Food: Places to Eat in Puerto Princesa, Palawan

Catching up on some of my delayed posts, here are the places where we ate when we went to Puerto Princesa Palawan last February 2013. Since it's been more than a year, I can no longer remember the exact prices but I do remember how each food we ate is almost always perfect - very delicious and relatively cheaper.

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, Palawan

It 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.

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.

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.

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.

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, Palawan

If 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.

Pork Sisig

Grilled Tuna Belly

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, Palawan

While 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.

Buttered Garlic Prawns and Alupihang Dagat

 The buttery garlicky taste was lost in this dish.

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.



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.

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.

Additional fish dish: Stingray in Coco Cream

I honestly can't recall how my first Stingray taste like.

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.

Seaweed Salad

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.

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.

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, Palawan

On 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.

I love these CFL lamps.

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.

Sinigang na Ulo ng Isda

Head of which fish, I don't remember anymore. Lapu-lapu maybe?

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, Philippines

Badjao 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.

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.

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.

Butter Garlic Prawns

Better than the prawns we had in KaLui as the meat is more flavorful.

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.

Sweet Chili Crab

The dish that brought us here - this Chili Crab lived up to our expectations. The large crab bathing in the most awesome sweet chili sauce. It has the right blend of sweetness and spice, and punctuated by hints of garlic, perhaps oyster sauce - it was a true stand out. I think this was the most expensive dish on our table but it was worth the price.

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:

1. Badjao Seafront
2. Dampa sa Mansion
3. KaLui
4. Ka Inato
5. Kinabuch
6. 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.

Place: Airport View Pension, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

UPDATE: Airport View Pension is already closed. Natura Cabins has acquired the area that was once occupied by Airport View Pension.

Airport View Pension is one of the cheapest accommodations in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. It is conveniently located near the airport - a mere 2 minutes away - perfect for those who need just a place to crash before flying the next day.

This is the same reason why I chose to book Airport View Pension. When the first pension where we stayed in, Sunflower Royal Pensionne, had no available rooms on the last day of our Puerto Princesa trip, I opted to look for something cheap but still decent (meaning: air conditioned with own bathroom) and near the airport because we had an early flight back to Manila the following day.

Similar to Sunflower Royal Pensionne, I booked this pension through Agoda. The location is perfect and the reviews are good enough. The less than Php1,000 per night rate for a standard twin sharing room satisfied my "cheap" condition. It would've been cheaper if I got the family room, which is good for 4, but I thought, just by looking at the photos, that it looked too cramp to be comfortable for 4 people.

The Room

For it's price, I definitely wasn't expecting a fancy room. And true enough, they were not. The accommodations were container vans that they converted into stand alone rooms. On the outside, it was cute and I even fancied having something similar to build on our spare lot.

Because the pension is just beside the airport, Wi-fi signal is strong outside the rooms. They also have wooden benches in front of every room where you can sit, take advantage of the Wifi or just relax and enjoy the breath of fresh air outside.

But inside is a different scenario. The room is really small and that's not exaggerating it. Space is limited as they tried to fit everything in. You get the bed in one corner, a small table and chair sandwiched between the bed and the door, a closet in another corner with the TV on the top shelf and beside it, the bathroom.

  

That's basically all the free space in this room. I was already at the door of the bathroom when I took this picture.

  

Toilet and bath - toilet on one wall, shower on the opposite. You wouldn't believe that they were even able to fit a sink behind the door. You can't bring your clothes inside when taking a bath, because everything will get wet once you turn on the shower. But at least, water pressure was good and the bathroom was well-maintained.

Despite the size of the room, I thought our bed looked comfy, the sheets were clean and the towels were folded nicely. Until we slept on it. The linens reek of bleach and the foam mattress was old and saggy. We all woke up with backaches in the morning. Mine was worst that I had to get a massage in order to relieve the aching.

Problem during Check-in

If you've noticed in the pictures above, this was the family room good for 4 and not the standard twin sharing room. We got a room upgrade. Here's why:

Upon check in, we found out that they didn't reserve the 2 standard rooms I booked through Agoda, and the person on the front desk told us that they only have 1 standard room and 1 family room available. Initially, he wanted to give us the family room because it can accommodate 4 persons. But when my husband learned about this, he argued that we reserved 2 separate rooms and wouldn't accept that we occupy the family room because it's too cramped for 4 people (and it is, honestly, which is why we reserved 2 rooms in the first place). He added that it wasn't our fault that their reservations were messed up and insisted that we should be given 2 separate rooms, because that's what we booked.

The guy, in all fairness to him, was apologetic and kind. He admitted to their fault and let us have the family and the standard room. My husband and I stayed in the family room while my parents stayed in the standard room. Theirs, as expected, was smaller and they complained of the poor airconditioning and the rusty smell of the water coming out of the faucet and shower.

In our room, airconditioning was okay, but you have to turn on the electric fan to distribute the cold air inside, and water smelled okay. The small TV was working, too, albeit 'strategically' placed on top of the closet to maximize room space. We just needed to lie on the bed at a certain angle to be able to watch without straining our necks. Except for the saggy mattress, I really have no major other complaints - the cramped space was tolerable especially if I remind myself of the price of the room.

