La Familia Restaurant, Panglao Review

La Familia Restaurant Review: let’s have it. Sad to say it this way but it is what it is. Bellevue Resort massively let me/us down today. So with a crap menu on offer and a false promise from the Manager we decide to eat out of the hotel.

You may have seen a previous blog where we ate at this place. It is absolutely brilliant. Despite Covid-19, and curfews in place in Panglao the crew at La Familia knocked it out of the park again tonight for dinner, so we do La Familia Restaurant Review.

Exceptional food and amazing variety on offer. If you are in Panglao and want some superb local, Western or just hybrid-it-yourself food, as I did – then look no further it is quality. Tonight we dined at La Familia Restaurant.

It’s a husband and wife-run place if I remember rightly – wife Filipina and husband Western. In fact, we met one of the owners tonight I believe and had a good chat, and bless she thanked us for our previous blog. How about that. 9 months ago now if I remember rightly. That was a blog part of a day, so today we write this just for La Familia.

The crew working here at La Familia Restaurant Review are just amazing. Servers are tip-top and the Chef is plating and passing some of the best food as you will see shortly. All served in a local design ‘house’ with a mezzanine floor. It’s uber-cool. It’s local. It’s like weaved palms. It’s open plan. It’s awesome.

One recommendation – don’t forget your mosquito spray folks. On Panglao, they are the size of dragonflies haha!!!

Check these guys out @ Poblacion, Panglao, Bohol 6340.

We really like this place. You walk in and feel welcomed, it’s family-oriented, it’s friendly – it just feels nice. And this despite a curfew licking at their heels and having to order, prep, cook, and serve bloody fast in that short window. But they nailed it. We had a cracking dinner, not rushed, amazing food at an incredible value.

Thank you, La Familia – be proud guys. You are still able to pull this off in a crisis situation that HUGE neighbours of yours cannot. By the way folks, the restaurant was packed including outside (you can’t really see it from this picture) including of lot guests from that hotel I mentioned in another blog. My advice is to come here and have a huge menu of choices and wonderful food!!!

I am addicted to this stuff I really am. My first one of these was here funnily enough at La Familia. I don’t think I ever had it before prior to trying it here. This is that slow-cooked and skinned eggplant that is then made into a sort of pork mince omelette. It’s insanely good. Flavours and textures all over the place. This is Tortang Talong.

It’s like an omelette on the outside, super-crunchy. But hen peel it open and you have super-soft gooey eggplant, onion, pork mince – it is heavenly. And if you want to be sat with the Angels eating this, dip it in some Native Sauce. Holy Moly!!!

Sotang Hon, which seems to me to be very Chinese in influence is a fried noodle dish. This had ooohs and aaahs from those eating it. I. love the vibrant colours of this and you can tell you get a gooey noodle and a crunch from the red and green peppers. Looks amazing and so was the taste feedback. Great work La Familia.

I went hybrid as described. I could not believe they had Chile Con Carne on the menu and had to have it. So I had the eggplant to keep my local gig in place and ordered this too with some chips. Jesus, what a Western food Wanker haha!!! BUT, wow, how good was this. I used the chips as dipping utensils. Look at that melted cheese too. Yeah, Baby!!!

Jhea goes with the Chili Chicken Wings. Again some stunning food from the kitchen. I noticed my daughter perspiring a little as she ate this. Super-spicy, enough to burn your cat a new bum if you fed some to it haha. Fair play to her she soldiered on and blitzed it, and had rather rosy cheeks after bless her haha!!!

Boys will be boys. Of course, engrossed in this bloody thing as always.

The Lumpia was awesome. Filipina Spring Rolls basically. Super-fresh, crispy and gooey all in one. Native Sauce is its BFF. Bring it on. Yummo!!!

Bistek Tagalog ‘w’ Onion Rings. How do you make a piece of flank sing? Cook it how La Familia cook it. This was falling apart steak, served in this unctuous sauce. A match made in heaven. I had a little taste of this and it was a stunner. An absolute stunner. Great work again Chef and crew at La Familia.

Spicy Garlic Butter Crab – wow!!! I can’t eat this gear, but I wish I could. Damn, why do I hate seafood so…? Look at this plate. It is #foodporn that could adorn the table of any Michelin * restaurant in my reckoning. Wifey and Jimboy both raved about this. Very fresh crab which is always a winner in my Wifey’s books with a crazy good sauce. Yet again, La Familia hits a food home-run.

So there you have our Day #5 on Panglao, Dinner @ La Familia Restaurant – what a cracking dinner. Made even better because of a 5* hotel up the road not being able to pull anything more than 8 dishes together whilst this little family-run restaurant is still banging out an amazing full menu. Stunning food worthy today of its very own blog and call out.

If like us, you have been stranded on Bohol due to our mate Covid-19, I would seriously get your bum in a Grab/tricycle/scooter and get over here. Come early to graze and have no curfew rush. It’s quality. Hope to see you soon La Familia. If you do come here, please let us know if you also did – ENJOY!!!

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