Where to eat in Bantayan Island Cebu? MJ Square, HR Native Restaurant, Tristan’s Pizza

Posted on May 12, 2018November 5, 2018by One Armed Wanderer

Bantayan Island in Cebu is undoubtedly one of the must visit island in the Philippines. Like Boracay in Aklan and El Nido in Palawan, Bantayan Island is a popular tourist destination among locals and foreign tourists alike.

Where to Eat in Bantayan Island Cebu?

Bantayan Island is tourist ready. Just like Boracay, there is a number of restaurants, bars and café in the island.

Bantayan beach resorts such as Anika Island Resort, Hoyohoy Villas Resort and Beach Placid have their own restaurant. However, food their menu may be limited or more expensive. If you are a food adventurer, there are other food places and restaurants in the island. Below are my top 3 recommended places to satisfy your gastronomic adventures in Bantayan Island:

1. MJ Square

MJ Square is the most popular food place in Bantayan Island. Located in Santa Fe Poblacion, MJ Square is near to various beach resorts in the island. It is a few minute tricycle ride away from Anika Island Resort, Beach Placid Resort and Hoyohoy Villas. MJ Square is just a few minute walk from beach resorts such as Amihan Beach Cabanas, Ritzy’s White Beach Resort, Marlins Beach Resort and Yoonek Beach Resort and Kota Beach Resort.

MJ Square Bantayan Island Map
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>A food complex with various restaurants and cafes, MJ Square is definitely a go to place for food lovers and adventurers. This Bantayan Island food place offers a wide array of food choices.

Here is a short video of MJ Square in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island.

Complete list of restaurants in MJ Square:

Chef Panyang – This restaurant has the biggest area and has widest food options. Chef Panyang serves mostly Filipino dishes. If you are on a budget, Chef Panyang offers 59 Php (approx. $1.14) meal. It’s probably the cheapest meal you can have in the island. If you love seafood, they also have seafood all you can at only 299 Php (approx. $5.75).

Cupcake Island Cakery – If you love sweets, visit MJ Square’s Cupcake Island Cakery. This mini bakeshop offers various cakes that will truly satisfy your cravings.

Bantayan Burrito Company – This MJ Square restaurant serves Mexican cuisine and is Vegan friendly.
Shake Me – This small and colorful place in MJ Square is perfect if you are craving for ice cream or shakes in the island.

Channa’s Café & Wine – This mini cafe is a perfect place to hang-out with your Bantayan travel buddies. Channa’s Cafe serves hot & cold coffee and coffee based drinks. They also serve flavored beer. Their drinks are priced from 50 Php (approx $1.00) to 90 Php (approx. $1.80).

Tapa Master – This Bantayan Island restaurant’s speciality is gourmet and exotic Tapas ranging from 89 Php (approx. $1.72) to 269 Php (approx. $5.17). They also offer sisig and various types of sausages.

Hallas Taverna
Stix Smoke House
Paradiso Snack Bar
Sarapoi
Liquido – If you love to drink, Liquido serves various alcoholic drinks.
Hello Spank
All Time Fry

During our 4 days and 4 night stay in Bantayan Island, we had most of our meals at MJ Square. I highly recommend Tapa Master as they serve great breakfast!

Overall, you will love MJ Square’s wide array of food choices. This is the go to place if you are on a budget. The idea of food complex is good as you get to befriend other tourists in the area. The only downside are the flies in the complex.

2. HR Music Bar & Native Restaurant

Located in A. Batobalonos St., HR Native Restaurant is just a few meters away from MJ Square. This restaurant has a wide array of offerings on their menu. They serve seafood, pork, beef, vegetables, pizzas, sandwiches, cold drinks and cocktails.

HR Native Restaurant Map

HR Native Restaurant was the very first restaurant we visited in Bantayan island as it was recommended by our tricycle driver. We later did not regret to dine at HR as their baked scallops in Mozarella cheese (225 Php – approx. $4.50) was very delicious! I should say that it’s the best tasting baked scallops I’ve tried so far.

