A Taste of Boracay

When I started this blog months ago I promised to just write about food places in Los Banos and I tried to keep that until I decided to take a break from the university and start working in Manila. Being away from LB for so long placed this and all the food blogging on the back burner until I and my friends decided to reward ourselves with a much needed getaway to Boracay.

I didn't even have food blogging in my mind until one of my friends mentioned it over a very late dinner at Ole, one of the restos that serve Spanish, Mexican, and Cuban food in Boracay. And thanks to my supportive girl friends, here's one a little out of place but hopefully helpful helping of LB Food Trip.

Night Caps Redefined

We had a somewhat long and uncomfortable trip to Kalibo (thanks to ZestAir's unforgettable service) followed by a shuttle ride and boat transfer from Caticlan to the island of Boracay and so the girls and I just lazed through the afternoon and decided to take a power nap before heading out for dinner. The power nap stretched into a full length sleep and before we knew it, it was already past midnight. Unwilling to lend what remains of the night to slumber, the girls and I went to D* Mall to grab a very late dinner before enjoying the proverbial Boracay night.

There were still a few restaurants open but we kind of jumped into what appeared to be the most inviting and, well, alive at that unholy hour. Ole boasts of a menu bursting with Spanish, Mexican, and Cuban dishes. I say "bursting" because they have a pretty long list of dishes for a restaurant that is open 24 hours a day. Plus the place looked quite homey and unpretentious.

We were already hungry but still a bit groggy from our power nap (hehe) and so we decided to order something that serves quick and is fail-proof. And what says quick in Tex-Mex lingo better than nachos, right?

I hope you can still see the Nachos in this pic. It was gone before we even remembered to take a picture of it. Hehe!

The nachos they have in this place may be considered run-of-the-mill with the favorite toppings of ground beef, tomatoes, onions, refried beans, and cheese but we were to find out later that regular as they were, their nachos were indeed quick serving and fail-proof in satisfying anyone's nacho cravings. It fared better in our group's verdict when placed against the nachos they serve at Two Seasons Hotel which we tried the day after.

The next dish that we tried was their fried chicken. We ordered two variants: their garlic fried chicken and the regular fried chicken. And, man! The chicken pieces were crispy enough to drown the insufferable yapping of the lady a few tables away (I remember this clearly. Haha!). And the presentation, I don't know if it's only me, but it actually hit the spot. It wasn't top chef but to think that they do this 24 hours a day, I'd say A for effort for the Ole people.


The experience might be quite hazy now, what with all the months that have passed since that night but what I'm still certain of as of this moment is that if I ever wound up in Boracay, hungry and groggy in the middle of the night, I would definitely go to Ole for a satisfying fix.


When life hands you lemons...


You've probably heard about it. You probably know it's one of the top rated restos not just in Bora but in the Philippines. And you've probably been there before. I haven't, I don't, and no, I have never been there before. Yes, I'm talking about Lemon Cafe. For those of you who are still curious, this restaurant is one of those in Boracay that lean on the posh side of things. The ambiance is definitely notches higher than most places but what I specially like about it are its lighting and the overall color theme. It's posh alright but doesn't take away from the coziness of the beach where it is located.

That's me and my cappuccino!

So let's get down to what they actually serve. I wasn't feeling well that day and so I went for a pick-me-up which in this particular day is a cup of creamy cappuccino. I'm a the-world-is-a-much-better-place-with-a-cup-of-coffee kind of person. It doesn't have to be gourmet coffee it just has to be hot and rich in flavor. And I'm no connoisseur so I can say I'm not very difficult to please. You might be wondering why I am giving this much of an overture already. Well it is because my smile in the picture doesn't quite paint the right picture. Yeah, the coffee didn't hit that sweet spot for me. But then again, it's probably because I'm a little sick. Oh well.

Looks good enough to eat... If only looking at it
is the only thing you'll ever do.

The next thing I ordered without trepidation is their Eggs Benedict. Do you get that feeling that when you're sick you just want to have breakfast all day? Well I usually get that. And this is Lemon Cafe we're talking about so they can't go wrong, right? Sad to say, for whatever reason, there was just too much lemon juice in the hollandaise sauce and the egg was a little overcooked. The bagel they used also lacked the chewiness that makes it what it is. Haaay... It's just sad when restaurants, especially highly esteemed ones, go wrong on classics such as this one.

This makes for a good palate cleanser.

We also ordered an Asian salad to share. The presentation gave the dish a refreshing visual appeal that was actually a good testament to its actual taste and texture. Had the eggs ben been a tad better, I would say that this salad actually saved our lunch from being a waste of money.




Here are two other dishes that my friends tried. The french toast didn't get good comments from my friends either and the pasta was not a good value for money, it turns out.

My friend's French Toast

My friend's Pasta

Looking back on our Lemon Cafe experience, it only made it clearer to me that presentation on the plate, no matter how impeccable, does not save a dish that doesn't taste good on the stove, grill, or wherever you cook it. Am I telling you now to stay away from Lemon Cafe? No, definitely not. I still have to try their other dishes to actually be able to tell you that. After all, I just had breakfast. There's still plenty to be had. It takes more than a few dishes for me to actually turn my back on a restaurant, especially one with so much accolade attached to its name.


I hope this review reaches the people of Lemon Cafe and that they would take it as well as the saying goes: When life hands you lemons, you've got to make lemonade.


So there you have it. I only featured two of the restaurants that we visited for the lack of photos of the other restaurants and also because I feel that these two restaurants stood out from the other places that we visited. I hope to add more since Boracay is such a popular place both for locals and foreigners. Haaay... I missed blogging so much!