Find out the best food items and must-try restaurants in Puerto Princesa City in this guide.
If you are thinking of where to eat and what food to try in Puerto
Princesa City, you will never run out of options because of the many
restaurants scattered within the city center of this popular destination. In fact, with both exotic and mainstream dishes that travelers can try
here, I would even consider Puerto Princesa to be a recommended place to
visit for a memorable gustatory adventure.
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| Seafood at baywalk |
Where To Eat In Puerto Princesa City [Restaurant Guide]
Our foodie adventure in Puerto Princesa City
Similar to our previous travels, we were looking forward to trying the food at
Puerto Princesa City. That's because we believe that food and travel invariably go together. To taste local signature cuisine is to have a bite of a region's culture, heritage, and way of life.
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| Strolling at the baywalk |
Puerto Princesa City did not disappoint because we discovered that it had a
lot to offer in terms of food, both exotic and familiar. As such, Puerto
Princesa City comes highly-recommended for thrill-seeking foodie adventurers and even ordinary travelers who just want to enjoy good food.
We found out also during our tour that one of Puerto Princesa's biggest agricultural crops is cashew, thus you can expect to find cashew nut products in most pasalubong (souvenir) shops
around the city.
Exotic food items that are worth trying
Here are some of the most recommended list of exotic food that you might
want to try when you visit Puerto Princesa City:
1. Tamilok
Perhaps Puerto Princesa's, or the whole of Palawan's, most iconic exotic dish is the Tamilok (Toredo Navalis) or woodworm.
While most people might feel squeamish with the idea of eating worms, tamilok is actually a type of mollusk. Tamilok is from the same family as oysters, hence its similarity in taste to oysters.
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| Tamilok kinilaw (ceviche). Photo courtesy of www.foodtrippings.com |
This wood-burrowing mollusk lives in and feeds on dead mangrove tree trunks. As such, tamilok gatherers are always on the lookout for dead, fallen mangrove tree trunks along rivers and seasides.
Once the tamilok is taken out of its burrow and exposed to air, it quickly
changes its color from white to bluish.
Tamilok is traditionally eaten fresh, soaked in vinegar, and seasoned with a little salt, crushed pepper, chilies, and garlic.
Most restaurants, however,
have found ways to prepare tamilok to cater to those who prefer to eat it cooked. So expect to find tamilok cooked into sinigang (sour soup with vegetables), or fried and breaded in some restaurant's menu.
For those who are adventurous and would want to try tamilok, it's available in many restaurants around Puerto Princesa City. Unfortunately, we were not so daring to eat tamilok during our tour of Puerto Princesa City.
2. Crocodile meat
We were told by our guide during our
Puerto Princesa City Familiarization Tour that one of the most sought-after exotic meats in the city is from crocodiles. Crocodile meat is supplied by the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation
Center and not taken from the wild.
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| Baby crocodiles at the Puerto Princesa Wildlife and Conservation Center |
Crocodile meat is usually made into sisig or adobo. Oftentimes, it is simply grilled over hot coals. It is also processed into longganisa (sausages) and tocino and sold frozen at the Puerto Princesa City Wildlife and Conservation Center.
According to those who have tasted it, crocodile meat tastes just like ordinary pork or chicken meat, especially when seasoned with herbs and spices.
3. Lamayo
Lamayo is just regular danggit (rabbitfish) that is prepared in a different manner in
Puerto Princesa City. The fish is marinated in herbs and spices and then just partially dried under the sun. This method allows the fish to retain most of its flavor while giving it that delectable crunch when deep-fried.
When I initially asked what lamayo was, I was informed that it was a variety of danggit but upon researching, I learned that it was a type of fish preparation.
Lamayo is really similar to how daing na bangus is prepared, which is butterflied, marinated, and dried. Aside from danggit, bangus and tilapia can be made into lamayo.
Where to eat in Puerto Princesa City
If exotic food is not your thing, you can still enjoy delicious food in
Puerto Princesa City in the following restaurants.
It's easy to go to these food establishments because these are mostly located along Rizal Avenue. Just hail a tricycle and tell the driver to bring you to your restaurant of choice. The tricycle fare is around P20.
1. Mangan Kayon
Location: Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City
While this restaurant seemed out of place because of its Ilocano name, it's still one of the most popular restaurants in the city.
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| Mangan Kayon Restaurant |
Mangan Kayon (“Kain kayo!” in Tagalog and “have something to eat!” in English)
is a Bahay Kubo-style restaurant with its main hall divided into small partitions
so that diners are given a little privacy when enjoying their meal.
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| Enjoying a boodle fight meal at Mangan Kayon restaurant |
Food in Mangan Kayon is definitely Filipino and the restaurant is best-known for its boodle fight meals consisting of grilled fish, crabs and shrimps,
vegetables, grilled pork belly and adobo pork, salted eggs, and a side salad.
2. Kinabuchs Grill and Bar
Location: Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
Another famous restaurant in Puerto Princesa is Kinabuchs Grill and Bar that serves both Filipino and Western dishes.
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| Kinabuchs Bar and Grill |
The restaurant specializes in grilled seafood and meats. Here at Kinabuchs, tamilok is available most of the time and prepared in a variety of ways, such as fresh, fried, breaded, adobo, and sinigang.
Meanwhile, you can also order a plate of crocodile sisig if you want something unique to pair with your beer.
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| Ribs barbecue |
We tried Kinabuchs' baby back ribs and grilled tuna belly. Both dishes were good and very easy to recommend to those who like to eat something not exotic. Kinabuchs gets really
busy at night because they serve beer and other alcoholic drinks.
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| Grilled tuna belly |
This is probably the best seafood restaurant in Puerto Princesa City
because of the extensive choices in its menu.
