☆ Everything I Ate in Molo ☆
~PREFACE~
Food in the picture (clockwise): balut (fertilized duck egg), three flavours of ice cream, avocado ice pop, Jo-ann's fishballs, penoy (unfertilized duck egg), kwek-kwek (battered quail eggs), and kikiam (street food sausage).
Anyway, since I'm back in my hometown. I decided to head out to Molo Plaza, and later, Molo Mansion. The decision to check it out is due to my yearning for street foods as it has become uncommon in city areas (you have to visit pueblos or spaces with historical significance).
I planned this food excursion for awhile now so I had a bucket list for what I intended to eat and try. Also, insane how I was literally in Molo and didn't try the pancit molo, one of Iloilo's signature dish. Unfortunately, based on my preference, the best pancit molo is the one that my great grandmother passed on to us.
Pretty much I wanted to try the classics:
kwek-kwek
fishball
taho
sweet corn
balut
penoy
ice cream in molo mansion
Spoilers, the only ones I didn't get to have are the taho and sweet corn as I couldn't spot the vendors for it during my visit. Also, I just wanted to say, if you join the Detective level membership in my ko-fi you will have exclusive footage from this trip!
Also, yes, I coloured over my hand for this one. Not gonna give y'all a hand reveal just like that.
~MOLO PLAZA~
Ah yes, home of various and classic street foods a Filipino dream of. In Molo Plaza, I was able to buy Jo-ann's fishball, Velvet Pops' avocado ice pop, kwek-kwek, kikiam, balut, and penoy.
Jo-ann's Fishball
If I remember correctly, Jo-ann's Fishball, has handful of stalls across the Molo Plaza area. However, when I visited, I only passed by a couple. One near the church and the other in front of the mansion.
I ordered mine without the sauce because I wanted to taste the fishball alone. The balls are rather crispy and flavourful itself. It's like eating fish chips in meatball form.
Each stick has four (4) balls and costs Php10 (USD 0.18) per skewer.
Velvet Pops
An interesting stall as it reminds me of those Indian street food videos on TikTok, with a spinning thingy that helps solidifies the ice pops. Interestingly enough, the owners were kind enough to let me film as they spin it.
I ordered the avocado bliss which, according to their menu board, "A creamy and refreshing popsicle with the smooth richness of avocado, delivering a blissful, cool treat." And it's such a perfect description for it too.
It was quite an experience for me as it doesn't feel too icy like most popsicles (looking at this one brand but I won't name drop). It's a perfect balance of an icy texture and creaminess you would expect from high quality ice cream. Not to mention you can really taste the avocado and it's not too sweet either.
It cost around Php20 (USD 0.36) which is insanely cheap and for a good popsicle too!
Kwek-Kwek and Kikiam Stall
I didn't notice a specific name for the stall where I bough kwek-kwek and kikiam from. Anyway, as I mentioned, kwek-kwek is essentially boiled quail eggs covered in a batter and deep fried. It's really crispy and it pairs well with the mild eggy flavour of quail egg. Again, I didn't put sauce on mine as I wanted to taste it on its own.
As for the kikiam, I always though it's some kind of fried dough. Well, with a brief Google search, I learned it's a Filipino's version of a Chinese sausage. However, I think the Filipino one has more extender (flour) as its meaty flavour is very subtle. Nonetheless, I still love it as it has this satisfying bite and chew as you eat it.
Each street food from this stall cost Php20 (USD 0.36).
Balut and Penoy
I honestly never tried penoy before. For those who don't know, it's essentially meant to be balut (salted, fertilized duck egg) but without the duckling. There's condiments on the side too; rock salt and sinamak (Filipino spiced vinegar). However, I was a little disappointed to find it more similar to a boiled chicken egg and the absence of soup. Nonetheless, it still tastes good.
One penoy costs Php12.50 (USD 0.23).
