Boracay is considered one of the many beautiful beaches here in the Philippines, by locals and foreigners alike. Peak season or not, Boracay is frequently visited by people looking for a beach that has perfect white sand and a lot of happenings. Recently, a shock came to many when the government decided to close the island down for six (6) months. And this closure has affected not just booked flights and hotels, but especially the locals. Employees and business people alike, a lot has suffered and are still suffering from the island’s rehabilitation. Thank God for the people behind Hole in the Wall, some of the island’s food outlets were given a chance to at least earn for a few months while waiting to be back on the island. Check out the Best of Boracay at Hole in the Wall, Century City Mall, in this edition of EATSplorations! Enjoy!
Best of Boracay at Hole in the Wall!
Deemed as one of the famous food halls in town for its hip ambiance and high quality food stalls, Hole in the Wall has become a home for four (4) of Boracay’s beloved food stalls and eateries. Thanks to its management, the owners of the “Best of Boracay” establishments were given a chance to support at least 45% of their employees just before the island re-opens again later this year. It’s also a great way for us, Manileños, to have a glimpse of what the island’s best has to offer without even buying a plane ticket. This taste of the four (4) stalls might also become one of our reasons to visit the island again. Keep on reading as we share our Best of Boracay EATSperience!
Best of Boracay Stall No. 1: SPICEBIRD
SpiceBird is one of the restaurants from the Sunny Side group in Boracay. It is a Piri-Piri Grill restaurant that serves up amazing chicken and pork dishes. And what’s great about SpiceBird is that they make their own sauces. 4 different kinds that is unique and distinct in flavor.
Piri-Piri Chicken Skin (Php 110) – Crispy-fried chicken skin dressed with their signature Piri-Piri Sauce
This was AMAZING! Our baby almost finished a whole plate on her own. Yes, it was that good and definitely Baby Eats-approved, too! It was super crispy and the Piri-Piri Sauce of Spicebird goes perfectly with it. You gotta try this at least once in your life!
Piri-Piri Chicken Board (Php 320 for 1/4 and Php 545 for 1/2) – comes with spice rice, honey vinaigrette salad, vegetable chips, and milky roll
A huge platter of awesome grilled food with loads of spice rice! We paired this with their classic Piri-Piri sauce and we loved the tangy flavor coming from the sauce that dressed the marinated grilled chicken really well. But if you are a spicy kind of person, the Hotbird sauce would be best for you.
Piri-Piri Pork Belly Board (Php 390) – comes with spice rice, honey vinaigrette salad, vegetable chips, and milky roll
We find SpiceBird’s Piri-Piri boards really filling. May it be with chicken, or pork belly. With the amount of rice, plus chips, salad and a milky roll? You will surely have a happy tummy after. The pork belly was so tender and juicy and we enjoyed it with the Garlic & Lime sauce mixed with the Curry-Curry sauce. Yes, you read that right! You can mix the sauces if you want more flavor to go with your choice of meat.
We personally think that SpiceBird is a huge hit in Boracay because of its concept serving grilled food by the beach, and having filling boards that’s perfect after a swim or a cure for a hangover (haha!). And as mentioned, their sauces are really really good. That can definitely be enjoyed by locals and foreigners. The Piri-Piri sauce is more on the tangy side of things, while the Hotbird sauce is for the adventurous ones. And our personal favorites, the Garlic & Lime sauce, we can easily finish a whole jar of this. Great balance in flavor. And the Curry-Curry sauce, if you are a fan of Japanese curry, you will surely love this too. Their sauce jars are good for purchasing too. So if you enjoyed their sauce you can buy and bring home some or better yet share it with your friends and family as pasalubongs.
Best of Boracay Stall No. 2: FAT RICE
Inspired by travel EATSperiences of the couple behind these amazing restaurants, Fat Rice focuses on Southeast Asian delights.
Real Thai Iced Tea (Php 95 / glass) – Thai iced tea made from scratch.
Love at first sip! The name stays true to its taste, Real Thai Iced Tea. Real because the tea leaves are imported from Thailand which gives an authentic Thai Iced tea taste. And it is so creamy that made it hard for us to resist. Would love to have a glass or 2 of this drink when the island opens again.
