Now THAT’S a seafood spread! As soon as we got off the ferry in Bantayan, we rushed to our GM’s family home where a spectacular late breakfast/now lunch buffet was waiting for 15 hungry mainlanders. I had heard so much about the seafood on Bantayan island, and clearly this was a wonderful way to show off the local bounty. Having started our journey at 4 in the morning, you can imagine how famished this crew was (despite the McDonald’s and puto stops along the way)…
Tray upon tray of scallops.
Another shellfish (wasay-wasay) that is like a grey oyster. If these get larger, and have sand embedded in the nacre forming half pearls, my mom used to refer to them as “Osmeña pearls”… and if you are lucky when you eat these, you find a little pearl or two with the same grayish hue as the nacre. This was the first time I had ever seen or tasted these and they were delicious and almost sweet.
Shells (sicad-sicad) with their meats intact. Personally, I am not terribly fond of these. But when bigger, and chopped up, they are terrific in kind of a conch or shell chowder.
Steamed alimasag, and lots of them!
Almost sticky squid in thick ink or sauce. Utterly delicious. I often like my squid in ink a bit more saucy, but this version was amazingly flavorful and evil on the teeth and tongue visually.
Deep-fried large danggit or kitong. Kitong has that slightly gummy skin and tender sweet flesh that is so appealing, unless it is not cleaned properly has that bitter edge. These ones were fantastic. Can you see the bowls of vinegar and soy and chili sawsawan making it out to the tables??
Last but not least, some stir-fried shrimp. Add in LOTS of steamed rice, some pork adobo, some wonderful desserts (my hands were messy and I never made it to the sweets, let alone photograph them), and it was an incredible seafood lunch showcasing the best of Bantayan. And if that didn’t seem like enough food, I rushed another crab dish as our “contribution” to this already spectacular lunch! Thank you so much to the Carabio family for a wonderful lunch and their amazing hospitality!
25 Responses
ibog kaayo ko!
huwaawwwwwwwww!!!!! i would L-O-V-E and die to have all these on our table E-V-E-R-Y-D-A-Y! *drool*
Miss the days in Puerto Princesa when I can throw in most of that sea bounty in a cioppino with crusty Viet French bread and fresh organic salad from a nearby farm….. sure fire recipe for a mean gouty attack for hubby the next day!
All that for 15 people? Have never seen wasay wasay before and have never tried sicad sicad either . I wonder why scallops are so expensive when it looks like we have an abundance of them. You guys are so lucky.
Wow! I want them all!!
nakakagutom!!! sarap!
Did you pull your sicad-sicad meat with “sibit” or a safety pin? This is an excellent seafood spread.
Wow, what a spread! First time to hear of wasay and sicad. The crabs and shrimps would have been enough for me! Your staff are so lucky!
Yum yum!
I love sicad-sicad in a soup (using a safety pin to pull the meat out)
Wowwwwwww!
we love their beautiful seaside home, and it was first on our minds when we learned that Bantayan was devastated by Yolanda. happy to know that everyone and everything is fine in the household. we found some tiny sea catfish in the market and had the hotel cook them – they made the most delicious paksiw using kamias for souring, and i’ve never been able to replicate it.
That seafood spread looks really, really good. It’s already past 7:00 PM and I haven’t had dinner yet. I shouldn’t have opened this particular post at this time. It’s only made my stomach grumble, my mouth water, and my entire being green with envy… O_o T_T
drooling… :P
“death by seafood” :) yummy!
Paano naman kami, GM J! ;-)
I adore these photos. Not as good as being there but no threat of crippling from a gout attack either.
Awesome!!
Oh My Gout!
Hi MM! Would it be possible for a visitor to enjoy a similar feast? Like someone without any contacts on the island? I wonder if there’s such a thing as a “paluto” service there.
J-jay, at the Sugar beach place we went to, you can make paluto. Just hit the markets and let the folks at the beach grill it or other simple cooking styles. Totally doable.
Some guys have all the luck…
Great photos! Captured the abundance. Were the scallops roasted? Nice color.
ay! kalamia. Makes me want to go up North.Thanks for sharing, MM.
Haaaaayyyy sarraap! Am jealous of that seafood feast. It doesn’t get any better.
Oh em gee!
A feast for the eyes. I can only imagine how it tasted.