Manga-on Ta! (Let's Eat)

Like any other cities here in the Philippines, Cagayan de Oro was also hit by Tempura/Fish Ball/Squid Ball/Squid Roll craze. The aroma of these when cooked is very much inviting. They have a long strip just outside Xavier University together with the new craze Kwek-Kwek and Chicken Skin. Even on the weekly night cafe's vendors are everywhere. We have tried and tasted alot of brands and this specific brand caught our taste buds. It doesn't have a weird aftertaste, nor does it taste bland. It's ingredients are perfect for us that everytime we cook this, we can't stop picking and putting it into our mouths. Here's how it looks like when it's cooked. If the picture was clearer you would usually see spring onions in it. So, it's not just all flour, they added some good stuff too. Here's Zaza taking a snack after doing some lots of coloring :) He too can't stop eating them when we serve this. 1 kilo pack costs 155-160php depends on where you buy them. ...

Kikilo (Spotted Scat or Scatophagus argus ) is a freshwater fish that can also be found here in Cagayan de Oro city only after floods - yep you read right, after floods. They are flashed down to sea water from fresh water that's why they get caught during those times - as what my mom said and our laundry woman who's husband is a fisherman. But my mom told me they have cultured this fish in the city for continous supply like the Tilapia's . We know an old resident chinese in the city, who owns one of the oldest stores here too, who has their own farm for this fish. Mom usually cooks this Tausi style - with black beans or in soy sauce with lotsa ginger. It has white meat with very soft texture and delicious taste. Below are photos of it cooked in soy sauce. We didn't have any black beans on hand when this was sold to us by our fisherman neighbor, thus the soy sauce recipe. This only costed 50pesos (half kilo).