THE freshest of ingredients sourced from the deep sea to serve to the diners high above ground. This is the Sirena Seafood Restaurant and Clifftop Bar experience.
Sirena is Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa’s signature seafood restaurant. It is perched on a clifftop overlooking crystal-blue waters of the West Philippine Sea, the resort’s white sand private beach of Punta Bunga, and lush green forest where the resort is ensconced.
The restaurant’s outdoor cabanas are iconic. As the day comes to an end, it’s the perfect spot to nestle in with a glass of herb cocktail on hand and catch the blue sky turn gold as the sun sinks in the horizon.
At nightfall, Sirena lights up its bonfire as if to beckon guests to partake of a hearty feast.
What does one have when visiting Sirena for the first time? With a menu that lists hard-to-resist entries it will be difficult to decide. The house specialty, Seafood Platter that includes Palawan lobster, tiger prawns, grouper fillet, red snapper, scallops, octopus, clams, is served in three-plate tower, and sate the appetites of several.
I turned to the manager and the Chef de Cuisine for their recommendations. For a feast good for two, they picked items from the bestselling dishes and new entries on the menu. From starter to dessert, ahead was a culinary journey by Sirena.
The opener was delectable: Crab Meat Crumble Guacamole. Crab meat, guacamole and pomelo were layered and topped with fresh arugula. It’s to be enjoyed by scooping a serving with a crispy chip. A single bite presents interplay of textures and tastes that delivers rich, refreshing flavor. This new entry on the menu will surely gain a following.
Two house favorites were served next. It highlights the seafood and meat selections. The Rock Lobster Sizzler topped with Singapore Chili Sauce can take you back to that exciting must-eat dish you had in the Lion City. The Prime Angus Beef Ribeye Steak served with potatoes gratin and saute´ed vegetables was cooked well to specification, and was tender. By offering more than what is expected in a seafood restaurant, Sirena can lure in diners with a different food preference.
Another new entry on the menu is the Banana Leaf BBQ Snapper (grilled snapper in banana leaf, sambal, calamansi, onions, turmeric, and ginger). It was a light, flavorful and refreshing dish. The sambal’s sweet and spicy taste makes a pairing for the mildly sweet and nutty flavor of the snapper.
Dessert was the Mango and Tapioca Pudding, a mixture of tapioca, fresh mangoes, and cream in a glass, served with almond tuille topping. The hint of sweetness was perfect for my taste, and the cool creamy flavor was refreshing. A nice touch to end a food journey.
When you’re in Boracay, embark on your own food journey at Sirena. I enjoyed mine, let me know how yours went.
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