Earlier this year, we went to explore Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan. Of course, we wanted to go on food trips and try out the city's delicacies. Upon asking the locals, two restaurant names often came up: Kahlui and Kinabuchs. These two places, both found in Rizal Avenue, are within walking distance of one another.
First, we'll talk about Kalui. For the appetizer, we had this serving of fresh seaweeds. It really did taste very fresh, and one can really taste the saltiness of the sea when trying this dish out. It tasted different from the usual seaweed appetizers we have in Manila, and one way of describing it is that it seemed to come straight from the ocean and unto the table... very unprocessed.
We also ordered Eel in Coco Cream. As with most eel dishes, its texture was fatty and malansa. The sauce was tasty though. Aside from that, we ordered squid, and my personal favorite, the Kilawin (pictured at the top of the page). Their Kilawin was one of the best I've tasted so far and better that the one we ordered from Kinabuch. The fish really soaked up the taste of the vinegar which had a nice mix of spiciness.
For dessert we were all given fruits which were served in a coconut, topped with coconut sugar. It was a refreshing end to a nice dinner.
Kahlui has a homier atmosphere than Kinabuch. Upon entering, you will be asked to surrender your footwear -- because in this place, you go barefoot! Kahlui is generally one huge bahay kubo and the wooden floors are kept shiny clean. The whole barefoot experience was actually pretty relaxing.
Verdict
Refreshing and clean with tasty dishes. It was my favorite meal from Puerto Prinsesa. Eating at Kalui is also very affordable, with most dishes averaging less than P200. Please do note that you should call a day or two in advance for reservations because we were told that the place is overflowing with hungry tourists most of the time. Also, no, they don't have Palawan's famed crocodile sisig.
Taste - 5/5
Ambiance - 5/5
Service - 5/5
Price - 5/5
Overall Value - 5/5
Next, we have Kinabuch:
In contrast to Kalui, Kinabuch does serve crocodile sisig! It was my first time trying the dish out, and like what most people told me about it, it was malansa. The meat is soft but also takes longer to chew, and it's on the salty side. Pretty tasty and I do believe that everyone who visits the city should try out crocodile meat at least once.
We ordered Kilawin and I found it to be on the average side of things. It's the usual pulutan dish that you find in bars.
Above is Dinakdakan (diced pigs ears, tongue, and liver). I thought the description looked interesting so I wanted to order it. Meat was tough to chew but it was a nice experience. It comes with calamansi which gives it a tangy kick.
For dessert, we had some crepe. The stick-o's protruding from it was an odd sight!
In contrast to Kalui, this place is much larger and noisier (what do you expect from a grill and bar, though?). It seems like a good place for the large groups out there who want to drink, Puerto Prinsesa-style.
Verdict
Affordable and ideal for large group of friends who want a fun night of drinking with exotic choices for pulutan.
Taste - 3/5
Ambiance - 3/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3/5
Overall Value - 3/5
As a note... if you're visiting Puerto Prinsesa, you might as well try out Tamilok as well. It's an exotic dish of...well, shipworms. Technically they're saltwater clams but they looked more like worms to me and unfortunately I wasn't brave enough to give it a shot. If you do try it out though, let me know what you think!
I missed both places when we went there.. :(
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