Siargao Island: surfing the food scene
Siargao Island may be a tourism hotspot, but because of its size, much of the island still exudes the countryside charm. And that means the local delicacies still thrive. I found a couple bites that zoomed me back to the provincial life of my mom’s hometown. In the short visit, these are the ones I fell in love with:
1. The Adobong Saang (Spider shell) ala Daku Island. Amazingly delicious! Well cooked with the meat very tender and flavors burst with every bite. It’s an extra rice kind of dish. Drawback is you need to sail to the island for this specialty, I was told.
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| Adobong Saang (Spider shell) ala Daku Island |
2. Buko Custard Tart of Sheen Shack Siargao. Shredded coconut filling topped with custard in a tart shell. It's tedious to make with each of the three main components prepared separately. But the end brings forth a delectable product-- a 2-in-1 treat (buko + leche flan) that’s lightly sweetened to perfection!
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| Buko Custard Tart of Sheen Shack |
3. Coconut Ice Cream at Lokal Siargao in Burgos town. For about an hour or so, drive north of General Luna for the delightful creamy coconut cooler that's showered with crispy coconut shavings. My palate describes the homemade specialty as coconut water infused vanilla ice cream, both of which I love (lucky me!). The toasted coconut shavings not only add texture but heightens the coconut flavor experience. One scoop will never be enough.
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| Coconut Ice Cream at Lokal Siargao |
4. Siakoy. A nostalgic treat that brought me back to my mom’s province I visited decades ago! It's a twisted fried donut rolled in sugar. It's made the traditional way with the dough denser, more chewy than a regular donut or today’s version of the Pilipit. Peddled in the afternoon by a bicycle-riding kid.
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| Siakoy |
5. Mixed Berries Smoothie with fruit toppings and crispy cocoa-coated oats at The Beachbaby Cafe Siargao. A healthy and refreshing way to start your day or cool you down after hours at the beach. It’s like scooping ice cream but way cooler in more ways than one. Power up for your next surfing session or beach exploration.
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| Mixed Berries Smoothie at The Beachbaby Cafe |
6. Pan de Coco. A Siargao star! Baked fresh daily in a makeshift oven heated by burning coconut husks. Follow the smoke’s trail to the church and find this filling treat. The sweetened shredded coconut filling marries well with the bland, dense dough that's baked crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
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| Pan de Coco |
7. Another The Beachbaby Cafe Siargao fave is the Chocolate Pancakes. It’s homemade with locally sourced cacao and coconut as the main ingredients of the pancake and syrup. This is the healthier version of your favorite breakfast goodie. Don't feel guilty when you finish all three cakes.
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| Chocolate Pancakes at The Beachbaby Cafe |
8. Kanin Baboy Siargao‘s signature dish is its version of Indonesia’s Babi Guling. This is the second reason why you don't miss Bali too much, following surfing. Kanin Baboy is a catchy name and easy to remember, funny, yes.
You get the veggies and crispy-skinned pork slices you need for a fiesta-like treat in a single dish. It can be quite spicy, so request the paste on the side.
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| Kanin Baboy Siargao‘s signature dish |
9. Margo's BBQ House is popularly known as Catangnan BBQ. It's easy to spot: where there's smoke (and people queuing), there's Catangnan BBQ. The roadside home with its "front of the house" makeshift cooking station is a favorite address in Siargao Island for grilled food. The basting + tender meat makes the skewered delicacy a winner! (I forgot to take a photo because it was gone too soon. But don't pork BBQs look the same? LOL)
I was able to eat in a few other restaurants, but I wasn't able to connect--yet. I'm pretty sure there will be something in the menu that will make me say, "I have to eat this again before I leave the island." In other words, I have to go back to Siargao Island to do more surfing--the food scene, that is.
