Places to eat in Zamboanga City

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This was a place recommended to me by my local guide and friend. They serve excellent local cuisines (that could only mean seafood or pork! ;-) We ordered the platter (I forget the name), which had fried and de-boned bangus (milkfish), squid, shrimp, chicken adobo, grilled pork, and eggplant omelette. We also ordered a side of garlic fried rice which came in a mini-metal serving pot (interesting). Yum!

Mano-mano incidentally means "hands-on", so you're expected to use your hands to eat. There are adequate washing facilities close by. If you prefer, I'm sure you could ask for utensils to eat.

You can tell the place is good as the parking lot was packed! Tons of locals, and the place was hopping even for a Thursday night.

Favorite Dish: I don't think there's anything that I've seen on the menu that I wouldn't eat. Everything sounded dee-lish!

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Food is not spectacular but this restaurant has a great view of the sea and/or the garden, take your pick! Both dining areas will relax you and clear your thoughts. Perfect for informal meetings and/or writing your novels.

Favorite Dish: What else but Zamboanga's specialty, curacha.

You got it right, our very own satti -- the food we sorely miss -- is now in Metro Manila. Me and my Tausug wife put up a satti outlet along EDSA, located between Robonson's Galleria and Poveda School. In June, we will open our first outlet at the food court of the SM Mall in Fairview. Although we arre currently in the used car, car rental and Public Relations and Marketing business, we decided to put up the Satti house because we miss it and we could not get enough of it.

Favorite Dish: The satti at the Satti Grill House tastes as good as the Jimmy's Satti in Zamboanga because our cooks came from Sulu where satti originated. The only diffrence is that here we serve them cleaner and we added up a Manila spice -- not so spicy version.

Satti is a really delicious wake-you-upper. Spicy but not too much! I hear this is the best tasting specially for first time eaters since the other resto beside it has an even spicier blend! It's made of chicken with solidified rice. Try it!

The food is served family style on woven bamboo trays covered with banana leaf. People usually eat with their hands (known as kamayan or mano) although a tablespoon and fork are supplied for the less adventuresome. There is an outdoor sink to wash your hands. Filipino and regional dishes are served, such as different kinds of fish, kare-kare (see favorite, below), lechon (roasted pork). Many dishes are fried, so look for a balance with soups, such as sinigang, or vegetable dishes such as pinakbet or kangkong. The best beverage is ice cold San Miguel beer. The service is extremely fast. There are lots of families who eat here. The restaurant is like a veranda, covered roof but open air. There is no air-conditioning, which is a welcome change from hotel restaurants.

Favorite Dish: The kare-kare is beef stew cooked with spices and peanuts and thickened with rice flour. It is very tasty and not chili hot. A very salty fish condiment called bagoong, accompanies it. Although the smell may make you pause, bagoong is quite good taken in small quantities. Like all main dishes, kare-kare is to be eaten with rice.

When in Zamboanga, having to eat at a Seafood's Restaurant should not be missed. And having a serving of the "Curacha" is a must. Zamboanga seafood is Curacha, I should say.

Curacha is a relative of the seacrab but tastes better.

Favorite Dish: Curacha cooked in garlic sauce will make a finger-licking feast. "Another round of San Miguel Beer, please!"

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When visiting Zamboanga City that is well-known for its cheap seafood, it is a must to dine in a restaurant that serves seafood. One of the most popular in the city is Hai San Seafood Restaurant. They must be serving good food at reasonable price to be popular. This is actually a Chinese seafood restaurant such that preparations of the food are mostly done in Chinese receipes.

Fresh sea catch are offered in shallow containers with ice for the diners to choose from and most importantly to check the freshness of the seafood prior to cooking. Cooking time would take in less than 20 minutes.

Favorite Dish: Check out the local better-than-crab crustacean "curacha". Other recommended food are lobsters and groupers (lapu-lapu).

This is one of the more elegant outdoor restaurants in Zamboanga with reasonable prices (by U.S. standards). The fish and prawns are fried or roasted and presented on bamboo trays covered with banana leaf. The decor features colorful sails of Tausug outrigger ships.

Favorite Dish: The best fresh water fish here is called bangus, has firm flesh and a full by not "fishy" taste. Best eaten with a number of dipping sauces which each diner creates from chili peppers, soy sauce, vinegar, and/or kalamansi (a minature kind of lemon).