Thursday was that kind of day where I was mentally convincing myself not to lost my temper at work. You know, that kind of day where one problem just opens up another. All that kept me in check was that I was planning to have some good ole fashioned Filipino Inihaw at Diona Joyce a.k.a TitaFlip’s Kanto. Inihaw is our way of grilling marinated meats and seafood. As the day progressed, I know that good comfort food is the reward I would get for keeping my temper in check.
Just like last summer, Diona intends to have Ihaw-Ihaw every Thursday nights for the whole of summer, from 5pm – 9 pm. It is a prix menu where one order would get you loads of fresh grilled food, sides and a drink. The set includes BBQ’d pork, chicken, squid and fish with atchara (pickled papaya), slices of tomatoes and in-season veggies as a salad. She also steeps tea and mixes it with kalamansi (Philippine lemons) and offers it as an iced tea. It is just like what I would have on a weekend back in Manila.
I am not sure if I shared it before but my mom and Diona’s mom comes from the same province in the Philippines. Being in a country with thousands of islands, it is understandable that there are variations to the day-to-day dishes that we enjoy. Even if we relocated in Manila, my mom still prefers the cuisine of the south and that is how Diona cooks her food. It is literally like being at home where the dishes are hearty, deep in flavour and blissfully comforting.
My most favourite is the fish we call bangus (milkfish) that she marinated thoroughly. It is the most addicting thing to nibble on together with slices of tomatoes. That with the garlicky smell of the rice just brings back that smile to my face. I lost count how many times I sighed in contentment.
What was fun too was that when I arrived, a fellow foodie, Joallore @clickflickca was already there ahead of me. I later found out that the people who just left as I was approaching were Liora Ipsum from @blogTO. @clickflickca and I then started tweeting about the food and we were later joined by Rey Pan @EatnMingle and Geri @geriatrikz. It was an impromptu media event as of course we didn’t refrain from all the tweeting, picture taking and even live-streaming the BBQ that we were enjoying. My night was really turning better and better, hanging out with people who loved food as much as I do.
After we were done with all the BBQ’s, we also enjoyed Diona’s Halo-halo. It was rather perfect to end the dinner at that note, enjoying a dessert of a pile of leche flan, ube, sweetened beans, bananas, jackfruit, sago pearls, nata de coco topped with crushed ice and milk.
I was just in a summer daze after all the food I enjoyed. It was indeed the perfect ending to a day that started wrong. Good Filipino comfort food would do that for you. Thanks Diona!
Food Trippin' 
Posted on May 30, 2015
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