Boracay during the Habagat season is about sunny but gusty days, sporadic showers, cool nights, and a high tide that reaches to the line of coconut trees fronting the hotels on Station 1. It’s still highly enjoyable, less crowded, and a great opportunity to explore food options on the island.
Percy Seafood, located by the lobby of Seaworthy Boutique Hotel Station 1, was one of our great finds this trip. Their Korean Campfire Scallops with garlic-butter Soju sauce is a real winner. I also enjoyed the Crab Meat with Charred Corn Tortellini as a filling pasta option. Their famous Best Fish and Chips is done with thick mahi-mahi fillets, hand-cut fries, and aioli sauce; and if you have a sweet tooth, reserve some ‘space’ for their Mango Sticky Rice that uses brown rice - and yes, I love how it takes some of the guilt away.
Percy Seafood is still another food concept from Nowie and Odette Potenciano. The couple have played a big part in refashioning the Bora culinary landscape since 2014, when they opened their Sunny Side Cafe in Station 3, (and now have a Station 1 branch). SpiceBird, Hello Sailor bar, Coco Mama vegan ice cream, Little Wave, Sunny Side Pizza, and SuperMagic Burgers are all part of the ever-expanding Sunny Side Group.
We stayed at Discovery Shores on this trip, and sneaked in a breakfast at Osteria Forno. Their Sands is the go-to for most of the guests, and it’s kept the Forno breakfast something of a secret for the Signature Suites guests. Well worth the exploring, as there are set breakfasts that are cooked up when you order them and I loved their Eggs Benedict, as it came with a small salad, grapes, and some sinful bacon.
The D-Shores F&B is also behind a new food concept that will open in September, right beside the Station 1 resort. Platitos is your upgraded carinderia, where the food items will be served in kawali pans. It’s a bevy of comfort food selections that’s primarily Filipino cuisine; but with added touches of party spaghetti, cheeseburgers, and pork BBQ sticks. Affordable, ideal for family style eating, and relying on ‘comfort’ to the max, it’s Discovery F&B quality at unheard of prices.
The Royal Indian Curry House (RICH) at Station 2 is the prevailing home for quality Indian cuisine on the island. Branches at Poblacion and Pasay City will make RICH a familiar name to fans of this cuisine. My recommendations here would be their Mutton Rogan Josh, medium spicy; and the RICH Special Crispy Corn. Loved using the mutton curry sauce with the Tandoori Roti. Their Shikanji, or Spiced Indian Lemonade is really different, lemonade with pepper.
On an impromptu basis, I was asked by Discovery Hospitality Corp. CEO Jun Parreño, to be one of the judges of the culinary competition of their in-hotel Skills Olympics. Jun is an old friend and someone you cannot say no to. And it was fun to watch the four teams vie for the prize. In the first contest, the mystery ingredient all groups had to use for the main course was garoupa; while in the dessert category, they were given a sponge cake and cheese - with each group selecting from parmesan, mascarpone, brie, and feta.
Loved the competitive spirit and camaraderie of the hotel staff, and I have to admit that I was floored by the dishes the four groups came up with. Tasty, inventive, and worthy of consideration to be part of the regular menu, it’s refreshing to realize there’s so much budding talent working in our hotels, and we can only hope they’re given enough exposure and exciting career paths.
Amihan is just a few months away (mid-October?), when the seas are calmer and visitors will flock in droves to this island paradise. Hoping this feature will help you plan your Bora food itinerary.