Puerto Princesa is not just brimming with natural wonders and captivating tourist attractions. It is also a haven for foodies, especially seafood aficionados. There's just so many good places to eat.
Here's something I wrote a while back:
... Puerto Princesa is a cornucopia of many good restaurants. Choosing rather than finding where to eat is the real task. But the best part is, and this we found out to be true whether eating in a posh restaurant or paluto style by the beach, the seafoods in Palawan are the among the best in the country. They're the freshest, most reasonably priced, and most enjoyable seafoods I've ever had.
It was a Seafood-fest for us while we were in Palawan because they just taste delightfully fresh and 100x better than the seafood dishes that we normally have in Manila.
Dampa sa Mansion Restaurant
Mitra Road, Santa Monica, PalawanIt was out first day in Puerto Princesa and we were doing our DIY city tour. I asked our tricycle driver, Kuya Tong, to take us to a good restaurant where we can have lunch. I was hoping he'd take us to Balinsasayaw or any of the Inato restaurants, but he said he knows someplace better, and it's along the way to Mitra's Ranch.
And he took us to this paluto-style restaurant beside the Commodore Mansion called Dampa sa Mansion.
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| My mother at Dampa sa Mansion Restaurant |
On the left side is the small talipapa where you can buy fresh seafoods and have them cooked any way you want. Like any paluto service, you need to pay for the seafood and the cooking fee separately. They also offer meat, chicken and vegetables dishes if you want more variety.
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| Inihaw na Pusit or Grilled Stuffed Pusit |
At first, I wasn't too thrilled to see that they used ketchup on the squid as I'm not fond of eating with ketchup. But it was surprisingly good. Apart for the ketchup, there's nothing different in this dish - you get the usual tomato-onion-stuffing inside - but what made it outstanding was the freshness of the squid and that it was cooked just right leaving the meat soft and easy to chew.
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| Kibaw Sabaw / Some shellfish cooked in clear broth with ginger and leeks |
We bought some random shellfish (that looked like tulya but bigger) and asked them for recommendation on how to cook it. A lady said sabawan na lang and when I looked at our handwritten receipt, they wrote Kibaw Sabaw. Hence the name of the dish.
I'm not sure what kibaw is but I guess that's how they called that shellfish. Anyway, this very simple dish was so good. Cooked in clear broth, with ginger and leeks, it was a tasty blend of the shellfish juice with a wonderful minty-spicy kick. We couldn't stop sipping the broth.
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| Steamed Lapu-lapu with Oyster sauce |
This one was my favorite. They used just the right amount of oyster sauce, and it permeated the meat of the fish without overpowering the freshness of the Lapu-lapu resulting to a well-balanced flavor; a very delicious dish, the best steamed Lapu-lapu I've ever had.
Dampa sa Mansion was D's favorite among the restaurants we went to (it was my second favorite) because he said the dishes were so simple, the place so unpretentious and yet the foods were fresh, cooked just right and simply outstanding. And I agree.
Kinabuch Bar and Grill Restaurant
369 Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa, PalawanIf you've been to any bar and grill restaurant, you'll find that Kinabuch Bar and Grill is no different. Well, except that they offer exotic dishes like Tamilok (wood worm) and Crocodile meat. But we weren't adventurous enough to try those so we just ordered Sisig, Grilled Tuna Belly and Chopsuey. Though none was a stand-out, the dishes were good enough.
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| Pork Sisig |
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| Grilled Tuna Belly |
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| Chopsuey |
Kinabuch Bar and Grill is a hangout place, if you know what I mean. So if you just want to chill, have some beer while rocking yourself to an upbeat music, this is the place.
Paluto in Pandan Island
Pandan Island, Honday Bay, PalawanWhile doing the Honday Bay Islands Tour, we were thrilled to know that there are paluto services at Pandan Island. Because of our wonderful experience in Dampa sa Mansion, we were looking forward to have our lunch here.
Here are some of the interesting seafoods available:
But we were disappointed when our orders were served. First thing that my taste buds noticed was the lasang usok in all of the dishes (not the same as savory smoky flavor you get from grilled and BBQ meats).