HR Native Restaurant Menu

Overall, HR Native Restaurant is a good food place in the island. The native ambiance makes the dining experience special. Their baked scallops is a must try!

3. Tristan’s Pizza Hauz and Restaurant

Tristan’s Pizza Hauz & Restaurant is another must visit restaurant in Bantayan Island. Located in F. Roska street and is near to various beach resorts in Santa Fe. Jen and I were very lucky to have met the owner of Tristan’s Pizza Hauz. We learned from her that the place used to be a resort and restaurant. After the typhoon Yolanda, she had to give up the resort and only retained its restaurant.

We ordered their best seller mixed seafood pizza for 450 Php (approx. $8.82). It was a surprise that the pizza is generously topped with mozzarella cheese and seafood (especially shrimps). We super loved the pizza! I should say that it’s one of the best seafood pizza I had!

Apart from pizzas, this underrated food place in Bantayan Island also serves breakfast meals, salads, pastas, rice meals, snacks and beers.

Overall, Tristan’s Pizza Hauz is a must visit for pizza lovers! The place may not be as popular as MJ Square and other restaurants in Bantayan Island, but is definitely one of the islan’s best food place!

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Where to eat cheap seafood in Boracay Philippines? D’ Talipapa at Station 2

Posted on August 5, 2017August 5, 2017by One Armed Wanderer

Apart from enjoying the fine white sands and crystal clear waters of Boracay, the island is also the best place to fulfill your gastronomic adventures. There are countless restaurants in the island serving various dishes such as Filipino, American, Mexican, French, Chinese and many more. If you love seafood, skip these restaurants as there is only one place to enjoy one of a kind seafood dining experience in the island – D’ Talipapa in Station 2 Boracay.

Where to eat seafood in Boracay? – D’ Talipapa

D’ Talipapa is a popular food destination among tourists visiting Boracay island. Located in the busy and crowded Station 2 of Boracay, D’ Talipapa has established its name as the ultimate food destination for seafood lovers. Just like the Seaside Dampa Macapagal in Manila, diners at D’ Talipapa get to enjoy a unique seafood dining experience.

What makes the D’ Talipapa dining experience unique?

Talipapa is a Filipino word which means a small wet market.

Unlike in a typical Boracay restaurant, at D’ Talipapa, you get to choose and shop from various fresh seafood in wet market. The market offers fresh seafood such as shrimps, lobsters, crabs, oysters, squids, sea urchins, fishes and different types of shell fishes such as mussels, scallops and many more!

Scallops

Shrimps

Fishes

Tip: Use you hanging skills in the wet market. Jen and I strolled around the market to check-out the prices of fresh seafood. A kilo of medium-sized shrimps is sold from 550 Php ($11) to 600 Php ($12) . We bought a kilo of shrimps at only 500 Php ($10). Scallops is sold at 400 per kilo. We bought ours a half kilo for only 150 Php ($3).

After shopping, you will have to bring your fresh seafood to a paluto restaurant within the area. Paluto is a Filipino word which means to have the food cooked for you. Just like Seaside Dampa in Manila, you shop for seafood in the wet market and choose a restaurant. Ask the retaurant to cook the seafood for a cooking service charge.

Etniko Bar Resto, Paluto restaurant at D’ Talipapa Boracay

After shopping for seafood, we immediately headed to Etniko Resto Bar. This eye-catching restaurant is literally few steps away from the wet market. Etniko Resto bar has this ethnic theme which makes it stand out from other paluto restaurants.

We browsed the menu and asked one of the staff to cook buttered shrimps and baked scallops. Cooking charge is 200 Php ($4) for the 1 kilo of shrimps and 150 Php ($3) for the half kilo of scallops. Please see the complete list of paluto (cooking) charge below:

Etniko Boracay Menu

I should say that the food tastes good. I personally loved the baked scallops. The food reminds me of our seafood adventures in Islas de Gigantes in Iloilo and of course Roxas City in Capiz. Related: Where to eat in Roxas City, seafood capital of the Philippines.

