan, they could add cooking oil when the stew is almost dried. For those who like their pinamarhan to be very tasty, gata or coconut milk is added when the fish is almost at the end of its boil. For pinamarhan lovers, fresh aloy and handi-handi are the best variety of fish. When these fish are not available any other kind is good enough. Pinamarhan stays edible until three days even without refrigeration. The secret is cooking the fish in pure vinegar.
Antique, a shoreline province also produces dried fish. The towns of Culasi, Tibiao, San Jose and Caluya are noted for dried, salted and preserved sea foods such as pinindang (dried fish fry), baog (dried anchovies), pinakas (dried fish), kalkag (dried shrimp fry) and ginamus pounded fish and shrimp paste fermented by salt.
Another Antiqueno food is sinabawan nga isda. The fish could either be fresh or already broiled, slices of tomatoes; onions and salt to taste are added. As the fish has come to a boil, slices of eggplant or string beans are added with either malunggay, kangkong or camote leaves are added. The secret of a good sinabawan is the crunchiness of the vegetables. So, the mixture is removed from fire just after one or two minutes after boiling in order not to overcook the vegetables.
Linapwahan is another native preparation of vegetables. It could be purely vegetables or vegetables with seafood mix. The most common vegetables best for linapwahan are malunggay, kapayas (young papaya), saluyot, okra, alugbati, kalabasa (squash), latoy (string beans), amargoso (bitter gourd), tarong (eggplant) and kulitis (spinach). When these vegetables are combined and simply brought to a boil in water with tomatoes and onions, plus a little ginamus (either a shrimp paste or fish sauce) to taste; they create the sweetest and most delicious stew. If the ginamus is not available, a pinch of salt to taste will do. To create a twist for the linapwahan, some add orang (fresh water shrimps), kalampay (river crabs), kalkag (dried shrimp fry), baog (dried anchovies) and slices of pinakas (dried fish). These are first brought to boil with tomatoes and onions before adding the vegetables.
Another very simple Antiqueno food is tinuum nga uhong or makul (mushrooms). This is very easy to prepare. Get fresh uhong or makul. Slice them and mix with sliced onions, tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Wrap in fresh young banana leaf, tie with a string and broil. It can also be placed in the oven too. Remove the banana leaf from charcoal or oven when it is burnt. Untie the leaf and presto you have the tinuum nga uhong or makul ready to be eaten.
Any ordinary Antiqueno is familiar with hinanggup - concoction of sliced onions, spring onions, tomatoes, and salt in a bowl of water. Stir the water until salt has mixed with the other ingredients. Add either sinanlag nga baog (anchovies) or flaked broiled fish and presto you have a hinanggup as viand that goes well with fried rice or kalo-kalo.
For those who can do without fish and vegetables, the famous bindongadas could be an option. A thick soup that uses internal organs of a cow termed as libro (tripes) and the intestines as the main ingredients. These are cleaned very well (the secret of this dish is on the cleanliness of the tripes and the intestines) and boiled for a certain period time in water until tender. The tender meat cutlets are sautéed in garlic, onion and other secret herbs and spices depending on taste. Beef broth is then poured and brought to a boil; it is blended with a lots of bread crumbs to thicken the broth. Then the soup is ready to be served.
Most of the towns have different versions of stew. It is a mix of vegetables, meat and crustaceans or shellfish that compliment a great flavor. Linaga or Lauya is a common beef or pork stew boiled along with langka (unripe jackfruit) chunks, tanglad (lemon grass), luy-a (ginger) or batwan (sour local fruit). For a twist, some added pinaklay nga tambo (shredded bamboo shoots) and inid-id nga mais (grated corn) that gives extra flavor to the dish.
