Beach life can mean great food, too.
If you’ve always thought beach life was just all about grilled food and the simplest dishes you can find, think again. Hotels and destinations are rethinking experiences that go beyond the ‘gram and are making sure that there’s something to talk about beyond a pretty picture on social media. We’re definitely here for it.
Your Breakfast Options Are All About Location, Location, Location
If you find yourself staying at Discovery Shores Boracay and you love breakfast buffets, then you have two restaurants to choose from when enjoying the complimentary breakfast buffet that comes with their rooms.
At the foot of Discovery Shores Boracay, is Sands Restaurant, home to Pinoy food. The restaurant is situated on the ground floor of the hotel, right beside the magnificent white sand shore, offering a spectacular view of the shimmering aquamarine waters and a wide expanse of a calming blue sky.
The bulk of Discovery Shores visitors choose Sands for good reason: you get a breathtaking view that’s hard to look away from.
If you’re looking for a quieter place, go for Forno Osteria. It’s their newest restaurant that specializes in Italian fare. Tucked in the nook of the Signature Wing, this restaurant will afford you privacy and quiet if you’re craving for some.
The complimentary buffet you can experience at either restaurant includes your hotel breakfast favorite: bacon! There’s also a rotating selection of cheese and charcuterie. There’s smoked salmon which we recommend pairing with their dill cream. There’s also an array of baked goods, fresh fruits, a different European dish per day, fruit salad, salad options, a pasta dish, hash browns, cereal options, yogurt, and even Yakult.
You also get to chose an ala carte dish such as Duck Congee, Chicken N’ Biscuits, Lobster Scramble, and Steak & Eggs. There’s a lot of other options, too, and all these ala carte dishes you can actually choose to have elsewhere.
Call room service at least the night before and you can arrange to have your breakfast at the Exclusive 360 Deck. During the morning, it’s a delightful, chilly temperature, perfect for a hot cup of coffee. If you go there before sunrise, though the rising sun is obstructed by the mountain range, it’s still quite a calming sight to watch and a thrill to listen to the birds as they slowly wake up in batches, singing loudly like a building symphony.
Recommended Videos
You can also arrange to have your breakfast right at your Room’s Private Deck. If you’re lucky enough to stay at the Signature Suites, you can be enjoying breakfast facing the famous beautiful beach, by your personal lounge pool, that’s constantly jetted with warm water. It’s got to be one of the most luxurious, pleasurable experiences to have in Boracay.
Where most hotels’ gastronomic delights end after breakfast, Discovery Shores’ is just beginning. As they pack-up their buffet spreads, it’s time for each of the restaurants to truly shine with their specialties.
We got to sample all the highlights, thanks to Sous Chef Ghel Bagwan, who curated an experience we’ll remember for a long long time.
Have Your Authentic Visayan Dishes at Sands Restaurant
In the same way, Sands’ offers an unpretentious menu of homecooked, mostly Visayan dishes, done simply but excellently. Their menu reflects Boracay as a cosmopolitan island, as a melting pot of different Filipino flavors. Chef Ghel is both Kapampangan and Igorot, Chef Filbert Elaurza is from Aklan, and Chef Bernard
One of Sand’s specialties is their Bacolod Kansi. The fresh
You should also definitely try their Alimango in Alavar Sauce—because what meal beside the beach would be complete without seafood? Its decadent orange sauce is made of rich, delicious
We recommend pairing these delicious dishes with their Salted Fish Fried Rice. It’s made with Aklan’s famous
For dessert, you need to try their Taho Sorbetes. It’s drizzled in brown sugar syrup and white pearls but the likeness to your favorite taho doesn’t stop there. Incorporated in its smooth, creamy ice cream, are tofu chunks that take on a cheese-like consistency.
