Hidden Gems
As much as Siargao is known for it’s world-class surfing it’s also know for it’s food scene. Starting with the first foreign surfers who settled here, restaurants with food from all over the world have popped up in Siargao staying true to their origins. The French chef owns a French bakery, the Spanish own restaurants dominated with mediterranean flavors, there’s a ramen restaurant owned by a Japanese master, and the Italians are cooking rustic style pizzas and making pasta from scratch. So with so much good food in Siargao it’s understandable that a few great places get overlooked. With that in mind, I decided to write a blog about all the little places I often visit that never seem as busy as they should.
My Greek Taverna – casual dining
I recently visited My Greek Taverna for the first time in awhile and it was so good it made me wonder why we don’t go more often. OK, technically this restaurant is not very hidden, it’s right there on Tourism Road, but the place never seems to be very busy and I can’t figure out why.
We started off with a Trio Dip which gives you three types of hummus-based dips with toasted pita chips. Each dip is bursting with flavor and freshness, it’s a great way to start as you get a drink and wait for friends to arrive. Next we ordered the Greek Salad and it was exactly what you’d hope a Greek salad would be. We really appreciate that the menu has a great variety of salads to choose from which can be hard to find on the island. Next we had the Rabas (Greek calamari). Calamari is a pretty common dish in Siargao but the way they prepare it at Greek Taverna with the spices they use really set this dish apart from the ones you find at other restaurants. Lastly we had a Tria Souvlaki (meat platter). Three huge marinated skewers of meat hanging impressively over a plate of fries with a peppercorn dipping sauce. You get to choose from 4 kinds of meat: chicken, pork, steak, or tuna. You can mix n’ match the meats but I usually just get the steak. We really enjoyed our experience at My Greek Taverna and it’s really a wonder why it isn’t busy all the time. Shoutout to the awesome staff who were super helpful, welcoming, and even held our baby for us while we were eating!
Basilyo – Chinese & Filipino food.
Best for big groups! Go with your family or friend squad and dine ‘family style’ where you order a bunch of dishes and everyone shares. The menu has a huge selection of Chinese favorites like sweet & sour pork, beef & broccoli, crab & corn soup, salt & pepper pork ribs, and Yangzhou fried rice. If you have a favorite Chinese restaurant at home, well this is that but in Siargao. The atmosphere isn’t much but the portions are huge and the prices are reasonable.
And the best part? This restaurant is 100% locally owned & operated which is quite rare in Siargao so you’ll feel good supporting them. The head chef is a local Siargaonon who worked as a chef at the famous Resorts World in Manila before coming back to Siargao to open a restaurant with his family. Basilyo does get busy as a lot of us local expats & Filipinos know about it but it’s still relatively unknown to tourists so consider yourself lucky we’re letting you in on this little secret!
Lamari - Western & Globally inspired
Lamari may fit the bill as the most hidden restaurant on this list as you’ll drive by it on Tourism Road everyday and never see it. The whole resort is hidden behind a wall of vegitation as if purposely designed not to be seen. Once you find the entrance and walk through a corridor of plants & bushes and cross the small bridge over a pond of Koi fish you’ll be instantly impressed by this restaurant. High ceilings, swimming pool off to the side, modern chic atmosphere, and barely any people in it. Lamari used to be a well-known and visited place and they even had a massive pool party every Sunday but these days I think they’re more content with keeping it more quiet & private for their guests, however walk-ins are always welcome.
The menu consists of Western & Asian comfort foods and the dishes are all as tastefully done as the decor and atmosphere. Some of my favorite dishes inclue the Spinach Riccota Dip for an appetizer, the Chicken Tikki Masala for a main and even the Vegetable Moussaka even though I’m not a vegetarian. They also do a great steak for a very reasonable price. The are a ton more options on the menu and I admit having to use a QR code is annoying but once you get over that you’ll find some many wonderful things it’s hard to decide what to order.
Also, if you’re looking for a quieter spot for a meeting, date, or get some work done then Lamari is the place for you!
Lebron James & Dwayne Wade Store (Pacifico)
The best part about going North to Pacifico? The less crowded surf? The empty stretches of white sand beaches? The drive along the beautiful coastline with coconut forests on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other? Nahhhh, it’s getting to eat at this unassuming little Filipino restaurant! While in Siargao you really should try the local Filipino food and nowhere sets a better example of this than Lebron James.
First of all it’s very reasonably priced. Next is the local ambiance, the restaurant is actually the living room of a house that’s been turned into a makeshift dining area. Finally, we have a huge menu showcasing all the Philippines best loved dishes, and they’re all great. My favorite dish is the Siargao Express which is a type of curry made with coconut milk, a pungent shrimp paste, and chilis for a bit of a kick! . It’s a very unique dish in the Philippines and packed with a sweet & spicy coconut-chili flavor. They do all the Filipino classics very well: adobo, curry, vegetables, spring rolls, chicken soup, sweet & sour pork, fried rice, and much more!
It’s such a gem to find a great, locally owned restaurant where you can order all the Filipino comfort foods made to order and served hot. No trip to the North is complete without a meal at Lebron James!
(Other great food spots in Pacifico are Bamboo Garden & Trogan’s Perch.)
Pappa C’s
It took us forever to try this place. I judged the book by it’s cover. I thought it looked horrible and tacky. Sitting on the second floor of a new strip mall that looks like it belongs in a city, not on the island. The bright lights and empty tables also gives a bad impression. Lastly the name itself; Pappa C’s Sizzlers, just sounds like the kind of horrible chain restaurant you’d find in a Filipino shopping mall.
And I was wrong. So wrong! I now eat at this restaurant more than anywhere else in Siargao. It’s basically a great steak restaurant. They have a huge selection of local & imported steak cuts served with some veggies & either mashed potato or rice. The local steaks going for around 600 - 700php makes it a great value and they’re not bad! If you wanna splurge the imported steaks are around 1600-1800 pesos. I’ve even tried the 1kg local Tomahawk steak for 2250php and it’s a really fun dish to share with the kids and the cheapest way to try a Tomahawk steak for the first time.
Besides the steaks, everything we’ve tried in Pappa C’s has been great. Their Caesar salad and Greek salads are both a great way to add some veg to your meal. Their fried chicken comes with a nice white gravy and by all accounts it’s much less greasy and tastes fresher than other fried chickens in the Philippines. My wife loves the Salpicao which is a Filipino way to cook steak in a soy sauce on a sizzling plate. I haven’t tried any of the burgers or other things yet but they all look great.
Time after time we go back to Pappa C’s and it’s never been a disappointment. I just hope more people start visiting this restaurant so it doesn’t have to close cause honestly I hardly see any other people there and I want to be able to enjoy the restaurant for years to come! Especially awesome for someone like me who’s looking for low-carb options when most meals at restaurants are just filled with pasta, rice, or breads. Get a steak & Caesar salad and go home feeling’ like a champ!