GenSan News Online Mag

If you want to satisfy your cravings for prawns, shrimps, pompano, bangus and other types of seafood FRESHLY cooked in various styles then you can just hie off to NCCC Compound and check out the Filipino restaurant beside the Six Blings Entertainment and Sports Complex inside.

Ladies and Gentlemen, faithful readers, welcome to another GenSan restaurant, the O-oh Lang Fishing Resto Seafoods and Grill.

Owned by siblings Baby and Paris Ayon, together with Sam Akutsu and Bebot Haw, O-ohlang, which is  “prawns” or “shrimps” in English, is almost a year old and has just started serving lunch for customers who would want an outdoor setting while eating with business clients and associates.  The place has taken on a native Pinoy ambience and the presence of bamboo is everywhere, from its walls to its ceilings, from the furniture and to the structure itself.  This gives it a cool, relaxing and homey feel to the place.

What also sets O-ohlang apart from other seafood outlets is its large pool-like aquarium at the center of the dining area, where one can have their choice of live fish or prawns or sea shells to be cooked and served as their meals later.

When Bariles and his friends Lisa and Marz were there one early evening, there were only two tables occupied aside from theirs.   As the evening wore on however, more customers arrived, some from the nearby Badminton Court of Six Blings and the place was almost filled up.

Paris and his sister Babes were there to meet Bariles’ group, who upon their suggestions,  ordered the following dishes:

Being seafood junkies, Bariles and his friends had a great time partaking of the feast before them, which was prepared by O-ohlang’s chef and supervised by Baby, whose mother hails from Pampanga.

Everything had just the right spice to it and the flavour and aroma of each dish must be the very reasons why this new GenSan restaurant have already established a presence inside the NCCC Compound, despite competition from the other restaurants in the area.

By the way, lovers and romantic partners out there should give O-Ohlang a try on Valentine’s day when they conduct their Valentine’s Day Promotion.

Dubbed as O-ohlang Fishing Resto Seafood and Grill’s SUSHI NIGHT on Valentine’s Day, diners will be given a serving of  FREE SUSHI with a minimum order of P300 on food and drinks.

For reservations, please contact the following numbers:

(083) 302-0561.

Or you can email them at: oohlang _resto@yahoo.com.

Bon Appetit and Happy Valentine’ Day!

Has anyone ever heard of Hummus?

Hummus is a classic Middle Eastern blend of chickpeas, tahini and hint of garlic, drizzled with olive oil and dusted with paprika.  A delicious Mediterranean appetizer, it is  eaten with Pita bread, a round leavened flatbread generally made with wheat which one dips into it.

What about Muttabal? Another Middle East staple, it is a smokey-flavored puree of augbergine sharpened by garlic and olive oil and garnished by tahini.  Just like the Hummus, it is a good dip for the Pita bread.

And of course, there’s Lamb Tikka, much like the shawarma; the Kebabs, skewered meats (lamb, beef, chicken) and veggies which are grilled or broiled; the Tzatziki, the Chicken Tandoori, the Iraqi rice… the list goes on and on.

If you want to try these stuff and are the food lover that you say you are, then we have good news for you.  All these are now available in GenSan, in this little place called THE OLD SOUTH.

The Old South Grill and Resto Bar is GenSan’s first dining establishment to offer Meditteranean Food plus a little Spanish Cuisine.

Jointly run by brothers Attorney Onie Baliao and Butch, this GenSan restaruant is still less than a month old since it opened, but has already started to gain a sizeable following among the city’s discriminating food lovers on the lookout for something novel.

The Old South Grill and Resto Bar is not hard to find if you know your way around GenSan.  Located at the former house of Atty. Onie  which he transformed to resemble a Spanish Villa, it can be found inside the Romana Estate II, along the Mabuhay-Klinan Road.

Your landmark should be the Iglesia ni Cristo temple being constructed on the left shoulder of the Mabuhay-Klinan Road.  Just beside the construction is a roadsign leading to LC5 Farm and Resort.  Turn left here to a dirt road and immediately you will see The Old South’s building a few meters away.