Don't knock it till you try it. Balut is so gooood. Just close your eyes and prepare a bottle of soda on the side when you eat it... The vendor assured me that the duck embryo of theirs is quite small. Which was comforting. It's so flavourful and just the right amount of saltiness. The soup tastes so good too.
Cece admitted she still couldn't stomach eating the duck embryo... So, I decided to be bold and eat it... Yeah, the texture makes me uncomfortable so a bottle of soda, which the stall conveniently sells, is helpful for it to go down. I honestly couldn't say much about the embryo though since I immediately chugged a bottle of Sprite right after. Nonetheless, if you wish to try it, there are balut available with tiny embryos.
Anyway, the yellow part of the balut is creamy as ever. While the white part is slightly tough. I like this stall's balut because the white part of the egg isn't that difficult to chew. It feels softer than the ones in my memory.
A balut costs Php30 (USD 0.54).
Also, Cece taught me how to eat the two properly (I haven't eaten it in ages okay I forgot how). If you hit it on one side and it doesn't crack immediately, turn it around as it's the wrong side. She also recommends carrying alcohol spray and wipes if you plan to eat it as it gets very messy.
To properly eat balut, once you crack the right side, don't peel it all the way. Just peel enough so you can drink the soup. Once you drank all the soup, you can continue peeling it all the way and eat it.
The total I spent here is Php 112.50 (USD 2.03).
~MOLO MANSION~
Back then, it was just an abandoned historical building. Now? It's a bustling hangout spot for young adults and students with various food stalls and seats to choose from.
What really caught my interest is happy endings located at the left side from where you enter through the gates. I was recommended to try their ice creams because it's just that good and has unique flavours. A few you can't find anywhere else. Cece tried hence recommended me the speculoos malt, black sesame, and bayebaye.
Bayebaye is a traditional dessert in Iloilo. My family in particular tend to only ever purchase this during All Soul's Day. From what I briefly searched, it's like a milled combination of pinipig or ground corn kernels. From what I remember, its texture is akin to mochi but a lesser sticky version.
I highly recommend the bayebaye ice cream. It tastes so much like it but in ice cream form. It has this nuttiness to it that reminded me of my childhood. It just tastes so much like the actual bayebaye I half-wished I ordered for all three scoops to be the same flavour.
Surprisingly, bayebaye and black sesame worked well together. I assume it's due to their nutty flavour profiles which complement.
Unfortunately, the speculoos malt is almost drowned by the two nutty flavours. However, I'm glad I tasted it before it got buried by the melted bayebaye and black sesame ice cream. It's quite good it's just that it doesn't really work well with bayebaye and black sesame. It's very sweet and molasses-y. And there were some bites where I felt a crunch.
The ice cream in general is so thick and creamy and you can really taste the distinct flavours of each one. I also saw they have seasonal flavours. I was tempted to try it but I already went past my set budget.
They have a variety of other flavours too; pistachio, salted caramel, chocolate mint, coffee, cookie crumble, dark chocolate, mango float, matcha latte, and strawberry.
For three scoops, it costs Php160 (USD 2.89).
Anyway, entering the mansion itself, what's inside is really a souvenir store, various clothing, jewelry, fans, and many more. But the real treasure is what's behind it.
Past the Kultura store, you'll come across a shop called The Local House. It's essentially a souvenir store as well but with native and local food products. There I was able to buy tablea (native chocolate). I'll be making a blog about this soon!
According to Cece, since she decided to chat with the saleslady in the store, the tablea is sourced in three different areas in Region VI (Roxas, Dingle, and Cabatuan). The Roxas and Dingle variations are 100% cacao while Cabatuan has added sugar. She suggested that I'll just go with the one with added sugar as not only is it cheaper, it's less of a headache to try and match it with your preference. As 100% cacao is very bitter and you might end up adding a whole lot of sugar anyway.
One roll cost Php95 (USD 1.72).
~OVERALL~
It was nice to go around places that were once familiar and getting to know the place again after being gone for so long. As well as seeing new things it has to offer.
Also, the total expenses I made was... Php367.50 (USD 6.64).
