Smoke Restaurant, Boracay

Smoke Restaurant, Boracay

Smoke Restaurant, Boracay came as a recommendation for us when we asked where to get some good local food. And they were sure not wrong as this was a great place. We needed some brunch, so off to the wet market in D’Mall on White Beach for some good home cooking Filipino-style. A big storm during the night had blown chairs all over the place including our towels – so now all nicely wet, so we were all a bit late this morning.

We had actually seen the restaurant the day before when buying some beach towels. But then we had at least two recommendations about the restaurant so of course off we jolly well trot.

Up first is Amy and her choice of Tocino – some plain white rice, a fried egg and the pork. Sort of pinky orange in colour now. This is either bacon or pork belly and a recipe probably looks something like this.

2 lb pork ham, a good pinch salt, 1 teaspoon sodium phosphate, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 3 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic, red food colouring. Now I am sure there is more in than that – but hey it’s a good starting point. Chuck all this in a pan with some oil and a cup or two of water. Let that all boil down and then in the dry pan it will start to brown and crisp. Smoke Restaurant, Boracay did this so so well, tender and sweet – simply delicious.

So this is like a Filipino beef jerky. Again for breakfast it is served with a fried egg and plain white rice. Real good, seriously real good. Fried off again to get the char and additional flavour.

A recipe for this could look something like this; 2 lb beef sliced thinly against the grain, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 head garlic, minced and some oil for frying. You want to marinade the beef overnight in all the ingredients, drain the spare liquid and fry until a little charred.

A little watery compared to the usual tinned stuff from the supermarket. This is real beef, with onion and some garlic. Again as it’s breakfast we have it with a fried egg and some plain white rice. This was absolutely spanking and just the very perfect breakfast for yours truly – and because it was brunch or course I washed it down with a San Miguel, Pilsen.

Doesn’t like that bad huh. Four little dried fish that then get fried. Mary has with rice again, but with some yellow tomato and red egg – basically a preserved egg that is preserved in salt and then has some colouring applied.

Now when I say it doesn’t look much I am not talking about portion size. I am talking about the smell this stuff chucks out. It is incredible. When these little fish get put on the frying pan you immediately know. This stuff stinks. This smell is on steroids. And this was in the open air kitchen as you can see from the video – imagine when Mary cooks this up in the condo? Makes you feel like the paint is gonna melt off the walls – phew!!! I think I’d even prefer sleeping using one of Jude’s shitty nappies that getting near this stuff.

Yes you simply must come here to eat – ENJOY!