Bariles and his photographer actually visited this newest GenSan restaurant at night.  They were immediately received by Atty. Onie who was Bariles’ classmate in high school at the NDDU and introduced to his brother and Master Chef Butch who is actually a practicing architect.

Business must really be good already since Bariles noticed that the place was packed with diners, some who were his friends.  He saw the svelte Sarangan beauty Kye Montemayor of Alsons who were with her family , Law Student and young businessman Dom Salazar with his fiancee, a few people from Smart Communications, and USAID Gem Davao’s lovely Sarah Matalam and her cousin, the dashing Councilor Jeng Pendatun of Maguindanao.

Bariles was ushered inside what used to be Atty. Onie’s old living room and was amazed at its new Spanish-inspired look, which the lawyer and his brother collectively designed. On the walls are large original paintings by Master Chef Butch himself and scattered all throughout are antique fixtures from their family’s ancestral home in Glan, Sarangani Province.

On the wall beside the side door leading outside into a veranda is a portrait of their maternal grandfather, Tranquilino Ruiz, one of the very first Christians from Cebu who settled in Glan in 1914.

At that time, Glan was already a bustling community,  inhabited by different tribes, many of them Muslim converts influenced by travellers from the Middle East.

Tranquilino, who hailed from Cebu, was a very good cook and studied the locals’ way of cooking, including dishes which had Arabian influences.

He infused his knowledge of Cebuano cuisine with these, eventualy making them his own.

He would later pass his recipes on to Onie and Butch’s mother, who would also taught it to them and her other kids.

The Old South therefore is the sibling’s homage to their old man, giving the place a semblance of their historical haunt in Glan and serving food which would invoke the memories of the good old days far up in the coastal municipality of Glan, along the shores of  Sarangani Bay.

After Bariles and his photographer Marz were settled at their own table in the front yard under a tent, they noticed a big authentic Hookah infront of them.

The hookah, a traditional smoking contraption in the Middle East operates by water filtration and indirect heat. It is used for smoking tobacco fruits, and is healthier than smoking cigarettes.

Each table at The Old South is equipped with one for the use of their clients.  According to their menu,  each cone containing different flavors, is worth only P150.

If only Bariles were not recuperating from asthma at that time, he would have tried their Hookah and was so envious of the group at the other table who were having fun with theirs.

While waiting for their food, Atty. Onie revealed that the old rooms of his house are being converted into airconditioned function rooms.  In fact, a couple of groups have already booked them.

He is also busy with plans on the construction of a 20-room pension house at the back of the restaurant, which although still at the drawing board has already received inquiries from interested parties.

Finally, their food arrived – the house specialty – Mixed Kebabs with Pita Bread.

Dipped into The Old South’s super mega hot green sauce and its white mayo-like sauce, the grilled beef, lamb and chicken meat rolls had to be eaten with cut-pieces of pita,  grilled eggplants, red tomatoes and white onions. The green sauce was sooooo spicy that Bariles immediately perspired from his head down, with his sweat dripping all over.  Hooossshhh!!!!  Hooot but delicious!!

Another spicy dish they had was the Chicken Tandori, actually chicken in skewers (barbecue) which had an Indian taste to it.

Bariles had no time to try the other dishes especially the Spanish offerings courtesy of the sibling’s grandfather’s recipe but will have to reserve them for another day. With more than 20 entries in their menu, it would take more than a couple of visits to try all these exotic sounding food, especially those from the land where Jesus and the prohphets once walked.

Suffice to say, the entry of The Old South Grill and Resto Bar in the gastronomic radar of GenSan abodes well for the generals on the lookout for a wider variety of cuisine.  Now the answer to the question, “Where do we eat?” has found another answer.

And we only have the late grandfather of Onie and Butch Baliao to thank for.

Trellis - (noun) a garden structure of open latticework that supports climbing plants or vines.

Tiongson Street in Barangay Lagao, General Santos City continues to strengthen its status as the city’s most exciting specialty-restaurant strip as another diner opened recently farther up on the Kanan (right) end of the road, at the corner of Calina Street.

I do not exactly remember the first time I ate Jo-Ann’s Bakeshop’s mini-siopao.

What I do remember however is that my Dad used to buy them by 10s or 20s depending on how many workers he has at that time in his tailoring shop.  I usually get to pick my share first because I was always tasked to buy them at their outlet along what was then Albert Morrow Boulevard (now Pedro Acharon, Sr. Boulevard).  Sometimes though, I couldn’t resist the urge to steal an extra piece while holding the big paper bag full of the steaming siopao in my lap on my way home on board a rickety tricycle.

Jo-Ann’s Bakeshop, established by the Kho Family sometime in the 60s, used to sell mostly breads, and was a supplier to smaller stores of regular pinoy pastries and cookies like patatas, palu, ugoy-ugoy, sampalok, ring crackers, tostado, luningning, hopia and biscocho, among other bread varieties. 

Their creambread became so famous that it soon was a familiar staple at any home in the old Dadiangas especially during the Christmas season when people had to line up infront of their store just to be able to buy some.  The Jo-Ann Bakeshop creambread was the hottest yuletide food item for so many years among families in the city and nearby municipalities.

Then, they introduced the classy and yet affordable “chiffon cake” which also became an instant hit.  At that time, cakes were considered as snacks for the rich but Jo-Ann’s made it pang-masa thru their chiffon.

Nothing comes close however to achieving iconic status than their mini-siopao.

Siopao which means Hot or Steamed Bun in Chinese, have always been sized almost as big as a platter as served in the local Chinese restaurants here before (Calpin’s, Capitol’s, Talion’s, Satea, Matutum, etc.), so when Jo-Ann’s came out with their own smaller size, a lot of people were shocked.

Their shock did not last long however.

Athough as small as s regular-sized fist, there was nothing small however in the taste of Jo-Ann’s mini-siopao.  Its fillings which come in two variants, pork and chicken asado have got to be the tastiest, chewiest and meatiest in this part of the island.

The dough does not disappoint too.  Soft but not too fluffy, it had the right thickness that is not overpowering.

Many also swear by its thick siopao sauce, neatly packed in small ice-candy wrappers, which when poured into the fillings, makes it even more flavorful and sweeter.

And so from the 60s and up to the 90s until today, Jo-Ann’s Bakeshop’s mini-siopao’s fame has continued and until now, is still top in the list of the general’s “comfort foods”.

But hey, there’s more.  Did you know that Jo’Ann’s mini-siopao has also evolved and now includes a bigger variety?

For those who can’t get enough of the small ones, comes Jo-Ann’s Big Siopao, conveniently packed in cellophane wrappers.

Yes, that’s the one up there in the picture beside its original small-sized brothers.  While the mini-siopao is priced at P16 (for pork pao) and P18 (for chicken pao), the big one comes at P26 (pork) and P28 (chicken). Both sizes however have still retained the same tasty quality that made it famous for over four decades now.

And so for those who want to bring home pasalubong from GenSan, remember not only to take value-added tuna products with you but also to include the Tuna Capital’s famous comfort food - Jo-Ann’s Bakeshop siopaos, in original mini or the new big size.

Jo-Ann’s Bakeshop Restaurant and Fastfood Center, P. Acharon Boulevard, may be reached through these #s – 552-2312/3012022.  They also have a branch at the Casa Luisa Restaurant Building, along Jose Catolico Sr. Avenue, GenSan.

Bariles has never been to Dolores Garden Resort before and so after bringing Davao bloggers Lyle and Brendel to hear Sunday mass at the Trappistine’s Monastery at the foot of Mt. Matutum in Barangay Landan, Polomolok,  they,  together with his small bro Orman, proceeded to the place.

Dolores Farm Resort Signage

It was not difficult to locate the resort at Barangay Pagalungan, being just a few kilometers along the highway from the Polomolok bus terminal.  Once Bariles, who was driving saw their signage, he right away turned left to a small dirt road with durian trees planted on both sides, leading to their main entrance.

Dolores Farm Resort Main Dining Gazebo

A big gazebo welcomed the group of hungry mass-goers where they were met by resort manager Bernard Lauron, who was once and still is GenSan’s best tuna sashimi slicer.

They were herded off to a long table at the main dining gazebo (serving as the lobby area) beside picnic huts overlooking the two large swimming pools, one for adults and one for kids.  These are the Kanyao Pools.  Its cool waters were so inviting that if only the group brought swimsuits with them, they would have jumped in right away.

Dolores Farm Resort’s Kanyao Pools

The resort was jampacked with weekenders from all over the province of South Cotabato and GenSan and as Bernard himself revealed, some groups were there since Friday and have booked overnight rooms, in their Hotel Karancillo.

Dolores Farm Resort’s Hotel Carancillo

At that time, too, a religious group was conducting a seminar at their Kradumthong Function Hall just beside their Main Gazebo.

Dolores Farm Resort’s Kradumthong Function Hall

Eventually, our attentive waiters began serving us our food.

Dolores Farm Resort’s Crispy Tilapia with Mayo Dip

The crispy tilapia crackled at our every bite but the meat was soft and didn’t have that fishy pond taste.  The mayo dip was a good foil, adding more flavor to the fish fingers.

Dolores Farm Resort’s Oriental Veggies

Bariles does not really dig vegetables but Dolores Farm Resort’s Oriental Veggies made him partake more than the usual because of its appetizingly tasty flavor (could be the oyster sauce).

Dolores Farm Resort’s Garlic Chicken

This one dish, Bariles particularly really  liked because it had him licking his fingers with the sweet sticky sauce from the honey-glazed chicken cut-ups.  And of course, the whole course wouldn’t be complete without the Fresh Fruit Platter and their naturally sweet fruit juices.

And hey, Dolores Farm Resort is also wifi-enabled that the satisfied group could have surfed the internet after their hearty lunch  except for the fact that PLDT/SmartBro was having problems that day.  Too bad because they would have wanted to stay longer and later, maybe catch some Pangasius FisH at their Monthong Game Fishing Park at the farther back portion of the resort.

Anyway, Bariles’ blogger-friends from Davao were ecstatic about their whole Dolores Farm Resort escapade that they also wrote about their experiences in their individual blogs below:

• GenSan Revisited:  Dolores Farm Resort
• An Unforgettable Weekend in Gen. Santos

Dolores Farm Resort is located at Pagalungan, Polomolok, South Cotabato.  For more info, please contact Manager Bernard Lauron at (083) 500-9260 or 500-9362.  Thanks to RD Hotels and Resorts’ Head, Ms. Teresa Mondido for facilitating the bloggers’ visit.

Even before the wave of new specialty-restos blossomed in General Santos City, one has already been dominating the lunch scene and is the fave of local businessmen who need to show off the Tuna Capital’s kind of cuisine to their guests and clients.

If you have not been living under a rock for the past 10 years or so, then you would know which one  – the Sunglao’s Ranchero Grill Steak and Seafood Restaurant.

Conveniently located in a veranda setting  beside their year old Paseo del Sol party venue near Mitsubishi Motors along the National Highway, this top GenSan restaurant Ranchero Grill is famed for a variety of dishes it made popular in General Santos such as babyback ribs, steamed pompano, tuna cuisine like grilled tuna jaw (panga), sizzling tuna belly, pochero, and fried quail (pugo), among others.

Ranchero Grill is also the first to offer non-traditional fruit dessert and juices such as Honey Dew Melon, Dragonfruit and Passion Fruit which the owner, Mr. Pabling Sunglao grows himself.  Combined with good service from their cowboy-outfitted staff, the establishment is up there in the list of must-visit dining places not only in General Santos but all throughout SocSarGen.

The same holds true for Davao Ranchero Grill, their branch at Tiongco Street, situated just across the Central Bank, which Bariles and his group of bloggers from GenSan, Davao and Cagayan de Oro discovered when they dropped by as part of the 2009 Davao Food Appreciation Tour.

Davao Ranchero Grill, Tiongco Street

Used to the small regular servings that other restaurants offer, the bloggers (from GenSAn, Cagayan de Oro and Davao City) couldn’t believed their eyes when served Ranchero’s blockbuster offerings – the Angus Feast and the Brahman Feast.

A waiter carried the giant wooden platter containing the Angus Feast to their table. (Photo by Arnel Lim)

The Angus Feast was a mix-match of : a heapful of white rice topped by tuna kinilaw and surrounded by servings of King Crabs, Fried Quail (pugo), pork barbecue, prawns, pinakbet and lato seaweeds.

Ranchero Grill’s Angus Feast, good for a small poblacion! – P700 to P500 per platter (Photo by Lyle Santos)

Two giant plates of the Angus Feast were served to our group of 15 people and it would have been enough but wait, there’s more:  the Seafood Platter, Babyback Ribs and Pochero!

Ranchero Grill’s famous Babyback Ribs (photo by Lyle Santos)

Ranchero Grill’s Pochero (photo by Bariles)

Ranchero Grill’s Seafood Platter (photo by Arnel Lim)

The bloggers couldn’t contain their satisfaction over the lavish feast laid out before them and after finishing everything, agreed that Ranchero Grill’s food tasted good as they looked and with the way they were pampered by the staff, had nothing but praises for being treated and fed like princes and princesses.

A few weeks after the GenSan delegation got back home, some including Bariles visited Ranchero Grill’s main branch in GenSan to again try the Brahman’s Feast (containing grilled squid, pork chops, tuna belly, chicken barbecue, grilled tahong, kinilaw).

Once more, the bloggers were treated to a culinary experience reserved for royalty.

Ranchero Grill’s Brahman’s Feast – P700 to P900 per platter (photo by Bariles)

Again, thanks to Ranchero Grill’s Marketing Manager Paolo Sunglao and Consultant Nestor for making sure all of the bloggers will have something to remember in their visit to both the GenSan and Davao branches of Ranchero Grill Steak and Seafood Restaurant.

Thanks to my blogger friends for joining the ride:  Jinky, Sheng, etc.

Ranchero Grill Steak and Seafood Restaurant is the sister establishment of Pablo’s Steaks and Crabs which has branches in GenSan and Davao cities, too.

Ever since the GenSan News Online Magazine was set up, it has featured events held at the Orange Bistro like their Bossa Nova Valentine Buffet Treat, and their Kalilangan 2008 Minutemen Concert.   It was also the venue for the Talk and Text Caravan Press Conference, the Sitti in GenSan post-concert party and the regular Breakfast Meetings of GenSan City Mayor Jun Acharon with the GenSan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Owned by Mr. Philip Teng and managed by daughter-in-law, the very pretty Cathy Teng, Orange Bistro has continued to be one of the choice diners of the generals along the Lagao District ever since it opened more than two years ago.  Occupying what was once an old house and renovated by Philip’s architect son Brixton, the homey feel of the place is only one of the reasons why people keep coming back.

And of course its menu which suggests Asian and Western fusion at its finest plus its function rooms and its prized party place, The Tent, makes ORANGE BISTRO  the favorite venue of the more discriminating generals.

Inside The Tent, adorned for one of its functions

The GenSan Bloggers who have been making the rounds of  the city’s diners for its Plurk Fiestas were lucky to have been allowed to use Orange Bistro in one of their eyeballs.  Here are some pictures to show for it.

Fried Dumplings at P215 only!

A platter of Nacho’s full of cheese and ground beef at P220

Spaghetti with Salami at P200 plus…

Beef with Brocolli and Mushroom

Orange Bistro’s Mini Cakes from P50 to P120

Bottomless Tropical Iced Tea at P50

GenSan Bloggers with Davao Blogger Blogie Robillo and Orange Bistro Staff

Orange Bistro is open 7 days a week from 10am to 12 midnight,  For reservations and inquiries on catering, please call 301-0992.

Other Blog Posts on Orange Bistro: (click on each one)

• Orange Bistro
• Gensan Tastebud: Orange Bistro
• My First Plurk Fiesta: Orange Bistro
• Our Soccsksargen Bloggers Community Escape (again)
• Oh Orange Bistro
• Plurk Fiestas in GenSan
• Plurk Fiesta: Orange Bistro
• A Week of Thanksgiving
• Plurk Fiesta: Orange Bistro
  

Ram’s Lechon Manok and Seafood Restaurant, located at Quimpo Avenue, Davao City has been around for sometime now but it was only during the Davao Food Appreciation Tour 2009 that the GenSan Bloggers Group found out about it when it hosted their dinner.

What made the visit there of the “generals” even more special was the discovery that it is owned by a couple, Ram and Ruby Magtoto-Royeca who both also hail from General Santos City!

The bloggers from GenSan who were joined by  Cagayan de Oro blogger Chiq Montes and Davao bloggers Brendel, Lyle and Migs were tired and spent from the day long outdoor activities when they arrived at the open-air dining establishment near the SM City Davao.

They were greeted by an array of various fish, poultry and meat ready to be cooked or grilled.

They were warmly met by the owners Ram and Ruby who instantly herded them to a reserved long table inside the spacious and fully-booked dining area just beside the rotisserie. The smell from the chicken and pork liempo being roasted was the portent of the sumptuous feast ahead.

And they were not disappointed. Consider the following photos.

Ram’s lechon manok, served hot direct from the rotisserie was one of the tastiest and juiciest chickens the GenSan & Davao bloggers ever tasted.

Ram’s sizzling squid was cooked adobo style and was so tender to the bite.

The Sinuglaw topped with a heaping of lato seaweeds was pure delight – the tuna was fresh and the cubed grilled pork was sumptuous.

Each bitesized Tangigue Fish Fillet in Sweet and Sour sauce was finger-licking great while the pancit bihon had a generous mix of veggies and meat.

Ram and Ruby made sure that the bloggers’ visit was well worth it by laying out the best of what their Ram’s Lechon Manok and Seafood Restaurant had to offer. For certain, these guys especially the generals would be bringing home a fond memory of what their fellow generals have achieved in Davao City and will be more than proud to share these with the world.

Sitting from left are Bloggers Migs, Joahanna, Romarie, Leonard, Chiq, Tammyrose, Rosilie.  Standing are Kyawster, Sheng, Ram and Ruby Magtoto, Brendel, Rain Cidy and Jinkee’s daughter.  Not in picture are Lyle and Bariles.

Plurk Fiestas conducted by Bariles‘ close-knit group of blogger friends have already become a regular staple.  These were instances for them to catch up on the latest on the blog world and also to try out the services and offerings of the establishments sponsoring their meet-ups.

Giacomino’s Pizza Restaurant at East Asia Royale Hotel Arcade

One of their recent Plurk Fiestas was held at Giacomino’s Pizza Restaurant at the East Asia Royale Hotel Arcade owned by hotelier Rombar Bartolome and his amiable wife Dr. Aimee.

Now, 10 years old in GenSan, Giacomino’s which means “little James” in Italian was actually a franchise started by an Italian named Signore Giacomino who came to the Philippines in the early 70s, the height of Martial Law.  Having decided to settle in the country after falling in love with the people and its culture, he developed his own pizza which combined Italian and Filipino ingredients.  Thus Giacomino’s Pizza was born and in later years, had franchisees all over the Philippines, including GenSan city.

Eventually, the Bartolome couple was able to acquire the whole company after buying out its original owners.  This made them decide to re-engineer their pizzas by improving the taste even more, adding more toppings, tweaking with the sauces.   They also infused new offerings in their menu since their own outlet (now the flagship branch) is almost on its 10th year already.

The walled history of Giacomino’s Pizza.

The plurkers/bloggers of GenSan (composed of Gilbert, Rain, Sheng, Kyawster, Leonard, SamaraFae, Lito, Tanchi, Rammyboi, Gheltac, Daxi Weida) had the good luck of testing these out one rainy afternoon during their eye-ball with some Davao-based plurkers/bloggers (Blogie, Chattee, Lyle, Brendel, Anyabelle & Boink).  Bariles who negotiated the event with the Bartolomes wanted them to taste the better and yummier taste of the newly-improved Giacomino’s pizzas.

(from left) Brendel, Daxiweida, Cidy, Sheng & Kyawster

Gheltac, Tanchi, Rammyboi and Sheng

Anyabelle (back to the camera), Chattee, Leonard and Lyle

The bloggers, in between their sharings on blogging and photography tips were served the new Giacomino’s Ottima Pizza, the Giacomino’s Veggie Pizza, the sinfully moist chocolate cake, among others.  Others also tried the new Giaco’s Halo-halo, a recent addition to the menue.

Giacomino’s baker preparing the Veggie Pizzas

Below is the soon-to-be famous Giacomino’s halo-halo.

The new Giacomino’s Halo-halo

Since the group was served two pizza variants, some like the Veggie for its healthy toppings of sweet corn, pepperoni, mozzarella, green bell pepper, etc while the rest opted for Ottima’s rich meat-based toppings. Their verdict?

Giaco’s improved pizza offerings indeed taste better now especially when served piping hot and are even comparable to the more expensive ones from multinational pizza chains.

And of course, what could be better paired with hot pizza than beer which is also available in Giacomino’s, something which the other pizza restos do not serve.  This is one reason why Giaco’s lords it over the other  restobars in the East Asia Royale Hotel Arcade.

Next:  Plurk Fiesta at Orange Bistro

First-time visitors to General Santos City, wanting to be treated to its famed tuna, will surely be ushered off to a restaurant called Jam’s Resto Bar, a few kilometers away from the barangay wet market area along Nunez Street in Barangay Lagao.

There, they will be served various tuna dishes they probably have not tasted before. There is the tuna kare-kare (stewed tuna with peanut sauce & veggies), the adobong bihod (tuna roe), adobong bagaybay (tuna male eggs), the uniquely spicy palikpik (fins), the crispy deep-friend tuna tail, the sizzling tuna kusog sisig (tuna tendon) or most likely, the famed inihaw na panga (grilled tuna jaw), and fresh tuna kinilaw (unmixed), among others.

Spicy Sauteed Tuna Innards

Jam’s Resto Bar is owned by Soledad “Sol” Manangquil, a tuna processor in General Santos City. “I put this up to entertain my friends and visitors,” she said.

Of course, that is quite an understatement considering that she has done more than that. Everyone in the fishing industry knows that Sol is Gensan’s “Queen of Tuna Cuisine”.

Soledad was an enterprising teenager from the fishing village of Bula in General Santos, peddling “maruya” (fried bananas coated in batter) to fishermen who land their catch early at dawn at the nearby Fishlanding area along Lion’s Beach during the early 80s.

Extroverted, sociable and with a natural talent for business, her maruya which she prepared and cooked herself was usually sold out in time for her to rush to her first subject in college. Even then, her easy-going and friendly nature earned her a lot of friends among the fisherfolks who were taken by her generosity.

“I usually give out extra pieces of maruya to my loyal clients or give discounts when the catch is not that good,” she recalls.

Fresh Tuna Kinilaw with Cucumber

It was not long after when the Congson and Damalerio families that were jointly involved in fishing ventures noticed her industriousness and took her under their wings. They assigned her to various tasks at the fishlanding whenever their vessels arrive from their expeditions. All these, she admirably handled with ease.

Her working hours eventually caught up with her studies and so she decided to drop out of college with only a year left before graduation.

Gradually, her employers started entrusting her with bigger responsibilities. Eventually, she became in-charge with their exports business, involving large tuna, to Japan and the U.S.

Tuna Bagaybay (fish roe), photo by Lyle Santos

“The Gensan airport at that time was at the old Buayan area and the solitary PAL plane then flying in and out of GenSan daily could not handle large cargoes,” Sol explains.