Here is our total expenses for our dinner at D’ Talipapa (including the paluto):

1 kilo shrimps – 500 Php
half kilo scallops 150 Php
Paluto buttered shrimps – 200 Php
Paluto baked scallops – 150 Php
3 cups of rice- 140 Php
2 sodas – 100 Php
TOTAL 1,240 Php ($24.80)

Kindly note that our order was actually good for 3. We had to consume everything and went back to out hotel very full! Related: Hennan Prime Beach Resort Boracay – Premier Room Review

How to get to D’ Talipapa?

This seafood haven is located in Station 2. If you are coming to any part of the main road, ride a tricycle. Fare if you are coming from Stations 1 or 2 is only 10 Php each ($0.20). Alternatively, if you are coming from any part of the white beach, just walk to Station 3 and ask some locals where D’ Market is. D’ Talipapa is just within the area of D’ Market.

Highly Recommended

If you want a unique and one of a kind cultural dining experience, visit D’ Talipapa in Station 3 Boracay. You get to experience shopping in an authentic Filipino wet market and have it cooked at a nearby Filipino-owned restaurant. Would I recommend this Boracay food place? Definitely yes!

Visiting Boracay? Book you discounted Boracay hotel HERE.

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Seaside Dampa Macapagal – Where to eat seafood in Manila

Posted on March 25, 2017August 6, 2017by One Armed Wanderer

Philippines is undoubtedly a must visit country for its countless beautiful islands with white sand beaches, waterfalls and welcoming and hospitable people. Being an archipelago, Philippines is also rich in marine life. Thus, backpacking the Philippines will not be complete if you will not try to eat delicious seafood. Roxas City in Capiz province is the country’s seafood capital. (Related: Where to eat in Roxas City, Seafood Capital of the Philippines) If you are travelling to Manila, the country’s capital city, You need not to visit Roxas City to enjoy delicious seafood. There is Seaside Dampa Macapagal, a seafood haven right in Manila to fulfill your seafood gastronomic adventures.

Where to eat seafood in Manila?

Seaside Dampa Macapagal is probably the largest seafood place in Manila. It is perfectly situated as it is near to various hotels, shopping malls and casinos. Seafood Dampa Macapagal is also few minute taxi or uber ride away from the Manila Airport (Ninoy Aquino International Airpbalatort). If you are bringing your car, there is a spacious parking area. Parking fee is 20 Pesos.

TIP: If you don’t have a car, it is easier to go to Seaside Dampa Macapagal if you will take uber from any point in Manila. I’m giving you 200 Php off on your first two rides. Just use promo code ‘edp1000ue‘ when you sign up HERE.

Seaside Dampa Macapagal Location Map

Shop for fresh seafood

Market at Dampa Macapagal — Market at dampa macapagal

A post shared by Ed Puno (@onearmedwanderer) on Mar 23, 2017 at 11:08am PDT

Interestingly enough, dining in Seaside Dampa Macapagal is more exciting as you get to shop and choose among the fresh seafood in the palengke or wet market. There is a number of stalls in the market selling fresh sea foods from small shells, shrimps, crabs, lobsters and many more. Just make sure to use your haggling skills as prices may be quite expensive compared to a typical wet market in the country. Nonetheless, you can get discounts from the sellers if you practice your haggling skills.

A post shared by Ed Puno (@onearmedwanderer) on Mar 23, 2017 at 11:06am PDT

Jen and I visited the place for the second time. I let Jen do the haggling and we were able to buy a kilo of shrimps for 550 Pesos and a kilo of crabs for 650 Pesos. Note that the price ranges based from the price of the seafood. The bigger the seafood, the more expensive.

