Melo Villareal
Food Trip in Boracay
Boracay is a small island in the Philippines, and it sits about 200 kilometers from the capital – Manila. It is a popular international tourist destination for beach lovers, but it’s also more than that.
Once you get away from the very touristy areas around White Beach, what you find are mellow locals, great prices, delicious Filipino cuisine, and yes…plenty of amazing beaches perfect for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, sunbathing, and letting life happen instead of rushing to control it.
I found myself wondering if it was possibly real as I sat on the fine white sands under the shade of a waving palm tree sipping the water from an ice-cold coconut and talking with new friends about life, travel, philosophy, cultural differences, and what to do on a lazy Tuesday morning with the entire day spread out before me like a magic butterfly-shaped island, which, by the way, Boracay Island is.
I waited for a Buko vendor, and luckily, I saw one, but they sell it as if it was imported from the Caribbean, Imagine 120 Pesos for a cold Coconut Juice? Oh well, I just didn’t care much about the cost. Spending the afternoon under a shady palm tree with friends is priceless.
One of my new friends, Kyung-soon – a Korean national who fell in love with the island, offered me ‘balut’ – one of the most famous exotic local food. I knew about it but wasn’t sure I wanted to eat one, but an offer coming from a foreigner could be humiliating if I refused, right?.
For the unfamiliar, Balut is a duck or chicken egg with a partially developed embryo inside. I decided to take the plunge and opened an SMB to make sure I could wash what I was sure would be a terrible taste from my mouth.
She smiled and laughed at my preparation. She knew that I’m not really an avid fan of this crazy egg. I took the egg, put it in my mouth, and chew, expecting that my stomach would quickly rebel. Instead, the taste was actually quite good, though the tiny beak’s crunch did cause some minor gymnastics in my gut.
I was glad to have the beer to wash it down. My friends cheered and offered me more balut, but instead, we walked up to one of the beachside restaurants, and I ordered a Chori Burger.
Chori Burgers are famous throughout the Philippines, but they started in Boracay. Basically, it’s chorizo sausage between to buns, but that description doesn’t do them justice. They’re delicious, but maybe not as good as balut for a hardcore Balut fan.
* No photos of the Balut yet… I seriously ate the Balut with bare hands to catch up with my Korean friend, plus the camera hates the Balut Smell:)
Want more updates about other amazing places to eat in Boracay Island? Follow #TeamOutofTown, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bloglovin, and Pinterest for more travel ideas.
Also read:
- Touring Asia: Great Thrifty Food Around Asia
- Check Out These 10 Unique Experiences You Can Try In The Philippines
