A restaurant with a view

IN Barangay Day-as, a community in southwest Cordova, lies a floating restaurant serving home-grown Filipino food with a spectacular view of the Philippine Sea.

Lantaw, which opened on June 29,occupies more than 1,000 square meters, with a sprawling outdoor deck dotted with synthetic fiber lounge chairs for that easy, breezy feel.

A standee of the Philippine jeepney at the heart of the restaurant is a dead giveaway of the type of cuisine served here. The green and brown color scheme also stays true to its earthy, local feel.

Hop on to the Cordova Express, their local version of Bicol Express, which has scallop meat, blue marlin cubes, shrimps and strips of young coconut flesh sautéed in coconut milk. Served on a halved shell of young coconut, this dish is the shining star of the menu.

Their spicy scallops are sweet and salty with just the right amount of heat. This dish scores high in presentation as it is served on a boat-shaped coconut husk, its insides lacquered with a glossy finish.

The comfort of what’s familiar is what the original Bacolod chicken barbeque has to offer, with the marinade seeping into the fowl’s succulent meat. The chicken comes with a scoop of java rice which is mixed with atsuete oil, giving it its orange flavor.

On the other hand, adventurous types who would like a taste of exotic local food can have the bakasi (baby eel) on their menu. The dish comes in either fried or served linarang style (sauteed in soy sauce, black beans and tamarind). It’s not for the faint-hearted but those brave enough to try it can have the bragging rights of being in the same league as Formula One champion race car driver Jebson Button, who ate this during his recent visit for the Cobra Iron Man 70.3 Philippines.

For dessert, it’s toss-up between the halo-halo or banana turon.

In the Lantaw halo-halo, one can spot the usual suspects in this Filipino favorite such as kaong (sugar palm), beans, jackfruit, banana, ube ice cream which one can mix and scoop out of a tall glass. But what makes their halo-halo different is the use of vanilla-flavored sorbet instead of crushed ice, resulting in a creamier concoction.

It’s also topped with a stick of barquillos (rolled cookies) on top, giving a nod to a local delicacy.

Continuing the thread of using local ingredients, the banana turon is likewise served a sauce made of tableya or local chocolate. This ingredient also figures in the bibingka a la mode.

Jumping on the proudly Filipino bandwagon not only benefits tourism, but the appetite as well.