Bora binge

The swimsuit poster was my motivation – awaiting grueling rendezvous with the trainer; anticipating trysts with the abdominal, gluteus, and other exercise machines; and looking forward to basking in my state of perspiration from the treadmill. For five months, I embarked on a mission to sculpt my body to what I wanted and needed for the beach – only to lose it – in five days. Can you spend five days in Boracay without pigging out? That is a tough challenge.

Almost everything has been said of this tropical bliss – the sea, sun, and the powder-fine white sand have made the summer destination popular among locals and foreigners. At a glance the island looks harmless, laidback, and unassuming. But then again, looks can be deceiving. Most beaches offer the same activities like sunbathing, strolling along the shore, swimming, sailing and scuba diving, but Boracay extends a unique invitation to her guests – pigging out and engaging in gluttony.

Dining here is quite remarkable, not just in terms of culinary tastes, but also because of the wide range of available authentic cuisines. Thanks to foreigners who can’t get enough of the island, Boracay is now a melting pot of sun-worshippers from diverse backgrounds. Some think they would go only for a short vacation, but they find themselves extending their trip, one week, one month, one year until they realize they’re hooked. For Americans, Europeans, Asians, and other nationals that chose to relocate, the only way to stay is to start a restaurant business. Along with their belongings, they pack authentic recipes from their lands of origin.

The popular American restaurant chain Friday’s is here. Though pricey according to Boracay standards, the semi-open structure, a duet of bamboo and palm, with a high ceiling crisscrossed by beams, is a good choice for ambience. Patrons enjoy a view of Boracay’s white sand and blue waters by day and a cool breeze at night.

The menu is a combination of Western and Filipino food – bouillabaisse, beef carpaccio, smoked salmon ravioli, and Filipino-style seafood. Lunch buffet is available daily, dinner buffet on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Special menu for kids is also served. The bar serves beer, liquor and wine, along with non-alcoholic drinks. Average cost per person is P800. And that’s already considered expensive.

If you want to splurge, French restaurant Gorio’s offers the seafood basket: fresh lobster, crabs, prawns and mussels, grilled or steamed, cooked the way you like it, with a sauvignon or chardonnay at P2,000 for two. French owner Gregoire Chretien takes pride in presenting Gallic and other European dishes including seafood lasagna, ravioli a Gorio (with shrimps, mussels, mushroom and basil), schnitzels and salad Nicoise for an average cost of P500.

Locals and tourists flock to the White Beach path to sample Gorio’s famous crépes, prepared fresh and cooked right in front of the guests. Well-liked specialties are the dessert crépes. The best-seller La Pinay (The Filipina) is a tempting plate of glazed bananas cooked in Grand Marnier, mixed with Nutella and topped with chocolate syrup and chopped almonds. For those willing to abandon themselves to the lure of sweets, an additional scoop of vanilla ice cream may be ordered for a sinful crépe a la mode. Average cost is P200 per plate.

If French doesn’t do it for you, a few more steps will take you to a quaint German restaurant that serves a variety of German, Swiss and Austrian dishes on an average cost of P250. Hearty plates of steaks, wiener schnitzel, swiss schnitzel and roesti are among the favorites in Bavarian House (formerly called Zur Kleinen Kneipe).

For pizza and pasta lovers, try the tasty fare prepared by Italian chef Gino Amodia at La Capannina. Made with natural ingredients, La Capannina’s original menu includes salads, pastas, pizzas, grilled items and daily specials that change according to availability. Sample the squid cooked in a clay pot, a house specialty priced at P200. Italian wines, beer and other beverages are available. While enjoying your food, take pleasure in al fresco dining as the restaurant opens out to a rustic garden setting.

Zorba’s, as you might have guessed from the name, serves Greek specialties in a semi-open setting featuring native sawali walls and cooled by overhead fans. For starters, try the hummus (blended chickpeas with garlic) or the horiatiki salata (salad with olives and feta cheese). Tzatzuki, cold cucumber soup with red wine, might just be the thing to cool you down after a day on the beach. Moussaka, baked beef and eggplant, is among the entrées on the menu. Average cost per person is P300.

Authentic cuisines can be delightful, even more so because they are affordable. One thing that may ruin your appetite, however, is the painfully long wait time for orders. Perhaps because everything is fresh, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes for a dish to arrive in most restaurants.

At Gorio’s, for instance, only two servers man the crépe stand, and customers have to fall in line to be served. Plan your meal time with friends and family.

For True Food, the favorite Indian restaurant among locals and visitors, reservations should be made at least a day in advance. The place is known for curries prepared by an Indian chef. But the ingredients aren’t only fresh; they’re also limited. Rogan josh (lamb cooked in yogurt and tomato) is highly recommended, priced at P295; chana ki dal and mushroom dopalza are among the popular vegetarian dishes.

Boracay experts share a common technique while swimming, sunning, sailing, or soaking. They take a break to order dishes at the restaurant of choice, and then go back to their favorite beach activity while their selections are being prepared.

Of course, if you’re in Boracay, do it as the Boracaynons do — talipapa. At the end of the White Beach path is a narrow street lined with dry goods and more eateries. The freshest catch of the day are displayed outside each stall, seemingly a live, three-dimensional menu, welcoming everybody to check them out. Customers may order a la carte or pick from the live sea creatures and have their choice cooked the way they want it. Dishes are served on banana leaves and utensils are unheard of. So make sure you wash your hands before you eat, unless you want to find out how steamed crabs taste with a dash of suntan lotion and a pinch of sand.

Succulent king prawns sautéed in garlic and oyster sauce dish is always a winner. Six pieces cost about P150. Foods in the talipapa are generally cheaper, but they’re just as good, or even better.

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, the purpose of shedding extra weight is not only to achieve a trim swimsuit body that will fit in a tiny bikini? While it will definitely enable you to sashay on the sandy catwalk, losing extra pounds will also allow you to make room for the delectably tempting gastronomy one normally encounters in paradise. And this will be your license to pig out. Sometimes, the only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. So might as well be prepared.