Your trip to Boracay isn’t complete without feasting on the bounties from the sea. On one of our evenings on the island was something we were looking forward to since we would be trying seafood–cooked the Filipino way.
Tired and hungry because of the whole day’s activities (we only ate finger food like fish chips and fries for lunch as we were still feeling full from our past days food exploration), we couldn’t wait to have our dinner. It was also our first time to check out Station 1 for this visit to this world-famous beach. Alighting from our hotel’s complimentary shuttle, we went down the main road in front of the Astoria Hotel. Then we walked through the street at the side of the hotel, going to the beach. On the right side, we found Plato D’ Boracay’s banner, a seafood and paluto restaurant. It’s just in front of the white beach so having your meal here is more exciting and enjoyable.
There was a flight of stairs and going up to the restaurant was refreshing. Its Filipino festival vibe was screaming. The walls were made of bamboo and the surroundings were decorated with capiz shell. It also has banderitas (colorful festive decor) around. Chairs and tables are all made of bamboo, too. This is where we met the owner Jene Valencia who was as warm as the welcoming ambiance of his restaurant.
With this kind of atmosphere, who would have thought that Plato D’ Boracay had gone through a lot. Originally, the restaurant was located at the famous D’ Talipapa in Station 2 and was a victim of a big fire back in 2017. And while recovering, a closure and rehabilitation of the island was implemented by the national government which affected all businesses in the area. Then of course, the sequence of events from 2019 onwards which include a supertyphoon, the eruption of Taal Volcano, which halted flights going to the island, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
But right now, the seafood restaurant is having a fresh start at a bigger, better new home at Station 1.
On our visit, we really had a great time feasting on the seafood served on the table. The generous serving of the chili crab was mouthwatering. You can never get enough. We also enjoyed the garlic prawns so much that it encouraged us just eat with our hands. Grateful, they offer plastic gloves for those who chose to eat using their hands. The baked scallops were also very cheesy and tasty, a must-try and of course, is the freshly cooked pork sinigang was also great to match with seafood. It was like having a meal inside your home in a restaurant. That’s the warm experience this homey restaurant offers.
So if you want to make your island vacation more memorable, don’t miss visiting Plato D’ Boracay.