Hapit anay sa Cafe Panay

One can hardly miss Cafe Panay's Spanish-inspired window at the mezzanine floor as well as the brick and wooden wall where mirrors with modern and vintage frames hung.

But Cafe Panay's main attraction is its wide selection of enticing and hearty dishes. Here are some of them.

Cafe Panay Tapa


ILONGGO BREAKFAST

For Ilonggos, the first meal of the day has to be a pleasurable experience. It would be great to eat it in a place with a nice ambiance.

Some of Cafe Panay’s hearty Ilonggo breakfast offeringd are Cafe Panay Tapa (signature beef tapa with deep-fried garlic chips and served with atsara), Tocino Slab (bacon-style slab with traditional smoked tocino flavor) and Binulad Platter (assorted local dried fish with native vinegar dip).

Tocino Slab


ILONGGO FEAST SELECTION

Cafe Panay has enticing and mouthwatering dishes for any time of the day. They include Cafe Panay Ensalada (tossed green in anchovy olive oil vinaigrette topped with fried, crispy shrimps from Kalibo), Ensaladang Puso (banana blossom in coco-cider dressing), Fish Fillet in Spicy Ginger Coco Cream, Chicken Inasal, Kansi Frita (Pinoy Bistek style of cooking) and Sizzling Kansi with Mushroom Sauce

Binulad Platter


OLD-TIME FAVORITES

Cafe Panay Bibingka Cake is a must try. It is soft and flavorful, best eaten hot and topped mango compote, light pulot syrup, and fresh mantekilya.

The other old-time favorites are Fried Ibos (deep fried sticky rice with muscovado sugar, tablea chocolate dip and mango compote) and Cafe Panay Turon (banana-jackfruit rolls served with Tablea chocolate dip and muscovado-caramel sauce).

Cafe Panay Ensalada


Some of their sweet endings are Tablea Lava Cake (native chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream) and Cafe Panay Halo-Halo (shaved ice blended with milk and traditional caramelized fruits and pearls).

HISTORY

Cafe Panay is about good food and an advocacy for local economic growth by supporting local producers. The restaurant uses local ingredients. They also provide local producers with a space where they can sell their products to diners and tourists.

“Three years ago, Panay Tour Specialists, Inc. (PTSI) was borne out of the need to help position Iloilo City as the next MICE destination,” said Aulynn Yue Sin, PTSI Corporate Secretary. MICE stands for Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions.

Ensaladang Puso


She said that the board of directors knew each other then but were not friends. It was their advocacy that brought them together. “Hence, from different fields of expertise, we formed a corporation not only to promote tourism better but to help local partners who have limited access to market their products,” she added.

“Our first home was in Rizal Street where we experienced birthing pains,” she narrated. Because they are also tour operators, big buses carrying tourists would drop by Cafe Panay’s small place to experience Ilonggo food and buy pasalubong. Surprisingly, they were able to host big groups despite their small area.

Fish Fillet in Spicy Ginger Coco Cream


“Our big break came when we were invited to serve food in Molo Mansion where we stayed for almost a year. It was our second home. Then we were led to our third home. We are ready to unleash our potential in a bigger and modern home inside Iloilo City’s most promising district, Megaworld Iloilo Business Park,” she added.

Chicken Inasal


“We will continue our advocacy of supporting local producers. Our growth is their growth. When we support their local products, we are providing them access to the market and product development assistance from the government. We aim to empower communities and contribute to the growth of SMEs (small and medium enterprises). When SMEs grow, they will contribute to employment, resulting in a vibrant local economy,” said Dona Ratilla, PTSI President.

Let’s support local and buy locally to promote inclusive growth. By doing so, it strengthens the economic base of our community and thus benefits us, too. So, if you happen to be in Iloilo City, hapit anay sa Cafe Panay! /

Kansi Frita

Sizzling Kansi with Mushroom Sauce

Chocolate Tablea Lava Cake, Cafe Panay Turon and Fried Ibos 

Cafe Panay Halo-Halo

Garlic Tuyo, Spicy Tuyo and Pickled Eggplant by Pampered Chef Iloilo’s Best Pasalubong

Fried garlic. I sprinkle this on my purple rice when eating laswa to make the eating experience more pleasurable.

Inayan Peanuts, barquillos and banana chips from local producers. I have tried Inayan and truly love their Peanut de Leche

Coco Jam and Sinamak

Jigger made from bignay, tambis, and kamias among others holds many health benefits

Tablea Chocolate of Cabatuan

Pataydong serves many purposes - skirt, shawl, blanket, table cover, etc. In the old days, women use this to cover themselves while bathing in the river.

The people behind Cafe Panay. From left: Ian Jorda, Heide Foulc, Donna Rose Ratilla, Aulynn Yue Sin and Maria Amihan Panes. Another board member, Mary Joy Canon (not in the photo) is based abroad.

Raissa Tamayo, Cafe Panay OIC. “It is my pride and honor to be part of Cafe Panay. Cafe Panay does not only satisfy our hunger but also childhood memories of home.”

Spanish-inspired window at the mezzanine floor featuring Nonoy Taclino of Iloilo Today and Zedrick Seneres of The Daily Guardian

Hapit anay sa Cafe Panay, Festive Walk in Iloilo Business Park

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