Night #1 and we arrive here for the 1st time. Yeah, this is a GEM in the middle of not a lot else. Me like, me like a lot. You won’t be finding this on Google Maps – in fact, have a look at the address and there is literally nothing there… Now, this. What a change!!!

Yep, see what I mean. Bare concrete, with big signs and neon. Huge long quasi-picnic tables for family dining. This is uber cool. 6 of us to start, but soon to join us is Papang, YanYan and Mae – 6 becomes 9, but so comfortably accommodated.

Yes, The Beard was there too. One is a VERY happy camper. I just had a look at the menu too. Shit yes, this is going to be amazing!

Amy is more than slipping into her comfortable place, ordering a mocktail ; cucumber, lemonade, slushy, shake. That works!

Now that’s what you call a kitchen. Heavenly!!! Home-made bread baking, and hustle and bustle of service. The great man, Chef Raphael, is the big guy in the #1 shirt -very apt!!!

Check out that oven thing. Almost like my Japanese grill with the cinder blocks to keep it super hot inside. I am falling in love with this place more and more.

Check this out. Holy shit. Brioche, straight from the oven. It gets served with this little container. Inside that container is some weird looking stuff at the bottom. “It’s BBQ butter.” described the server. WTF is that I was thinking… After some investigation, Ollie and I get to the bottom of it. It’s pork dripping. I kid you not. It’s the fats from the pork roasts, turned in to butter. I tell you what I could have covered myself in this so I could have kept licking it off all night. AMAZE-BALLS!!!

We’ve all missed JimBoy so far. He’s been so busy with exams, school and Graduation prep. One person has missed him massively, his baby brother Jude. Awwwwww!

Here come’s the food for this first night. Yours truly basically got stuck into the menu and ordered for the family. 1st up is cheese nuggets, mozzarella wrapped in bacon and fried (I shit you not), served with fresh relish and white BBQ sauce. Fried, cheese, bacon all in one dish. Yeah, you just know this is gonna be so good. And it was, by the way! Another San Mig please, as this is beer food on steroids.

MAJOR competition for ChillaxBBQ. This dish is heavenly. One of the absolute best roast dishes ever in the mouth of moi. It’s a stunner. We order two lots of this night #1 and ordered it again night #2. This really is a; “You can’t get enough!” This is Crackling Pork Belly. The photo does not do this justice. Chef be very proud of this one. It’s stellar!!!

Amy is a strange one sometimes. An amazing variety of fare on offer, but she sometimes slips back to that bit of Margate in her. Yes, fish and chips. Mary had a good tug on this, and she said SUPER fresh fish, and absolutely delicious.

I can’t remember how many of these we ordered. Chef Raphael, again my friend be proud. Wifey openly stated that this is the VERY BEST octopus dish she has ever eaten. Believe me, mate, that is saying a lot from her. Ollie kicked in with an overwhelming agreement too. So there you have it, folks, the best octopus so far on the planet that we have visited is here. This is simply called Grilled Octopus. Man oh man is that an understatement.

Clearly, my Mary has her fish feeding frenzy head on this evening. Up next is the Yellowfin Tuna. Again, such a simple name for such a complex dish. It’s a stunner. Everything is just so fresh, with stunning plating, and bursts after bursts of flavour and colour. Amazing!

Time to get serious. Let’s be having you then!!! One of Chef’s only non-local produce selections. Here is his Kitayama Wagyu T-Bone. It’s a beast. How good is that plating! So, so ChillaxBBq. But you know me and sous vide – sorry Chef, one moan, I love reverse searing technique!!! Still a beautiful hunk of perfectly medium rare steak. A cracker. A gravy to die for, and mashed potatoes that are off the charts.

Are we happy? Shit yeah. Believe me, Papang is not asleep, just closed eyes when I snapped. Although he did say the lady singer had a slow soothing voice that was making him sleepy haha. See what I mean re the family gathering food fun. My favourite style of eating. Smoque is truly a cracking location, and now up there at the very top of MUST eat at again and again locations on Bohol. You must NOT miss it.

Happy Days, Happy Family!!!

I lost my son yet again, to his favourite Uncle YanYan. Also, this is funny. See the guy in peaked cap with the guitar? A few days later when we stayed at The Bohol Beach Club, guess who was part of the band one night? Yep, this chap! Small world. Well, small island actually!

Platter #1 is the seafood option. Seriously, check that bad boy out. Pan roasted Norwegian salmon, Beer battered fish and chips, Charred seasonal fish, Garlic butter shrimps with sides and salad. BOOM!!! These platters are called “For The Team”. So aligned to ChillaxBBQ it’s not funny!!!

Next up “For The Team’ is “Beef Up”. Come on I had to!!! What an absolute cracker. Missing from here is what I stole for Jude and I. A big lump of medium rare US CAB Ribeye. Just fricking heavenly. On here is again that awesome gravy, a side and salad and Slow Smoqued beef belly, Australian strip steak, and US CAB ribeye roast. Angels sing, the clouds part, and I slowly drift up to heaven with this platter. It’s a BELTER!!! Death-Row cuisine on steroids folks, on steroids!!!

Goodbye Bohol, Panglao, Smoque. It’s been a blast and a blur (just like this photo). Be seeing you soon family and new friends.

And naughty Chef Raphael even gave us a parting gift of some of his stunning cake selection. This one is fresh strawberry as modelled by my beautiful wife, and the other was a cracking salty caramel style. What an end to a perfect meal. A meal perfect in so many ways.