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In pictures: Gastronomic delight for Kolkata boy during month-long stay in Philippines’ Siargao and Cebu

From adobo and lechon to pork menudo and fish sinigang, not to forget Halo Halo ice cream, Filipino cuisine impresses journalist-globetrotter with diverse tastes

Arnab Nandy Philippines Published 10.05.24, 01:50 PM
I spent a month on Siargao island in the Philippines in March-April. I cooked quite a bit but sometimes went out to eat, too. One of the interesting gastronomic experiences was Boodle Fight, a typical community meal in the Philippines. All the food is laid out on the table and people help themselves and eat right off the banana leaves. All eating is done with hands. The ‘fight’ is basically trying to consume as much food as you can before the others! My neighbours at my homestay were an Australian woman and a local man. They invited friends over for a barbecue and invited me over
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I spent a month on Siargao island in the Philippines in March-April. I cooked quite a bit but sometimes went out to eat, too. One of the interesting gastronomic experiences was Boodle Fight, a typical community meal in the Philippines. All the food is laid out on the table and people help themselves and eat right off the banana leaves. All eating is done with hands. The ‘fight’ is basically trying to consume as much food as you can before the others! My neighbours at my homestay were an Australian woman and a local man. They invited friends over for a barbecue and invited me over

All photographs by the author
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A couple of friends picked me up from Cebu airport during my layover and we went over for a seafood brunch at a nearby restaurant. The dish was garnished with crispy onions, tomatoes and spices and appeared quite oily
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A couple of friends picked me up from Cebu airport during my layover and we went over for a seafood brunch at a nearby restaurant. The dish was garnished with crispy onions, tomatoes and spices and appeared quite oily

My friends in Cebu wanted me to try Halo Halo, which is a popular local dessert with an assortment of fruits and gummies topped with dollops of ice cream
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My friends in Cebu wanted me to try Halo Halo, which is a popular local dessert with an assortment of fruits and gummies topped with dollops of ice cream

Adobo is a Filipino dish slow-cooked with soy sauce and ginger on low flame. This is chicken adobo I had at a restaurant called Sidlakan somewhere between Santa Fe and General Luna at Siargao
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Adobo is a Filipino dish slow-cooked with soy sauce and ginger on low flame. This is chicken adobo I had at a restaurant called Sidlakan somewhere between Santa Fe and General Luna at Siargao

This dessert is a chocolate cake with molten chocolate inside it. The popular restaurant Kermit — known for its pizzas — in General Luna served it with ice cream. General Luna is the most popular touristy city at Siargao
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This dessert is a chocolate cake with molten chocolate inside it. The popular restaurant Kermit — known for its pizzas — in General Luna served it with ice cream. General Luna is the most popular touristy city at Siargao

Occasionally, I would go over to the local fish market and buy fish. I would then have it grilled at the place right next to it for 25 pesos. This is as fresh and tasty as it gets. This grilled fish, with lots of calamansi (a hybrid lemon very common in these parts) squeezed on it, was probably my tastiest meal in the Philippines
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Occasionally, I would go over to the local fish market and buy fish. I would then have it grilled at the place right next to it for 25 pesos. This is as fresh and tasty as it gets. This grilled fish, with lots of calamansi (a hybrid lemon very common in these parts) squeezed on it, was probably my tastiest meal in the Philippines

Halika is a popular gelato store in Siargao. I tried several flavours at this place and highly recommend it
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Halika is a popular gelato store in Siargao. I tried several flavours at this place and highly recommend it

Apart from the local cuisine, I tried other food as well. Spring rolls at Haluo, a Chinese restaurant near my stay, where I went frequently because of their relatively reliable WiFi
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Apart from the local cuisine, I tried other food as well. Spring rolls at Haluo, a Chinese restaurant near my stay, where I went frequently because of their relatively reliable WiFi

Lechon is a popular pork dish and its USP is the crispy skin. I had lechon and rice on the popular Cantangan bridge at Siargao. But this was, unfortunately, not the best version because it had been cooked a while ago and the skin wasn’t crispy any more when I ate it
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Lechon is a popular pork dish and its USP is the crispy skin. I had lechon and rice on the popular Cantangan bridge at Siargao. But this was, unfortunately, not the best version because it had been cooked a while ago and the skin wasn’t crispy any more when I ate it

A local person I made friends with invited me over for lunch. On the menu were pork adobo and pork soup with vegetables, both to be had with rice. I especially loved the soup, which was both light and tasty
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A local person I made friends with invited me over for lunch. On the menu were pork adobo and pork soup with vegetables, both to be had with rice. I especially loved the soup, which was both light and tasty

Pork menudo and fish sinigang at a small roadside eatery on the way to Alegria Beach in the north of Siargao. Sinigang is a sour and savoury dish
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Pork menudo and fish sinigang at a small roadside eatery on the way to Alegria Beach in the north of Siargao. Sinigang is a sour and savoury dish

Pork sisig at a local restaurant. Sisig is a crunchy dish made with crispy fried pork cheek, onions and other vegetables. You have it with rice or as a ‘chakhna’ with drinks
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Pork sisig at a local restaurant. Sisig is a crunchy dish made with crispy fried pork cheek, onions and other vegetables. You have it with rice or as a ‘chakhna’ with drinks

I went to have scallops at Haole, after my host recommended it. This wasn’t the first time I had scallops, but my tastiest yet
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I went to have scallops at Haole, after my host recommended it. This wasn’t the first time I had scallops, but my tastiest yet

RELATED TOPICS

Filipino Food Wanderlust Philippines Seafood Foodie Ice Cream Pork Dishes Pork Delicacies Fish Recipes Gelato Dessert Chocolate Cake Travel Tourism Global Cuisine
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