3. KaLui Restaurant
Location: Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
When in Puerto Princesa City, never miss eating at KaLui Restaurant. It's a
semi-fine dining restaurant and art gallery rolled together. As such, aside from delicious food, expect also a visual treat at KaLui Restaurant.
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| KaLui Restaurant |
Before you can enter the restaurant, you will be politely asked to remove your footwear which you will have to deposit in small wooden drawers right outside the entrance. The floor is polished wood and bamboo, eliminating the need for shoes or slippers.
For those who are unfamiliar, it's an old Filipino practice to remove one's footwear before entering
another person's house or bedroom, as a sign of respect and so as not to
tarnish the floor that had been painstakingly polished to a brilliant shine.
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| Set meal |
The menu at KaLui is limited, usually with different Set Meals on offer per night. The dishes are a fusion of Filipino and Western cuisine.
We ordered the Kalui Special of the Day Set, which consisted of fish steak, prawns, veggies of the day, fish roll in coco cream, rice, and starters. The food was delicious and at par with fine-dining standards.
For art enthusiasts, prepare to have your artsy cravings satisfied with
different paintings and beautiful wood carvings that adorn the entire place.
4. Baywalk
Location: Sandoval Street, Puerto Princesa City
Baywalk is located near the port area and is host to a strip of restaurants and bars. The place used to be occupied by informal settlers until a large fire gutted the whole neighborhood, forcing the community to evacuate.
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| Sea urchin |
It has since been transformed into a bustling park with benches, restaurants
and bike lanes, very similar to baywalk along Manila Bay.
The dining style here is "paluto," which means diners would have to choose from the various fresh fish, meat, and seafood that are on display right outside the restaurant. The restaurant personnel would then cook the food based on the customers’ liking.
They also serve fresh uni or sea urchin but judging from the way these are
displayed without any ice or form of refrigeration, you might as well just have these grilled than eat them raw.
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| Boodle fight meal |
If you are like us who have big appetites, go ahead and get the boodle fight set meals. This filling meal is composed of seaweed salad, a bowl of soup made from any fish and vegetables of your choice, grilled fish and meats, mussels, vegetables, and lots of rice, that are served over a large sheet of banana leaf.
The food here is surprisingly good, definitely worth a visit when in Puerto
Princesa. The place is also a good escape from the hustle and bustle of the city after a day of moving around
5. Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa
Location: Arreceffi Island, Honda Bay
You may have to exert a little effort to get to
Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa because you need to ride a ferry to reach it. It may sound inconvenient to visit Dos Palmas but it's really worth your time.
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| Snacks |
If overnight accommodation is not possible, you can just purchase a day tour package. That is already inclusive of the ferry ride as well as the use of
Dos Palmas' facilities like snorkeling gear, kayak, and life vest, to name a
few.
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| Fish steak |
Dos Palmas offers one of the most affordable hotel food that we have tried.
Nevertheless, the quality and quantity of food are never compromised. The servings are huge and the items are flavorful.
It was here at Dos Palmas where I tasted a unique version of halo-halo in which the ice is made of milk. The ice in the halo-halo was really smooth and, of course, a lot creamier than regular shaved ice.
I asked the server why it was served that way and she said that foreigners are unfamiliar with how to eat halo-halo.
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| Enjoying the breakfast buffet |
Most of the time, those foreigners consume halo-halo without bothering to mix all of the ingredients together, which meant that the flavors would not combine together. As a result, they fail to enjoy the full taste of the halo-halo.
When the actual ice in halo-halo is made of milk, this problem is eliminated. The halo-halo would already be flavorful, to begin with.
On a further note, Dos Palmas’ breakfast buffet is likewise notable. There were bacon, sausages,
eggs, fish fillet, rice, bread, pancakes, cereal, milk, coffee, and fresh
fruits at the buffet table.
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| Palawan yogurt |
It was also here where I tasted Palawan yogurt. This type of yogurt was a
lot tangier than the regular commercial yogurt variety. To enjoy Palawan yogurt, drizzle a
little honey over it to balance the taste. The contrast of sour and sweet flavors was pleasant to the mouth.
Epilogue
Puerto Princesa's ability to tickle the taste buds of both daring food
adventures and regular foodies make it not just a popular tourist
attraction but a worthy culinary destination as well.
When in Puerto Princesa, be a little bold and try the various gastronomic
delights that the city has to offer.
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Talaga namang Kakaiba ang mga Pagkain dito, Sobrang Sulit ang pagpunta Mo dito, Hindi ka lang mag eenjoy sa explore our Self kundi mabubusog ka rin sa mga Masasarap na pagkain...truly indeed Puerto Prinsesa is one of the Best Beautiful Place in The Philippines 💯👌❤❤
ReplyDeleteIsa rin ito sa magandang puntahan. Napaka gandang place nitong puerto Prinsesa. Talagang babalik balikan mo.. At totoong mag eenjoy ka dito. Bukod pa dun makakain mopa ang masasarap nilang pagkain .
ReplyDeleteAfter ng pandemic parang ang sarap po pumunta ng puerto princesa. Perfect place to relax and unwind with family po. Dami mo din pwedeng gawin na amazed ako sa exotic food nila and parang gusto ko subukan matikman🤗
ReplyDeleteIf you are in Puerto Princesa City and hunger suddenly strikes, you are not to worry because there are a lot of food places you can find. With the list that we have, you can never go wrong with all the options on where to fill your tummy. Every place has a lot to offer. You will never go hungry in this place
ReplyDeleteThese are nice adventures to try. The foods are extra challenging to try. This will indeed be a great visit.
ReplyDeleteIsa sa pinka magandang lugar ito , perfect place to relax and enjoy , ang sasarap pa ng mga foods na tlga nman babalik balikan 😍♥️
ReplyDeleteSo much good detail!
ReplyDelete