Crab Fat Wings (Php 390) – Oozing with umami. Crab fat and sweet palm sugar on crispy wings.
This is as sinful as they come but overflowing with lovely flavors and texture! A wonderful appetizer to wake up one’s palate to go on a great Southeast Asian food trip.
Cereal Salt & Pepper Pork (Php 390) – Pork Spare Ribs in five-spice and a cereal coating. Served with rice.
Amazing cook on the pork spare ribs. It was packed with really tender meat with strong flavors from the five-spice and that much needed texture from the cereal coating. Perfect with a bowl of steamed rice.
Cha Ca “La Vong” (Php 390) – Their take on a classic dish from Hanoi. Fish slices served with dill, noodles, fish paste, and nuts. Good for sharing.
Ahh! This was one of the highlights in our Best of Boracay feast! The dish seemed heavy and filling but we were proven wrong, the moment we had our first bite. Colorful, fragrant, and quite a number of components but everything worked harmoniously together. How to eat this dish? Serve yourself some noodles, drizzle some oil, top it with some fish and dill, and finish things off with the fish paste and nuts, mix it and slurp up some good tasting noodle dish. Don’t be fooled by the fish paste, because believe us, it is very light in flavor. Really amazing dish! A must-try!
If you want some Asian delights while you are on the island, Fat Rice is the place to be. Our must tries that we recommend are the Real Thai Iced Tea and the Cha Ca “La Vong”.
Best of Boracay Stall No. 3: POKETO
The Sunny Side group has their own food hall in the island that is named Streetmarket. And one of their babies there is Poketo. A stall that serves Yakitori and Yakitori bowl.
Yakitori Bowl (Php 320) – Choose three (3) yakitori sticks. It comes with furikake rice, onsen egg, tempura flakes, nori, and pickles.
They have a 8 different types of yakitori sticks to choose from which can be ordered per stick or with the rice bowl. We had the Yakitori bowl and our sticks were pork belly, pork neck and boneless chicken wing. The sauce that dressed the sticks was lip-smackin’ and this was another Baby Eats-approved dish! Really tasty sauce and the onsen egg made the rice really creamy.
For a fast meal before heading out for an adventure in the island, Poketo might be the one for you. Just order what yakitori sticks you want, mix everything in the bowl and dig in for some great tasting rice bowl.
Best of Boracay Stall No. 4: COCO MAMA
What’s an island without some coconut goodness?! The Sunny Side group was so clever to curate this concept. Coconut based desserts, perfect on a hot summer day or just perfect for a chill moment by the beach at any given time of the year. Coco Mama serves Fresh Coconut water, Coconut Ice cream and Coconut ice cream dessert creations.
Coconut Ice Cream with Mango (Php 140) – Vegan. Non-dairy. Lactose-free. Gluten-free. Low-glycemic index.
Their best-seller, the Coconut Ice Cream with Mango. Good news for those who are lactose intolerant, an ice cream that will not definitely hurt. Topped with sweet mangoes and sticky rice with coconut strips.
If you are not in Boracay, Coco Mama can still be enjoyed by many because they have a stall in Salcedo Market until the end of 2018! Their best-seller is really a must-try for everyone but if you just want a simple dessert, their creamy coconut ice cream is perfect too!
We’re glad that the Best of Boracay had a pop up in Hole in the Wall. This became an opportunity for the Sunny Side group family to help their employees while the island is on closure and at the same time an opportunity for the people in Manila to try the Best of Boracay. The Best of Boracay Pop-up is only until the 30th of September 2018 which means you guys still have a little over a month to try out the dishes that made them a huge favorite in the beautiful island of Boracay. Make sure to try the four (4) establishments as soon as possible! You won’t regret it. That’s it for this edition of EATSplorations, ’till next time!
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Best of Boracay at Hole in the Wall (until September 30, 2018)
Hole in the Wall, Fourth Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue Corner Salamanca Street, Poblacion, Makati City
SpiceBird: @spicebirdgrill
Coco Mama: @cocomamaboracay
Poketo and Fat Rice: @streetmarketboracay
Operating Hours:
11:00am to 10:00pm (Sun-Thu)
11:00am to 12:00mn (Fri-Sat)
EATSplorations 