Bean stews such kadyos (pigeon pea) or monggo beans are a usual dish coupled with beef, pork or chicken. The concoction is boiled along with chopped ubad (banana pith) and rolled tanglad (lemon grass) to attain its strong tangy aroma and flavor. Moreover, Ginisa nga Monggo is known as a poor man’s dish but it is rich enough in protein. This savory bean soup is easy to prepare dish; the tasty stew simply is sautéed in garlic, onions and ginamus nga hipon (shrimp paste). The dish is best eaten with hot steamed rice, lamayo (dried fish) or sinalag nga baog(dried anchovies). For a variation of this dish, others combined it with chicken or pork and vegetables like kapayas (green papaya) and malunggay leaves.
Ginat-an nga Tambo is an exotic and a much loved dish usually made of tambo (bamboo shoots); blended or paired with either kalampay(river shrimps), orang(fresh water shrimps) or slices of pinakas(dried fish), tagabang(saluyot) and okra. This delicious, fiber enriched stew is boiled along with gata (coconut milk) to achieve its full flavors on the broth.
Another common stew is Ginat-an nga Dagmay; a flavorful and creamy mix of dagmay leaves, stalk and tubers, kadyos (pigeon pea) paired with bagongon (river snail). The concoction is boiled in gata (coconut milk) to retain its tasty flavor. The dish is best eaten with hot rice, fried fish and pinakas or lamayu (dried fish).
In Pandan, binabak and binakol are famous dishes. Binabak is a shrimp delicacy made of pounded river shrimps locally known as patuyaw steamed along with young coconut meat and ginger and wrapped in banana leaves. A chicken dish called binakol, is made by stuffing the chicken with batwan leaves, tanglad, onions, ginger, garlic, laurel leaf and seasoned with salt. The chicken is placed in bamboo and cooked in an open fire. Usually the binakol is served with either pickled papaya or tambo (bamboo shoots) and garnished with roasted sesame seeds to add a flavor.
Chicken Papisik is the Tibiao’s well-known delicacy. The native chicken is stuffed with local herbs and spices; it is placed and cooked in the dabahan (earthen cooking pot locally produce by the town’s potter). The chicken is layered with rock salt and cooked by the steam; the juice and the steam combines together that provides the natural flavor and aroma to the dish.
Another chicken dish locally called porbida; a specialty usually served to guests when they visit Barangay Imparayan, Sibalom. The cooking preparation is similar to our regular adobo; however, vinegar is not utilized in the souring or preservation of the dish. The chicken cutlets are boiled in gata (coconut milk) until tender. It is soured by alupidan (garlic vine) leaves; annatto powder is added to attain a yellowish color of the dish and chili peppers to make it spicy.
Native sweets or pangyam-is (dessert) made from glutinous rice and root crops sugared by muscovado (organic brown sugar) such as imugo, nalupe, ibos. bukayo, bandi and butong-butong are the famous specialty delicacies serve regularly in the table.
A number of restaurants have come up with their individual delicacies or specialties which have become their trademark. Food aficionados and travelers will surely surprise their taste buds to the unique ingredients used in cooking.
Nonong’s Fried Chicken in Patnongon is the newest food destination haven that specializes in fried chicken. Its crispy and juicy fried chicken is delicately prepared to maintain its freshness and natural aroma. Seasoned in secret herbs and spices; it is deep fried in cholesterol free cooking oil to maintain its natural taste. Also, they have garlic flavored fried chicken available for those who are health conscious and garlic lovers.
Ilaures, Bugasong is well-known for their native chicken adobo. Floring’s Carinderia traditionally cooks their chicken adobo with achuette powder and spiced with chili peppers. Recently they added native tinolang manok (chicken vegetable stew) with kapayas (green papaya) and dahon katumbal (pepper leaves) in the menu. Floring's Carinderia is a refuge for food lovers and starving travelers passing through the national highway. The carinderia is located right beside the approach to Cangaranan Bridge, under by the canopy of an old acacia tree.
The town of San Jose de Buenavista is the food basket haven that offers a variety of distinctive fares that will tickle the taste buds and palate that food lovers will really enjoy the usual karay-a food with its contemporary twist.
