Dining in Boracay: Filipinized at Ka-on, Overwhelmed at Ambassador

Boracay - The Tides Lamb Shank Caldereta One of the great pleasures of revisiting Boracay is the eats.  For an island no more than 10 square kilometers, the place offers a wide range of international cuisine, establishments wooiing diners with new flavors and treats.   After the sun goes down on White Beach, it’s a heady experience wading through restos and discerning which ones are worth the visit.   I was fortunate enough to visit for a writing assignment.  Appropriately, food was the topic so even though stuffing your face day in and day out to gather notes on the food is hardly the way to really enjoy the eating experience, I’m grateful for the opportunity.  Here, I write about Ka-on and Ambassador in Paradise, two dining destinations on the island worth revisiting.

Three at Steak: Fireplace, I Am Angus and 22 Prime

Fireplace Steak

Majority of Filipinos are still meat eaters. We love a good and flavorful steak. And those looking for a more exquisite kind of meat would be glad to know that Manila isn’t short of restaurants serving high grade steaks. We only have to choose the dining experience to match with that sumptuous food. Here we steaked-out three restaurants offering some of the best tasting steaks in Manila.

Hot tsokolate, steaming coffee and hearty breakfast at Kuatro Kantos

Kuatro Kantos Grilled Ensaymada

With the rainy season upon us, it would take a compelling reason to get out of bed (or a warm, dry office) to go look for breakfast fare. That’s exactly what your happyfoodies did, visiting the walled city of Intramuros on a rainy weekday morning maybe not much out of curiosity to ogle at the historic sites but more out of a compulsion to try something beside the usual fastfood variety breakfast.

Turning up the heat at 145° Fahrenheit

145° Fahrenheit US Wagyu Manhattan Cut

The Morato area has long been a favorite haunt for eager diners. And why not? The selections are nice and the prices are usually much lower than those in Makati. It can be quite a drive or a ride away though especially for those who live in the South but at times, you stumble upon a place that’s worth the trouble. Could 145o be one of those?

Wake up to Pinoy breakfast fare at Sentro 1771

Sentro 1771 Bonoan Boneless Bangus

No doubt, the Pinoy has gone global, his taste buds included. He/she has acquired a liking for tastes and flavors that transcend our borders but probe deeper and there’s this deep-seated, deeply-rooted liking for Pinoy food. Your happyfoodies are no exception. We love Pinoy food, period. But is there a place for Pinoy food in a fine dining set-up? The people at Sentro 1771 would like to believe so. The purveyors of modern Filipino cuisine, Sentro 1771 puts a twist to Pinoy fare. Their breakfast offerings at their Serendra location list more Pinoy selections than the Western kind. But are they worth waking early for? Your happyfoodies checked them out.

Two desserts in one Custaroon

custaroons duo

Two-in-one coffee mix. Two-in-one toothpaste and mouthwash. Two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Two-in-one mobile phone and organizer. We live in a curious age when consumer products are marketed to be better because they’re essentially two products in one. But how about desserts? Sure, we’ve got cake a la mode but that’s about it. That is, until we heard of Custaroons.

Just what on earth is a custaroon? Well, it’s a mix of custard (or leche flan in more familiar terms) and macaroons (dessicated coconut and milk confection). It’s a term coined by its creator, Gigi Gaerlan, a self-confessed sweet tooth and leche flan fanatic. Hailing from a family of restaurateurs, getting into a hobby of baking sweet treats came naturally to Gigi. In a very competitive marketplace, she felt the need for a unique product she can call her original. So she mixed her liking for custard with her mom’s recipe for macaroons. At first, she just baked batches for giving away to relatives and friends. But soon, orders started trickling in. That was way back in 2000. At present, Gigi’s Custaroons are still home-baked in her kitchen in Sta Mesa. Happyfoodies samples custaroons and shares the experience.

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