Living in a small town in Cebu City brings me immense joy whenever I go to the local markets. Despite the limited space, the market offers a diverse range of goods and products that cater to all consumers. Today, I invite you to join me as we visit the Ilihan Public Market located in Ilihan, Tabogon, Cebu to shop for our lunch. One of my favorite activities is heading back to my hometown during my days off, so one thing I look forward is to go to the local market in town to buy fresh produce and meat from the local market and cook for my family. There's no greater pleasure than sharing a meal with your loved ones, especially over the weekends or on days off.
Ilihan Public Market is just a five to ten minute drive from my hometown, Barangay Caduawan, Tabogon, Cebu. That is why this market is more accessible for us.
Her are some seafood available at the market when we went there. It's not a lot like the market that we always go to, which is in Bogo City Public Market, but it's enough if you don't want to travel far and you need some fresh fish or some fresh meat to buy.
When I was younger, the Ilihan Public Market is only open on Sundays so if we need some fish or meat, we need to go to the Bogo City Public Market, which was a 30 to 40-minute ride from our hometown. We would go there for fresh produce and other things, as it was the only option for bigger supermarkets and grocery stores. However, now that the Ilihan Public Market is open every day and sells fresh fish, meat, and produce, it's more convenient for us since it's closer to our houses, and it saves us money on transportation and gas.
Here are the things we bought today at Ilihan Public Market - Ilihan, Tabogon, Cebu, Philippines.
We purchased 1,000 grams of Bangus or milkfish for 250 pesos. Fortunately, the vendor who sold us the fish also cleaned and prepared it for grilling. He even sliced the part of the fish where we will put the spices. Buying from vendors who offer this service is very convenient as it saves us from the hassle of cleaning the fish ourselves.
We will be grilling, so I bought some fresh pork chops for 200 pesos. I always buy my pork meat at a certain store where I always buy everytime I come here, because they have high-quality and fresh products.
I also bought anchovy for 100 pesos for one kilo because we will be making anchovy salad.
I visited the corner of the market that sells house wares and house stuff. I bought some brushes that I need for my laundry. The brushes that come with handles are priced at 20 pesos each, while the net bags are available for 10 pesos each. I find these items very helpful, especially when washing jeans or denim clothing.
These were all the things that we needed, so we then headed home with all the things that we bought at Ilihan Public Market.
Upon arriving home, my son eagerly retrieved the torch and expertly lit the charcoal, readying us for a scrumptious meal of grilled fish and pork chops. There's something truly special about spending Sundays at home, grilling your favorite foods and sharing a delicious meal with loved ones. It's a simple pleasure that brings immeasurable joy.
Using a torch is one of the easiest and quickest ways to light up and heat your charcoal while grilling. It eliminates the need for a fan or constant blowing of air, making it a convenient option. Simply use a torch and watch your charcoal burn and heat up in no time.
While grilling our favorite foods, my son loves to help by using a torch and preparing the charcoal. Although kids love playing with fire, I allow him to do so only under full supervision. We take all the necessary safety precautions to keep him safe. He enjoys what he does and loves to share his task when we plan or grill our favorite foods.
While my son was outside preparing the charcoal, we will be using for the grill. I went into the kitchen to clean the meat, and the fish that we and the fish that we bought was already clean, and the man sliced it for us to put the spices in, so I put all the spices that we needed so that the fish would have an extra taste and it would be more delicious now that it has extra spices in it.
Above, you can find photos of our deliciously spiced milkfish and pork chop. Our marinade for the fish included a mix of tomato, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. We let it sit for a while before cooking to soak up all the flavors. As for the pork chop, we also marinated it before cooking. This is one of our all-time favorite meals, especially on Sundays.
While I was grilling our milkfish outside, two dogs came over to play with me. One of them was brown named Intoy and he belonged to us, while the other white dog is named Blippi, owned by 
The foods are ready and it is finally time for lunch.
We had some garlic butter shrimp leftover from yesterday, so we heated it and ate it.
After purchasing the anchovy, we proceeded to clean it and prepare an appetizing anchovy salad. The salad was made up of anchovy, onion, ginger, tomato, and chili to add a hint of spice.
This is the finished product of our grilled milkfish and grilled pork chops. It was perfectly grilled, the meat was juicy, and it was not burnt, just how I love it cooked.
Spending Sundays at home with loved ones is a special occasion. Cooking and sharing favorite meals with family can make it even more memorable. It's not about the quantity of food, but the quality of time spent with those you care about. I believe it's crucial to cherish these moments as much as possible, as not everyone has the privilege to do so.
I hope you all had a beautiful Sunday! Ciao!☺︎♡