Find a restaurant

Once done shopping for fresh sea foods in the wet market, the next step would be finding the restaurant to cook the seafood. There is a number of restaurants in Seaside Dampa Macapagal, all of which basically offer almost the same prices for the ‘paluto’ of sea foods. Paluto means to ask someone to cook for you. Basically, you shop for seafood and you go to a restaurant and ask them to cook the seafood depending on the dish you like based on their menu.

List of restaurants in Seaside Dampa Macapagal

There are various restaurants in Seaside Dampa Macapagal. Some even have karaoke which are perfect for family gatherings or birthday celebrations.

Aling Marya
Claire dela fuente
Cyrill grilled restaurant
Huey ying
Super wok
Papa dann’s grill
Seazars seafood paluto
Kayming
Ocean bay
Youjie restaurant
Hongkong Mastercook
Cuzina

Since it was our second time in Seaside Dampa Macapagal, after buying sea foods, we knew which restaurant to go – Hongkong Mastercook restaurant. We enjoyed our first experience of ‘paluto’ and dining in the restaurant.

The restaurant is spacious and probably the biggest in Seaside Dampa Macapagal. The service is good too! Their staff from the security guard to waiters are very courteous. Food is served fast and the dishes on their menu are very delicious. Patrons are mostly Chinese.

We checked the menu and instructed the restaurant’s staff of the dish we wanted for the seafood. We fell in love with shrimp and crab in red egg sauce the first time we dined in the restaurant. Jen and I asked the staff to cook 1/2 kilo of buttered shrimps, 1/2 kilo of tempura and a kilo of crabs in red salted egg sauce.

Menu of Hongkong Mastercook seafood paluto restaurant

Except for short order, note that the prices in the menu are only for the ‘paluto’ and are exclusive of seafood.

tempura, buttered shrimps, crabs in salted egg sauce

Basically, you will just order rice and drinks after giving instructions on the dishes you want for the seafood you bought in the wet market. We ordered a platter of rice, bottomless blue lemonade and mango juice. After few minutes, the drinks and the shrimps and crab in red egg sauce were served. The tempura was served 15 minutes later. We had no issue with the delay in tempura as the cooks had to remove the shell of the shrimps.

Budget?

Dining in Seaside Dampa Macapagal can be a bit pricey if you’re a couple or if you’re dining alone. We spent 2,321 for a sumptuous seafood meal. For the price, the servings were actually good for 4 to 6 persons. We actually had to take-out the leftovers as we barely consumed half of seafood we ordered. Here’s the breakdown of our expenses when we visited Seaside Dampa Macapagal:

seafood (wet market)

shrimps – 550 (1 kilo)
crabs – 650 (1 kilo)

Paluto (in Hongkong mastercook restaurant)

buttered shrimps – 175
crabs in salted egg sauce – 328
tempura – 198

Others (in Hongkong mastercook restaurant)

rice platter – 250
lemonade -75
mango juice – 95

Total: 2,321 Pesos ($46)

Overall, if you are a seafood lover travelling to Manila, I would highly recommend Seaside Dampa Macapagal. Being a local, I could not think of any place to fulfill my seafood gastronomic needs aside from Seaside Dampa Macapagal. The experience of shopping for seafood and having them cooked on the dish you prefer is something unique and memorable!

Visiting Manila, Philippines? Book your affordable hotel HERE.

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Where to Eat in Roxas City, Seafood Capital of The Philippines

Posted on January 1, 2016August 5, 2017by One Armed Wanderer

I was very excited to visit Roxas City, Capiz as it pegged as the seafood capital of Philippines. Having one normal arm, it’s really challenging for me to eat any shellfishes. Nonetheless, I was really looking forward to discover Roxas City top food finds.

During my 3-day visit in Roxas City, below are my top 3 places and restaurants that are worth visiting in the seafood capital of the Philippines:

1. Baybay

Baybay is a Visayan word which means seashore.
Located within the Roxas City People’s park, Baybay is undoubtedly the most popular food place for both locals and tourists. Baybay has an array of restaurants and stalls offering the fresh seafood.

seafood court at roxas city people's park

On the right side of the park is Baybay’s seafood Court is an open area where diners can enjoy the sea breeze while having the freshest seafoods Roxas City offers.

