Dining al fresco!
This is pretty rustic eating and I really liked the experience!
The whole restaurant is situated on stilts. The structure is made of 90+% bamboo (tables and chairs included) and I thought whoever came up with maximizing its use is a genius! Very sturdy, I felt comfortable.
Party of 10, we were seated immediately since it was a late lunch-ish hour. If there was a lunch rush, I'm sure we missed it. Our tables were each given a pitcher of iced water immediately (was it obvious we needed 'em?) so huge plus on them! I let fam order grub and they didn't disappoint!
CALAMARES: Good starter, but nothing to call home about. It could use a bit more seasoning. Dipped it in a bit of vinegar and made it slightly better.
GRILLED PANGA: Oddly enough, I thought it looked more fried (vs grilled) but nope. It's grilled - perfectly, might I add. Very light char on the outside and very buttery soft inside. The crispy garlic topping was a nice touch! Delish!
LIEMPO: Okay, we got this just to have a non-seafood option. This, too, was delish. Seasoning and grill level was YUM. The bit of char added taste and texture. Even better dipped in calamansi + soy sauce!
BLUE MARLIN: Seasoning was good, but the fish was a bit on the dry side. It might have been on the grill a bit longer than needed. The calamansi + soy sauce dip kinda helped, but not much. I might skip this if there was a next time.
SINIGANG LAPU LAPU: I'm so used to a bit more sour, but that's not their fault. That's just a personal choice. Vege were fresh, the soul level was good, and the fish was soft and flaky. This served as a good palate cleanser as well!
STEAMED CRABS: Fresh and delicious. Generous amounts of meat! I'm not sure what kind of crab it was, but it was yum as well!
KINILAW TANGIGUE: Also a good palate cleanser. Ohhh, that fish was so fresh. The acid level was good, seasoning was great, and if you need to cleanse your palate of it, there's a couple slices of cucumber for that. (Not just for decor!)
FOOD: 4.5.
SERVICE: 4. Given it wasn't busy, they were always available when needed.
VALUE: 5. You get what you pay for and then some!
PARKING: They have a couple of spots. Street also available.
OVERALL: 4.5.
It was kinda cool watching locals do their thing by the shores: some were fishing, then there's kids having their fun swimming on the shallow side, then there's a bunch of black jellyfish swimming from under us. That's a first!
We enjoyed this first run. We liked the grub so much, we barely had leftovers to bring home! Given the chance, I would definitely return! read more