Zamboanga's Best Eats!

(Part 2)

Crabs, Prawns, Curacha and more! That’s what!

One thing we noticed in Zamboanga City was, it's dotted with many inviting restaurants that even by the looks of it you can already feel the ambiance they offer. Luckily, we were offered to try 3 of the Best Eats in Zamboanga.

Entrance to Alavar's (FB Page)

When in Zamboanga, you should not miss to dine at landmark Alavar’s Seafood Restaurant located at Don Alfaro St., in Brgy. Tetuan. This home-grown resto is popular for its delicious seafood treats including their specialty dishes of crabs and curacha (spanner or redfrog crab) in Alavar sauce. The famous Alavar sauce is sweet, mildly spicy, and aromatic recipe of Ma. Teresa Camins Alavar, a descendant of Filipino-Muslim and Spanish intermarriages., handed-down to generations. The most popular way of enjoying it is with curacha (sea crab), cangrejo (mud crab) and locon (prawns).

With our host, the Wee family, we had a platter of seafood consist of crabs, squid, tuna, shells and prawns. But the star viand was Curacha! We relished at its tasty meat and sauce.  For our drinks, my wife had Zamboanga White, while I ordered their avocado shake.

Curacha in Alavar Sauce (FB Page)

Hacienda de Palmeras Hotel and Restaurant is another popular dining place you should visit. We were served Filipino food, Special Bilao of assorted seafood and lechon kawali, Mongolian rice, and of course we will not miss another chance to have knickerbocker. Palmeras made the original Zamboanga Knickerbocker. It was such a hit that other restos copied the recipe.

Credits: wazzuppilipinas.com 

Special Bilao

Knickerbocker, a Palmeras original

Dining 

 Dennis Coffee Garden is your window to authentic Tausug cuisine. We had all assortment of kakanins which is called collectively as “bangbangs.” We had panpan, jualan, palikambing, pangi-pangi, panyam, and pastil.  We even ordered Satti, which is typical a breakfast food. Of course a must-try and should-not-to-be-missed here is the now becoming famous Sulu Coffee, a richly flavorful brewed coffee.  The place is homey and serene. All their staff belongs to the Tausug Muslim tribe.

Dennis Coffee Garden. Source: FB Page

Main Lobby of Dennis Coffee Garden. (FB Page) 

With with Avellaneda's. 

The Taste of Tausug Culture

Later, I learned that Dennis Coffee Garden is the upscale version of the original Dennis Coffee Shop in Jolo, Sulu started by the family of Imelda Ahalul-Dagus. Indeed, Dennis Coffee Garden is a taste of culture. 

We had a day full and so as our tummies! 

Visit them:

Alavar's Seafood Restaurant 
173 Don Alfaro Street
Tetuan, Zamboanga City

Hacienda de Palmeras

Pasonanca Road
Barangay Sta. Maria
Zamboanga City

Dennis Coffee Garden

Block 2, Lot 8, San Jose Road, Baliwasan

Zamboanga City

(You may also read part 1 of this story here.)

Ciudad de Zamboanga, Summer’s last Hurrah!

(Part 1) 

Bienvenidos! Arrival at Zamboanga International Airport

Sank deep into her dissertation writing, my wife envisaged a summer escape after the grueling academic requirement. And there is no other place she wanted to be but, Zamboanga City!

She wanted to explore a city that is not usually the summer destination of many, and the Latin City of the South is just the perfect place for the ‘Huling Hirit sa tag-init.’ It would not be our first time in the city. She’d been here for a convention which was so confined to the four walls of the hotel venue and embraced the long power outages at that time. That’s why she felt they need to explore and enjoy more this beautiful city.

Catching summer in the nick of time, off to Zamboanga we went. Luckily, some good friends who live the city had been more willing to accommodate and tour us around the city.

After we dropped our backpacks in Astoria Regency Hotel in Pasonaca, we skipped and hopped to nearby tourist destinations in the area. 

First stop was the popular landmark Tree House in Pasonanca Park.  Inside the tree house is a complete facility fro an overnight sleep. Just in sight also were the wigwams of campers which had also become a landmark of Brgy. Pasonanca. Few meters away was the government-managed pools, according to locals those were the first ever public pools in the city. We just passed by it since swimming was not yet in our to-do list then. Moving few meters forward was the Paseo La Jardin de Maria Clara Lobregat which gathers some good resto and bars, the Butterfly Sanctuary, the Zamboanga City Science Park and the statue of the late city mayor, Maria Clara Lobregat.

Then few minute’s drive was the place called helmet in at the foot of Mt. Abong-abong (an upland barangay. This park was dedicated for the late mayor Cesar C. Climaco.

Before the sun sets on our first day, we wanted to visit the Pueblo, the downtown area. The historic Plaza Pershing was hosting flower and plant exhibit staged by the local government and the Department of Agriculture. While the majestic façade of the city hall was so inviting for a selfie, it was difficult to find parking so we went directly to Paseo del Mar, the spacious plaza that highlighted by the view of Zamboanga sea waters, the port for, the view of Sta. Cruz Island and the silhouette of the island of Basilan. 

At around 4 PM the sun was still a bit hot for a stay by the bay of Paseo, we decided to visit Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar. As it was customary, we lighted the colorful candles which according the old woman each color has its meaning, but for us it did not really matter. After we said our prayers and adoration we wanted to see the Museum of Port Pilar but it has just closed for the day.

So we went to my wife’s first mission: Knicker Bocker!

After the days, hot and humid air, the refreshing sweet concoction of milk, fresh oriental fruits, some gelatin topped with strawberry ice-cream was just fitting to cap the day's tour.

Zamboanga City did not fail. It was surprisingly a beautiful jewel waiting to be explored. 

Hi there. A selfie from the entrance of the church. 

Lighting Candles at Nuestra Señora del Pilar 

Wigwams for campers

The Port view in Paseo del Mar