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I immediately visited Baybay during my first day in Roxas City. I was surprised that at 8:30 AM, most of the restaurants/food stalls in the Baybay sea food court are still closed. I was lucky though that the staff of Rhiane’s Grill & Resto have already started displaying fresh sea foods in front of their stall.

I ordered for a grilled fish, 2pc. Pork barbeque, talaba (oysters), buko juice and a soda. I was surprised that I just paid (190 Php/$3.80) for a generous amount of food. Apart from the cheaply priced fresh and mouth-watering sea foods, the staff of Rhiane’s Grill and Resto were very friendly and accommodating too.

With Rhiane’s Grill & Resto staff, Baybay, Roxas City

On my second day at Roxas, I tried the a restaurant situated on the left side of Baybay. This time I ordered my favorite calamares and this fish that they call “Kilo-kilo”.

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Seafood

Calamares (190 Php/$3.80) Grilled Kilo-kilo fish (120 Php/$2.4), 1 Rice (12 Php/$0.24), 1 soda (12Php/$0.24) = Total 334 Php/$6.68

The best time to visit Baybay really depends on your preference. If you love quiet and peaceful athmosphere, visit Baybay for your breakfast. If you love to witness some sort of seafood festival/bazaar, Baybay is the perfect for dinner.

I have to say that Roxas City People’s Park/Baybay is my favorite place in Capiz. Apart from the relaxing atmosphere, fresh sea breeze and friendly locals, you will surely have a satisfying gastronomic adventure in Baybay.

Operating hours: Some stalls open as early as 8:30 AM, most stalls close at 12:00 AM
Budget: Starts at 150 Php

2. Raffy’s Bistro – Buckets-Sizzlers-Coffee

Unlike Baybay, this is one among the few high-end restaurants in Roxas City. Located in Halaran Plaza, Raffy’s Bistro is just a few walks away from Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral and the Capiz Provincial Capitol. It is also within an arms reach from Roxas President’s Inn.

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The restaurant itself is very clean and the staff are very friendly. The interior was a fusion between old and modern American Bistro. Raffy’s Bistro serves American-Mediterranean cuisine. They offer salads, handcrafted burgers, pastas, artisan flatbread pizzas etc.

I ordered Seafood Pesto Pasta, Scallops Rockefeller and a bottomless iced cold house tea.

Seafood Pesto Pasta (175 Php/$3.5) – Shrimp, fish, squid in creamy pesto sauce

Scallops Rockefeller (210 Php/$4.20) – Fresh Capiz scallops topped with Bechamel , bacon bits and lots of cheese baked to perfection

Please check out my separate post for the complete Raffy’s Bistro Menu.

Operating Hours: 10:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Contact number: 036-6213976
Budget: starts at 250 Php

3. Spanggo Cafe & Pasalubong

From a failed Pres.Manuel Roxas ancestral house tour, I was heading back to the hotel when I saw the attention grabbing name and architecture of this restaurant. Related: 5 Things to to do in Roxas City aside from eating seafood

Spanggo or Spanish-Ilongo is located along Rizal St. and is also few meters away from Raffy’s Bistro.

I did not think twice and hurriedly checked out the Spanggo Cafe. From the name itself, Spanggo serves Spanish-Ilongo foods. Aside from this, they are also popular for their “pasalubong” items and their delicious homemade pies.

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I ordered “The Big Meal” (195 Php/$3.90)- Pinoy arroz la Cubana: danggit, 2 sunny side up eggs, banana fries and chorizo rice

Please check out my separate post for the complete Spanggo Cafe & Pasalubong Menu.

Operating Hours: 10:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Contact number: 036-522 8848
Budget: starts at 200 Php

Visiting Roxas City? Hotel online booking here.

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