The Verdict

Overall, if you're only staying for the night and want something near the airport and Rizal Avenue, which is where most of the restaurants are, then Airport View Pension is a great choice. But if you're staying for a few days and want a cozy place where you can rest after touring the beautiful places that Puero Princesa City has to offer, I really suggest that you look somewhere else.

Place: Sunflower Royal Pensionne House, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

When we went to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan last February, we stayed at Sunflower Royal Pensionne House. And I was glad that we did.

Booking and Airport Pick-up

I booked Sunflower Royal Pensionne House through Agoda, 2 standard rooms for 3 nights. It was the cheapest that I can get that's relatively near the city. At P1,200/night (Agoda rate), with free breakfast and airport transfers, I think it's a very good deal. It's not one of the popular pension houses in Puerto Princesa, and there were only few reviews then but I took my chances.

When my booking was confirmed, I immediately left a message on their Facebook page to let them know of the booking in Agoda. The person who I was corresponding with was very polite and would always answer my questions.

Since I didn't have much time to prepare and research our itinerary, I decided to course all tours through the pension house. He only asked for a downpayment so they can process our permits for the Underground River Tour. Unfortunately, a few weeks before our planned trip, my grandmother passed away and I was not able to settle the downpayment. But he was very considerate and was even willing to allow me to forgo the downpayment and just pay the whole amount when we arrive at the hotel. Good thing, I found some free time to go to the bank a few days before we left for Palawan.

During boarding time, I also sent a text message to inform him that we're about to depart from Manila so they could estimate our arrival time at PPS airport. When we arrived at PPS, I immediately saw a man holding a sign bearing my name. Our airport pick up was prompt and he was nice enough to help us load our bags into the van. As he drove us from the airport to the hotel, he briefed us about the laws in Puerto Princesa and entertained my questions about the tours that I talked to him about in Facebook.


The Pension and Room

Sunflower Royal Pensionne House is 2 kilometers away from the city proper, in a quieter area pero medyo looban na. From the outside, it looked new and well looked after. The lobby/reception area excuded a homey atmosphere, with modest wooden furnitures and indigenuous decors, most notable of which was the preserved armadillo. And I couldn't help but notice how clean and shiny the floor tiles were.

Entrance that opens to the reception area/ main lobby.

More wooden furnitures just beside the main entrance.

Main lobby that looks like your regular sala.

The rooms they assigned to us were in the ground floor right next to the lobby, which was great because my parents are not fond of going up and down the stairs. But I guess the rooms on the 2nd floor were nice, too becaues they have access to the veranda.




Our rooms were the two adjacent rooms on the right.

2nd floor lobby area

2nd floor veranda

The standard rooms were pretty basic. Each has a double-sized bed with foam mattress, writing table, closet, cable TV and aircon. The bathroom was a little cramped though, but it was clean and had plenty of water supply. For the price that we paid for, I feel the room provisions were good enough.

Double-sized bed

Table and Chair

Cable TV and Aircon

Closet

Bathroom

The Eating Area and Breakfast

The complimentary breakfast was served at the rooftop dining area located on the 3rd floor. It had a nice view of the city and gave us the pleasure of enjoying our meal as we inhaled the fresh breeze of the morning. There's also a beautiful wash area and restroom in one corner. We always looked forward to having our breakfast there not only because of the ambiance but also because of the food and service.



View from the rooftop

Large and open-air dining area

Cute wash area and restroom near the dining area

Breakfast was not buffet-style, but the servings were large (and I think you can even asked for second helpings) and the food, traditional Filipino breakfast, were delicious. But the most commendable aspect of breakfast was the service. The staff who were attending the guests were very friendly, helpful and always had sincere smiles on their faces.

Traditional Filipino Breakfast: Pritong Danggit (the best!), Adobong Manok, Pritong Itlog

I thought they had their glasses customized.

The Service and Location

And speaking of service, everyone at Sunflower Royal Pensionne House was very accommodating, especially the owners. This is a family-owned pension house and all members do their part in making sure that the guests are well attended to. The man of the house was reputed to be one of the best cooks in Puerto Princesa and we even asked if he could cook Chili Crabs for us. He was willing but the pension house was unfortunately fully booked that time and they were undermanned, so he didn't have enough time to cook.

However, they don't do house cleaning unless you ask for it (I read it in the house rules). Room supplies like bathroom tissue, toiletries and towels were also not "impressive". But hey, this is a 2-star accommodation so I didn't expect much and I'm not really complaining.

Location-wise, I think it's good if you prefer to rest during the evening and have a peaceful sleep than spend the night on the town. It's far from Rizal Avenue, the central strip in Puerto Princesa where most of the fancy restaurants and establishments are, but it's just a few steps away from the main road, where you can hail a tricycle to get to almost anywhere in the city.


The Verdict

Overall, the Sunflower Royal Pensionne House was a good find and we truly enjoyed our stay there. It was a home away from home. Yes, it was straightforward and while it might not have the bells and whistles of the other more posh accommodations, the food and service more than make up for those. Definitely recommended budget accommodation in Puerto Princesa City!

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Sunflower Royal Pensionne
Web: http://sunflowerroyalpensionne.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SunflowerRoyalPensionne
Email: sunflowerpension@yahoo.com
Phone: +63 (048) 723 2997
            +63 917 844 1709 (globe)
            +63 939 252 6381 (smart)