Boracay 2014

The first time I went to Boracay was back in September 2011, when Typhoon Pedring ravaged Manila. Although the island was far from the eye, the typhoon did cause the tide to rise and the waves to swell, forcing tourists indoors. This also coincided with the time when PAL employees went on strike, so we had to stay for one unplanned night in Kalibo because a lot of flights were cancelled. My second visit was during Laboracay of last year, when it seemed like entire cities in Manila decided to go to Boracay en masse. While we enjoyed ideal beach weather since it was in the middle of summer, the volume of people who turned up to see and be seen at the country's ultimate summer event was just too damn high. The island felt crowded; there was just too much noise and six-packs walking in slow motion and wild goings-on.

This made my trip to Boracay this year the most enjoyable I've had so far. We were lucky to have experienced good weather during our entire trip, and there weren't a lot of tourists so the beach and the establishments around it didn't feel crowded. I kept saying how blessed Filipinos are to have the best beach in the world right in our backyard. No matter how many websites gush about the "powdery white sand" that stretch on for kilometers or the "crystal blue waters" of Boracay, nothing beats actually walking on the sand and swimming in its calm waters.

I'm not going to write about the beach as many before me have done. Instead I'm going to give a brief review of some of the restaurants we ate in during our four-day stay.

1. Aria Cucina Italiana

Location: D' Mall

Aria offers an extensive selection of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas and pizzas. The carbonara (PHP 360) didn't have a lot of sauce so it looked dry, but after one bite we concluded that it was the best carbonara we've ever tasted. The pieces of smoked ham did the trick - it seemed like the pasta was soaked with the taste of the ham that there wasn't any need for too much sauce, because the pasta was already packed with flavor. We liked it so much that we went back two days after and had a plate each for dinner.

The boscaiola pizza (PHP 525: tomato sauce, ham, mushroom, mozzarella) was another thing, however. There was nothing special about the taste of the pizza, although the presentation made it look good. The staff were attentive and friendly, so that's definitely a plus.

2. Jonah's Shake

Location: Station 1

Jonah's is a staple in the list of must-tries in Boracay. I tried their banana choco peanut shake (PHP 110) which one of the vendors said was their bestseller, and sadly it wasn't as good as I remembered. The shake wasn't blended well so it tasted like it had bits of ChocNut mixed with old bananas, and the nutty flavor overpowered the other flavors. The watermelon shake also tasted like it had too much sugar and not enough watermelon. It was quite disappointing for Jonah's to fail to maintain the quality of their shakes.

3. Smoke

Location: D' Mall

Smoke is a small restaurant tucked away near the souvenir shops that line D' Mall. The pan-grilled chicken (PHP 160) and pan-grilled pork (PHP 170) swimming in sweet red sauce each came with a cup of rice and were delivered on a sizzling plate. The place was always full, perhaps due to its reputation as one of the more affordable restaurants in the area, so we had to go before 6 p.m. to try the food for ourselves. The sauce really completed the meal in my opinion, but there are restaurants in Manila that offered the same quality of food at a lower price, so again there was nothing special about the food.

4. Cafe del Sol

Location: D' Mall, beside Aria

Cafe del Sol is also owned by the same company that manages Aria. We had the mango crepe (PHP 110) and the caramel coffee frappe (PHP 130) for dessert. The crepe was delish but the frappe was a bit bland, and sadly I forgot to take a photo of both. Since Cafe del Sol is right beside Aria, diners can also enjoy the view of the beach from the gorgeous beachfront area of the restaurant, which offers a romantic ambiance at night.

5. Hama Japanese Restaurant

Location: D' Mall

Hama had a lunch promo that offered bento boxes for PHP 350. We had the ika atarime, which consisted of miso soup, grilled squid, two onigiris (rice triangles), a big serving of vegetable salad, tofu steaks, two pieces of sliced bananas covered in wrappers (in other words, fancy turon), and a glass of red iced tea. The entire set was delicious, especially the squid because it was cooked just right and it was dipped in this delicious sauce. The california maki (PHP 285) also deserves special mention. Unfortunately, I have no photo of the food. :( This was the restaurant I liked best because it offered good food at a reasonable price.

A few other things we tried there were the oreo frappuccino from Bo's Coffee (my favorite frappuccino among all the coffee shops we have), the vanilla-flavored Aria gelato (too sweet and too small for PHP 90), and a cosmopolitan and mojitos at Aplaya. The beachfront restaurants in Boracay are a bit pricier, so if you're looking for more affordable food, there are a few inside D' Mall (Tapa King, Reyes Barbecue, Andok's, Mang Inasal, etc.).

Hope this helps future Boracay tourists!

21-24 October 2014