By Jodelen Ortiz

The food industry is an essential element to promote tourism. Most tourists, especially those from other countries would always look for authentic Filipino cuisine and Philippine exotic food. In fact, some tourist spots bexame widely popular particularly because of their food. No wonder, there are provinces with festivals and events that flood the street with lechons, bangus (milkfish) and pantat (catfish) dishes.

Tourism without the food and restaurants are either non-existent, dying or weak. Thank God, Puerto Princesa City’s tourism condition is none of these three.

Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan. Among the 23 districts, this is the only city making it the economic district of the Province. It also registers high tourists’ entry year after year because of its famous spots like The Underground River, Dos Palmas, The Crocodile Farm, Iwahig Penal Colony, Balsahan River, Ulugan Bay, Snake Island and other beaches in Honda Bay, Mitra’s Farm, Baker’s Hill, and The Butterfly Garden.

Complimenting the abundance of attractive places in the City are the restaurants that grow in number every year. Owners of the older and more famous ones have long recognized the City’s tourism potentiality and have already positioned themselves and established identity for their restaurant businesses.

The three more famous restaurants in Puerto Princesa that are a must-visit are Kalui, Kamarikutan and Dang Maria’s. All of these names have Cuyunon origins, the native dialect.

Kalui got its name from its owner Lui. Kamarikutan is owned by a Tagbanua (a native tribe) princess “Nanay Dayang” Macasaet and her daughter Dinggot Prieto. The owner of Dang Maria’s is Manay Jane, as she prefers to be called. Lui, Nanay Dayang, Dinggot and Manay Jane have brought their artistic touches to the concepts of their restaurants.

You wouldn’t find difficulty locating these restaurants. Just hop on a tricycle and ask the drivers for these places, you will not be disappointed. All of them are along the main street, Rizal Avenue.

Kalui: Treating The Seafood Lover in a Regal Way

Enter Kalui and feel like entering a native wooden house, only this one has clean, well-polished and shiny floor from the main entrance to the comfort room. This is the one place you wouldn’t mind leaving your footwear at the entrance. As part of their policy, every footwear should be left to their staff who will put your pair in a native bayong with numbers for easy identification.

Sumptuous seafood dish from Kalui Restaurant

You may choose between typical table-and-chair or table-and-floor (japanese-style). Try the latter and you’ll have all the pillows to cuddle, sit upon or put on your back. In Kalui, every flower is a potential tabletop centerpiece. Oftentimes, kalachuchi petals floating in the water is the owner’s choice.

The trained crew members wear tropical polo shirts matched with shorts. They themselves are bare-footed. They often recommend their group set meals that is complete from appetizer to soup to main course to dessert. Appetizer is lato or seaweed that you may dip in Kalui’s vinegar from tuba. Soup is shellfish soup, main course from a selection of seafood dishes while dessert would be fruits mixed inside the coconut just like what is done to halo-halo. The other seafood choices are sinigang, tangigue, eel in coconut milk, baked tahongs and many more.

Notably, among the restaurants in Puerto Princesa, Kalui provides the best customer service.

More Restaurants in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan >>