MANILA -- At the second regional lunch of Madrid Fusion Manila, Café Via Mare in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry served iconic dishes from the Visayas.

Here are some of them:

The famous noodle soup from the Visayas is pure comfort in a bowl. It’s made with pork, liver, and tripe, then topped with crunchy chicharon.

Everyone loves chicken inasal! This is the classic version, which is marinated chicken in seasoned vinegar and glazed with special annato chicken oil.

Who knew tahong can be turned into chips? These cultured mussels from Maqueda Bay in Jiambong, Samar are sundried and ground into a fine powder, which are then made into crunchy chips.

Visayas is known for its kinilaw (ceviche). This is fresh salmon soured and “cooked” in vinegar, served with lato (also called grapes of the sea).

For lovers of pork, the Visayans have a dish named Na Baboy Ug Atchara, or crispy pork cooked and crisped in its own lard, served with papaya pickles.

We love Mangga Cebuana. This refreshing coconut cream layered with mango and topped with cashew nut crumble.