Because of this, she had to bring the tuna to Davao airport and have it flown from there. This became a regular and tiring chore for her.

Finally in 1987, with her employers’ blessings, she ventured in the world of business by herself and partnered with high school friends, Tito and Joel Santos. They put up SSB Traders, a small tuna-processing and exporting company.

Sol, being the more experienced and outgoing among them was in-charge of buying raw materials. Her partners handled the processing and marketing aspects of the business.

With only a limited capital, whatever profits they made were immediately plowed back into the business. Thus, Sol had to augment her earnings by doing what she did best, peddling wares and everything.

She sold everything she can: fishing accessories, designer-labeled clothings, make-up kits, perfumes, shoes and foods and many more.

Sizzling Tuna Tendons, photo  by Lyle Santos

It was during one of her selling and buying sorties that she met one of Joel Santos’ high school classmates, 1st Lieutenant Jess Manangquil. A PMA graduate who was just recently assigned at the 601st Brigade, the army lieutenant liked what he saw in the pretty businesswoman and immediately wooed her.

On May 28, 1988, the wedding bells were heard and people saw Sol and Jess before the matrimonial altar.

Tuna tendons Kilawin

In less than a year, first son John Ray was born and was followed immediately by Jefferson.

Things started changing for Soledad. Now as a junior officer’s wife, she had to learn to juggle her time between dealing with her suppliers at the fish landing and entertaining Jess’ military superiors and colleagues who are the frequent visitors in their home. Luckily, their processing plant was just within their yard and it was easy for her to whip up a tuna dish or two at short notices.

Later on, with a lot of fresh tuna within reach to work with, she also started experimenting with the tuna by utilizing it, with the usual Pinoy fare.

Crispy deep-fried Tuna Tail, photo by Lyle Santos

She says: “I substituted the usual pork and chicken with tuna in a variety of Filipino dishes. Some actually worked and some simply didn’t taste right. I also used the entrails and the innards plus some other usually “unwanted” parts. I felt that it would be a senseless to throw these parts away. Finally, I had compiled more than a couple of recipes to fill up my own menu.”

Word eventually got out that the new Mrs. Manangquil prepares exotic tuna dishes in town. Soon, lunches and dinners at their home at Rosario Subdivision were like mini-parties since friends keep dropping by to taste her inventions using different parts of the tuna.

In 1992, she decided to establish her very own Sol Fish Traders. Then, upon the coaxing of friends who were fans of her recipes, she also put up a native nook along the Lagao National Highway called Jam’s Ihaw-ihaw.

There was no looking back for the “maruya” seller from then on.

Jam’s Resto Bar at night, in a photo by Lyle Santos

Now, 17 years after that small ihaw-ihaw venture, on a daily basis, Sol still shuttles back and forth between Market 1 of the Gensan Fishport and her Jam’s Restaurant at its current location at Nunez Street, in the suburbs of Lagao.

In this fine-dining restaurant situated in a 1,000 square meter lot,  things usually perk up during the weekends when groups rent it for functions such as parties and other gatherings.

Now blessed with three kids, the youngest being Jim Claude, Sol feels she still has a lot going on for her, especially with regard to her restaurant business.

“With this new restaurant here, I am highlighting my tuna dishes at a far more pleasing ambience. I am bringing tuna cuisine to the next level.”

With her track record, there is no doubt in mind that Sol will continue to fascinate GenSan’s palate and soon of the world with her delectable and sumptuous recipes that have put the tuna in a whole new, different light.

UPDATE April 18, 2009:  Jam’s Resto Bar which opened last year now caters to families and groups who want to enjoy a relaxed and classy ambience and be served with various native, oriental and mediteranean dishes and a wide array of Soledad’s famed tuna concoctions.  It’s located at Nunez Street, Purok Malakas, Barangay San Isidro.   Watch out for its upcoming shows featuring stand-up comedians  Jam’s Restaurant has a large function room for private occasions and a videoke bar on its balcony.  (Photos by @marzz, unless otherwise stated)