I understand that because we were in an island, they were probably using wood fire to cook, which gives that distinct usok flavor, and I could ignore it if only the dishes tasted good. Unfortunately, they didn't. Buti na lang the seafoods were fresh, so that somehow made up for the lackluster cooking.
But still, compared to the other seafoods we've had while we were in Puerto Princesa, this was a big letdown. Just goes to show na di porke fresh, it will turn out delicious. It will still depend on the skill of person who's preparing and cooking your food.
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| Buttered Garlic Prawns and Alupihang Dagat |
The buttery garlicky taste was lost in this dish.
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| Kibaw Sabaw |
A bigger kibaw, but this is a far cry from the Kibaw Sabaw that we had in Dampa sa Mansion. The shellfish was fresh but it just didn't taste as good.
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| Inihaw na Pusit |
The squid was overcooked and therefore, tough as a rubber. But the freshness was able to shine through behind the not-so-good cooking so we were able to enjoy this dish somehow.
Kalui Restaurant
369 Rizal Avenue Puerto Princesa City Palawan (Opens Daily Save Sundays Lunch 11-2pm; Dinner 6:00-10:30pm )Reservations Requested: You may call our Landline:
(048) 433 2580
Mobile No:
+63 928 753 9621
E-mail: online@kaluirestaurant.com
KaLui Restaurant is one of those highly recommended restaurants in Puerto Princesa. I learned that the place get filled up fast so you better make a reservation a few days before if you want to dine here. But they accept walk-in guests if the house is not full. I said house because KaLui looks like a traditional wooden house furnished with lots of artworks, local decors and indigenous pieces to supplement the native theme.
And like a traditional barrio house, you are expected to remove your footwear before entering the restaurant.
I think we ordered Kalui Special of the Day which consisted of veggies, a fish dish, prawns, a veggie dish, rice and dessert. Because this set is only good for two, we added two more fish dishes and a Seaweed Salad.
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| Veggie for the Day: Fried Egglant Sticks |
These are just eggplants cut lengthwise, dipped in a light batter and fried. Then the slices were topped with a sweet sauce. I can't remember anymore what the sauce was made up of but I do remember liking how it complements the rather bland taste of the eggplant.
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| Additional fish dish: Stingray in Coco Cream |
I honestly can't recall how my first Stingray taste like.
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| Additional fish dish: Steamed Lapu-lapu |
I think it's evident by now that we like Lapu-lapu. Unlike in Dampa sa Mansion, the waiter who took our orders was not very helpful when we asked for suggestion on how to cook the Lapu-lapu. So I just blurted out "steamed" thinking that they have their own special way of doing steamed fish. But when the fish arrived, it was steamed alright. Only, they didn't add anything to it - it was just steamed - so it was devoid of any flavors except for the taste of the fish. It was very uninspiring.
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| Seaweed Salad |
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| Seaweed Salad (the other side) |
This was my order. I was feeling a bit bold and thought I'd have something that I don't usually have. So when the salad came with sashimi slices - I haven't eaten raw fish before this - I got what I asked for. The Seaweed salad is a tumble heap of seaweeds, tuna sashimi, ripe mango, [I think that's] guacamole, basil leaves, cashew nuts and sweet blend of vinegar dressing, which you can sour with squirts of calamansi.
And guess what, I loved this dish. All those flavors and textures provided a refreshingly unique experience to my taste buds. I must say that their vinegar dressing was the glue that held the flavors together. It went well with everything in the bowl.
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| Tuna Steak |
I think fish steak is always a safe dish - all you need is a fresh catch and some flavors, and you're all set. This was good but overcooked and not really memorable.
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| Prawns in Tomato Sauce |
I often find prawns to be less flavorful than smaller-sized shrimps. Because of their thickness, it not always easy for the prawns to absorb essences and flavors added during cooking. So sometimes, the solution is to separate the sauce from the prawns. The tomato sauce here added a delicate tartness to an otherwise flat taste of the prawn. Like the fish steak, it was a nice touch but not something to rave about.
