One of the most memorable things during our trip to Bohol was the food. From humba to a gastronomic lunch, my tummy and taste buds were very happy.
There were a lot of “food moments” that would top my list, but the lunch we had at The Boathouse in Be Grand Resort in Panglao, Bohol has to one of the finest meals I have had in a long time. I don’t know if it was the hunger speaking, but I truly enjoyed the meal.
Chef Jenz Fontilla, a chef from Davao City, and his team of chefs prepared a special lunch for us. Dubbed “Tropicale,” the progressive meal featured tropical flavors.
We started with an amuse-bouche. At a glance, it looked like an egg yolk topped with caviar served on a chip. When I ate it, the first thing I got was the crunch from the chip. Then, the yellow sphere bursts in my mouth. It was not egg yolk. It was a sweet mango sphere! Then, you get the saltiness from the caviar. It was a delicious sweet, salty, and fruity bite.
The amuse bouche was not on the menu and I did not hear what our waiter said when it was introduced to us. But when I asked the chef after lunch, he said the amuse-bouche is a spiced mango sphere with lumpfish caviar served on a potato crisp. He also told me that it was really meant to look like an egg yolk.
After the amuse-bouche, I got excited about the food that would be served next.
The next course was the Pulled Pork Croquette served with microgreens and mint chimichurri. The croquette had a nice crunchy crust, while the pulled pork filling was flavorful. I also love how the mint chimichurri added brightness to the dish.
For our salad course, we were served the Dragon Salad. It is fried shrimp, dragon fruit, mixed greens, and lemon dressing. This was a tasty salad — you have that acidity and brightness from the lemon dressing; that crunch and saltiness from the fried shrimp; and the sweetness from the dragon fruit. I love the hot and cold elements of the dish — the cold salad and the still-hot fried shrimp. I also like how the salad was served with the fruit.
Next was the Onion Bloom, which is fried onion bloom, onion soup, and green onion oil. It is also one of the highlights of the meal. The soup is just delicious, and I love the added texture from the fried onion bloom. Sa wala’y char, I never had an onion soup this good.
Our main course was the Coconut Steak — Angus beef striploin with fondant potatoes and coconut curry sauce. This was also a delicious dish. The striploin was beautifully seasoned, and I love the coconut curry sauce (wish it had more because I liked it). I also love how the striploin was tender.
We capped the meal with a Strawberry Slush for dessert. The dessert has homemade strawberry slush, whipped cream, and pistachios. This was a nice cold dessert on a hot afternoon. I like how the pistachios added a crunch to the dessert. I also love how the strawberry paired well with the pistachios.
This was a delicious meal prepared by Chef Jenz, his team, and Be Grand Resort. I liked how they played with the different tropical flavors to make a flavorful progressive meal. I think each dish was delicious, while the amuse bouche, Onion Bloom, and Coconut Steak were my favorites of the day.
To know more about Be Grand Resort by visit their website, begrandbohol.com.
Cebu Pacific flies to Bohol from Davao City three times a week. Book your flight at cebupacificair.com.
Note: The food they prepared for us is not on the existing menu of The Boathouse, but it does tell a lot about the quality of food that will be served when you dine at their restaurant. Hence, expectations are high if ever I get to visit again.