While most tours in Puerto Princesa offer free lunch, dinners are usually a food fest for the travelers. This post will be a work in progress — I’ll be updating it now and then while I go back and forth to the city.
Itoy’s Coffee Haus
It’s the perfect refuge in the busy Rizal Street in the city, with its vast array of coffee drinks. We stayed at the garden at the back of the establishment, lucky for us that there were no smokers at the time we were there. Try their Kapeng Halo ni Itoy (black forest frappuccino) and Kape ni Itoy (cappuccino).
Badjao Seafront
I had the mistake of arriving at this restaurant past sundown, as the locals claim that this restaurant offers one of the best spots for the sunset. It’s a restaurant on stilts, with a long alley surrounded by mangrove trees connecting the entrance with the main dining hall.
The ambiance is more formal compared to other restaurants in the city, with live piano music playing all night long and beautiful lights hovering above you. Outside, you can see the moonlight drape over the sea — such a wonderful sight while dining!
I didn’t find the food as one of the best in Puerto Princesa, but the surroundings made it a very memorable experience!
Ka Inato
Famous for its chicken inato (chicken barbecue), this restaurant features another cozy atmosphere to your Puerto Princesa dining experience. I’ve dined in two of their branches, and both were equally well-decorated with colorful handicrafts and vibrant paintings. Their spicy chicken inato is surely not to be missed!
Kinabuchs Grill and Bar
A leap from Puerto Princesa’s laid-back lifestyle, this resto-bar is almost always crowded, with its busy waiters jumping from one table to another to attend to their customers needs. There’s not much for an ambiance, but food here is very good. I loved their gising-gising, gambas, and pork sisig. I have yet to try their crocodile sisig. 😛
I’m sorry for the lack of photos here — I tend to forget to take photos of the food. Once served, all my senses gear toward eating!
Ka Lui
Good food + good place = Ka Lui. The place is very cozy — it’s more like a house than a restaurant. You even have to remove your footwear before entering the restaurant! There are tables where you’d have to sit on the floor to eat, something that makes it a very good place to chill out with friends after an exhausting day in the city.
The menu is limited, yet the food was sumptuous. If you have someone to share the meal with, opt for the Ka Lui Set — a meal for two featuring tuna, shrimps, vegetables and a seafood dish. Otherwise, be content with the Choice Meal, where you’d choose among tuna, shrimps, or blue marlin as your main dish. Nonetheless, order Sinigang ni Kaka, a twist from the ordinary sinigang (sour soup) brought about by the addition of coconut water. Yum!
I can’t wait to go back to Puerto Princesa. I love, love, love to eat there!
Happy travels! 🙂
Ka Lui. Hands down! 🙂
Loved the food and the decor too 🙂
i appreciate all these photographes ; thank you Karen!
Thanks! I hope you get to visit Puerto Princesa and taste all the good food that’s in here! 🙂
Hi Can I ask how much is the budget for a meal in these restos? Thanks!=)
Hi Pepper,
It varies from Php 150 to 250. Ka Lui and Badjao Seafront are the more expensive ones, since you’re paying for the ambience (and the yummy food in Ka Lui’s case). Ka Inato is cheap, maybe with a hundred or 150 you’ll have a meal. Kinabuchs prices are reasonable, maybe 200 or so per person, unless you drink a lot.
In the end, it entirely depends on your food preferences as well your budget. I’m sure you’ll figure out the best bang for your buck. 🙂
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!