If you're in Puerto Princesa with your significant other, KaLui Restaurant is the perfect date place. The ambience, the mood, the lighting - everything calls for a romantic dining experience. But I was a bit disappointed with the taste of the foods we've had. Except for the Seaweed Salad, I think our orders were mediocre at best. Even D and my parents weren't too impressed. The food was good, but maybe we expected it would be better - something that will inspire us to want to recreate the dish at home because it blew us away.
Ka Inato Restaurant
Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa, PalawanOn our second to the last day in Puerto Princesa, we transferred to Airport View Pension because we had an early flight back to Manila the next day. For lunch, we decided to walk along Rizal Avenue and look for the nearest eatery. That's how we stumbled upon Ka Inato Restaurant.
I know from research that inato is a popular dish in Puerto Princesa. Similar to inasal, inato is a barbeque technique normally used in chicken.
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| I love these CFL lamps. |
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| Chicken Inato |
Undoubtedly better than the Chicken inasals that proliferate in Manila. But I guess the authentic Chicken inasal of Iloilo will also taste better than the copy cats in Manila.
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| Sinigang na Ulo ng Isda |
Head of which fish, I don't remember anymore. Lapu-lapu maybe?
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| Seafood Curry |
Aside from the Chicken inato, the other dishes that we ordered were good but just ordinary. Yung tipong sakto lang ang lasa. So let's move along. Not much to say here.
What I like about Ka Inato is the good food and affordable prices. We usually spend almost a thousand pesos or more in the restaurants we went to so it was a relief (for our wallets) to spend only a few hundreds for our lunch that day.
Badjao Seafront Restaurant
Abueg Road, Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island, PhilippinesBadjao Seafront is another popular restaurant in Puerto Princesa. According to Kuya Tong, our jovial tricycle-driver-slash-tour-guide, they serve the best chili crab in town. That alone is reason enough to go there.
At first, I thought it was the Badjao Inn and Restaurant that I saw along Rizal Avenue that he was referring to. But when we went there, the reception personnel was kind enough to point out that what we're looking for was the Badjao Seafront, which is far from the main road. So we hailed another tricycle to get to the right restaurant. And it was far.
Badjao Seafront is a floating restaurant by the sea and we need to cross this narrow and colorfully decorated bridge to get to there.
Inside, we were treated to another nice native ambience.
This is an alfresco restaurant and it's greatest come-on is the by-the-sea dining. It's best to go there late afternoon, just before the sunsets so you can enjoy the view. I noticed they have lots of electric fans in the dining area and I thought that they are not really necessary because the sea already provides fresh and cooling breeze.
But as the night sets in and because we were seated near the water, I realized that the purpose of the electric fans is not to provided ventilation but to ward off mosquitoes.
Our orders took a bit long to arrive but it was still early and we're not yet hungry so it was okay.
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| Caeser Salad |
A bed of lettuce, bacon and overly toasted bread squares sprinkled with parmesan cheese. It was uneventful, but we're not here for the veggie salad so we didn't expect much.
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| Squid Dish |
I'm not sure exactly what this squid dish was but I distinctly remember that it was very yummy. The squid slices were cooked just right and coated with a generous savory sauce similar to the sauce in the chili crab, but less the spice.
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| Butter Garlic Prawns |
Better than the prawns we had in KaLui as the meat is more flavorful.
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| Grilled Tangigue Steak |
The Tangigue steak was grilled to perfection - outside is a light brown color but the white lightly seasoned fish meat inside stayed soft. And the lato and calamansi provided a nice salty and sour contrast.
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| Sweet Chili Crab |
Badjao Seafront was my favorite among all the dining places we ate at in Puerto Princesa. This was where got the inspiration that we didn't find in KaLui, and we've experimented on our own version of sweet chili sauce since we've tasted that wonderful Chili Crab. I think I have it down pat by now.
If I were to rank these restaurants, it will be in this order:
- Badjao Seafront
- Dampa sa Mansion
- KaLui
- Ka Inato
- Kinabuch
- Paluto in Pandan Island
But please note that I'm ranking these places based solely on the foods we had. Ambience, prices and customer service were not considered. Overall, I think Puerto Princesa, Palawan offers some of the best gustatory experience in the country. And I'm sure there are more to savor in this province, which I hope to try if and when I go back there again.
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