Femos Kitchenette nestled in San Jose Business Park offers a large array of fares regularly; their food is always fresh and cooked from the heart, which their customers from all walks of life patronize every day. The kitchenette offers sabor pambalay dishes and specializes in kare-kare; a famous stew of oxtail, beef and occasionally offal or tripes in peanut or rice sauce with a variety of vegetables such as latoy(string beans) and puso saging(banana blossom). This dish is often eaten with sautéed ginamus (shrimp paste) spiced with chili and sprinkled with calamansi juice. KBL stands for Kadyos, Baboy, and Langka is also the Kitchenettes’ bestseller. This all time favorite dish usually made of boiled pork leg, pigeon peas, and slices of green jackfruit; the stew is soured by batwan, a local fruit which gives the peculiar sour taste to the dish and it also removes the tedium of pork fat.
Cindy’s Restaurant a cozy eating place located in Solana Street offers a crispy fried chicken, well-seasoned with spices and devoid of excess fat. They also serve delectable palabok; a common rice noodle dish with golden shrimp sauce usually topped with shrimps, ground chicharon (pork rind), sliced or quartered hard boiled eggs and freshly minced green onion.
For now, the famous comfort food of the public is the Beef Bathchoy and Beef Congee of the Paul and David’s Resto, even though, the town has been used to a bowl of clear soups and noodles. Their batchoy is made of robust beef stock, fresh pancit noodles, strips of beef, liver, crushed chicharon (pork rind), garlic powder, and a slice of boiled egg and topped with green onions. The resto is also known for its healthy beef congee; rice porridge slowly cooked in beef stock with rich thick texture. It is commonly served with the toppings of eggs, beef strips, minced green onion and garlic powder. Further, congee is considered particularly suitable for the sick as it is mild and is easily digestible.
Café Amistoso is a modest and homey café-resto-bar located in Bantayan Street. The cafe offers healthy and tempting foodstuffs such as crispy buntot of yellow finned tuna, crackling chicken skin, luscious calamares, special sizzling sisig, fish kilawin, drunken shrimps, lumpia veggies and mixed sea foods are the extraordinary specialties craved by their regular customers.
A delightful eating place in the heart of the town is the Bill n Bryan’s Resto; located in the 2nd floor of AVP building which provides a good venue in business meetings, exhibits, weddings and parties. They infuse Chinese cuisine as the resto’s specialty; siomai salt and pepper spareribs, chicken feet, lumpia shanghai, mixed veggies and noodle dishes are the bestsellers that spoiled the appetite of the diners.
Parillahan is the place for inasal lovers. Chicken inasal is a common and popular dish, using soy sauce and different seasoning ingredients for its marinade. Basting the sauce and the smoke in grilling also imbibes the marinade that creates a unique flavor and aroma to the inasal. The chicken inasal is best eaten with either plain or garlic rice and achara (papaya pickles). Aside from chicken inasal, its range of tempting dishes includes sizzling sisig, crispy pata, grilled pork liempo, baby back ribs and many other choices.
If you want a serene and relaxing environment Bondoc’s Resto and Kanyogan Garden Restaurant are the best places to dine in. Bondoc’s resto is located at the Binirayan Hills where your eyes will enjoy the feast to the lush greenery of the hills and be awed to scenic view of the capital town while your tummy will be filled with their sumptuous meals. You must try their tempting beef steak in mushroom sauce, sizzling sisig, calamares and many more options of your choice.
Kanyogan, a garden restaurant situated in Bantayan Street provides tranquil surroundings. There is an air-conditioned place for eating and social gatherings but mostly diners are still opting to eat in their garden; clinched by the towering coconut trees while feasting on their mouth watering Chicken Binakol and indulge your sweet cravings with their Halo-halo sa Buco.
Bon appétit!
Photo credits: Prax Villaruz - sisig, chicken inasal, crispy pata, baby backribs, Abner Cabayao - buco sa halo-halo, beef batchoy, fried chicken, palabok, Joy Liao - dimsums, Mark James Villavert - kilawin, sisig, lumpia veggies, Carlo Tamba – sinabawan nga isda
