Tito's Restaurant, Boracay
So we were in the Philippines recently on holiday and asked for a recommendation for some local food. We got recommended Tito’s Restaurant, Boracay. And damn good it was too. It was described as modern Filipino fusion. Look for the little neon sign at ground level, well actually at beach level and then a server will whisk you upstairs. Now they are on the second floor, but that was a traditional indoor restaurant – OK Sir how about we take you to the open roof-top on 3rd floor – “YES PLEASE”, we all shouted of course.
Music wafting up from the bars below. A beautiful breeze from off the sea. Wave sound crashing from the beach about 50 yards away, really great staff and some very very decent food at good prices.
We’re sort of sitting above Station 2, D’Mall, here on the rooftop of Tito’s Restaurant, Boracay. To our left and right there are bars, restaurants, shops, music playing, beautiful food smells wafting on a lovely cool evening. If you look to my left and see the palm trees with the lights in rings round them – where that last one is, sort of the 4th in a row – well my friends that is the start of the beach. Quite amazing. Only down-side for the season we were there was occasional storms and strong winds – so they erect these huge sheets to stop the wind and the sand blowing up – beach is just behind them.
See the people walking below? Believe it or not that is the beach. Compounded to a walk-way, but it is indeed the beach. Where you sit in the palm trees in the picture above is also the beach and you can sit and eat with sand between your toes.
These were actually called Sili Cheese Balls – OMG anything but silly in my reckoning. Cheese balls, with a lump of chili in the middle, breadcrumbed and deep fried. Come on you just know this will so so good, and it was. They also came with a wasabi mayonnaise which was perfect accompaniment – and of course I would said you’ll need a mandatory beer.
Baby Jude chose this real nice Filipino porridge. I think it had fish and chicken in it, but Mary assures me just chicken. I really loved this, until I got a bit of meat and I was certain it was fish. Anyways Baby Jude loved it. I did add a little bit of deep fried garlic, some fish sauce and some shallots. A little chili would have been great too. This porridge taste was wonderful – you could tell loads of ginger and lemongrass in there. Really really good Tito’s.
Now what did the 7 year order. Probably the biggest plate of nachos I have ever seen. But not just nachos. Check these bad boys out – minced beef, chips, onion rings and a smothering of cheese. Wow!!! That is a stack and a half is it not.
This was nice . Have to say though have had better in Singapore of all places at Filipino restaurants here. But as I said it was very good at Titi’s Restaurant, Boracay as well. Bulalo is a Filipino beef soup with vegetables. The thing that makes it very special is the fact that they used a great big lump of bone marrow to up the ante – the taste gets massively enhanced and when the marrow melts a little you get all the little globules of fatty flavour on the top of the soup. Must try!!!
Also a recommendation from Tito. Sisig is a peasant dish usually made up from all the leftover bits of a pig. So the ears, snout, trotter, liver etc. Takes of getting used to a bit as a Westerner as it is meat, but the ear cartilage is crunchy – literally. Get past that issue, because you want this badly, the flavour is massive. Pork, chicken liver, chili, onion, egg, lime juice, garlic, ginger, soy sauce etc. I have made this before with spam and corned beef so you could even have a go for yourself at home. It get served straight from the oven, on a sizzling platter and then crack an egg on top and stir it through.
Sisig is one of my all time favourites – I will have this whenever and wherever in the Philippines – you should try too.
It’s a cracker of a dish – and guess what goes so very well with it – yep a cold Pilsen!!! True beer food.
Mary went for simple BBQ Pusit or squid. Simply cleaned and chucked on the coals to get the char and smoky flavour. Comes with a little dipping sauce of soy sauce, lime juice, vinegar and chopped chili. She was very quiet for a while so I have to assume it was very nice. Nothing was left on the plate.
You want to try some of the best chicken wings you’ll ever have. Yeap it’s here at Tito’s Restaurant, Boracay. He call this out himself to with both Tito and his uncle stating these are recommendations. Double fried and served in special spicy sauce. Special is a bit of an understatement to be honest. This is sticky, sour, sweet, spicy, smoky (maybe some Worcestershire, honey, soy in the secret sauce???) – all you keep doing is wanting to lick your lips and your fingers, in fact I was spooning the sauce straight in my mouth. Absolutely stunning. Recommendation absolutely well received!!!
OK OK we had to do a little take-out doggy bag as man we were full full full. Slowly descending the stairs, full stomachs wobbling, a need to lay down and have a rest perhaps in order.
A fantastic time was had, a fantastic meal.
Big call-out to the staff of Tito’s Restaurant, Boracay. You really made it a great time. Despite brown-outs, or black-outs for about 10 minutes, we loved it here. And to be walking past the restaurant again 2 days later and have you all waving and saying hello was great. Despite us not coming back in (we decided a different restaurant every meal for the trip) – we certainly will be coming back when we come back to Boracay – you and the food have made that a certainty.