There’s a reason why Sands’ Filipino fare is so on-point. It’s not just that these are dishes so ingrained in the chefs they could practically cook it with eyes closed, but it’s also the culture in the kitchen. Chef Ghel describes his kitchen to be a democratic one where everyone has a say. It’s the kind of culture that’s unhampered by tyrannical heads—a culture just like of a loving family’s. Everyone is invited to collaborate and pitch-in, which helps their menu get better every time.
Have a Classy Romantic Meal at Indigo Restaurant
A touch more secluded, with the same showstopping view, right beside Sands Restaurant, is the Indigo Restaurant that showcases more upscale dishes. We recommend this restaurant for your grand grilled cravings for lunch or your intimate reservations for dinner. You can even order off the menu if you chance upon Chef Christian Daynos.
For lunch, sample their delicious off-the-grill items. The Indigo Seafood Platter is filled with pre-cracked crabs, shrimps with a cheesy white sauce, a barbecue sauce made in-house, and a serving of forbidden rice you’ll surely need. If you’re a fan of Baby Back Ribs, theirs checks all the boxes—tender, juicy, with a sticky glaze that makes it delightfully messy.
If you’re planning on a romantic dinner at Indigo, perhaps messy food might not be the way to go. Go for their beautifully plated Shrimp & Crab Salad instead, a plate of roasted corn, avocado mousse, bread tuile, and baby tomato. It’s simple, refreshing, and a good way to begin a multi-course meal. Want more starters? They also have a beautiful, smooth, light but creamy, Roasted Tomato Soup that’s topped with a crostini.
Indigo, whose main specialty is seafood, also serves a delicious Pan Roasted Atlantic Salmon. This beautifully seared fish has both crunchy skin and tender and flaky meat. It’s served with asparagus, roasted cherry tomato, basil oil, snap peas, saffron
Indigo will also serve an intermezzo, to cleanse your palate and make the rest of the meal just as pleasurable and delicious as the first part. Their Ginger and Lime Sorbet does the job with finesse, dancing between both ginger-hot and icy cold flavors.
Our favorites at Indigo has to be the Braised Short Ribs, born out of Chef Ghel’s training on Mediterranean cooking. The ribs, braised in rosemary, thyme, oregano, and cinnamon for 2-3 hours, is guaranteed to be tender and warm. It’s extra filling as its served with spinach, potato scallion mash, glazed baby carrots, crispy potato, and a simple ribs au jus. The whole dish plays with your palate for a truly hearty, satisfying dish.
Indulge in Delicious Italian Fare at Forno Osteria
It’s not just Chef Ghel’s kitchen that’s fostered kin-like relationships. There’s a reason why the hospitality you experience at Discovery Shores Boracay comes across as genuinely joyful as their staff greets you at every turn.
During the 6-month closure of Boracay, Discovery Shores Boracay did not let go of a single employee who wanted to stay. Instead, they reassigned their staff to Club Paradise in Palawan. They then opted to use the time of the closure for renovations, leaving a small team behind to oversee the process. They extended this care and kindness to their customers. During this time, they also gave the affected pre-booked customers to re-book or get a hundred percent refund. By the end of the closure, with so many businesses closed down, Discovery Shores Boracay not just survived, but came out even better, with their Signature Wing and its high ends suites all ready to be their visitors’ home away from home.
Part of the Signature Wing is their newest restaurant: Forno Osteria. “Forno” is the Italian for “oven”, while “Osteria” means a “neighborhood’s dining place. It’s what Forno Osteria aims to be: a homey, casual place to enjoy their delicious Italian fare.
Following the heart of Italian cooking, which is using only the freshest ingredients, you can even watch the chefs at work when you come in: you’ll see them roll out the fresh dough and fresh pasta every single day.
When you have a meal there, you start off with their Bread Service of soft
The Arancini Alla Bolognese or you might know as risotto balls taste just like a promise of even better things. The balls are coated in a thin, crunchy layer of breadcrumbs, and inside of it is completely tender rice that explodes with creamy, meaty goodness.
For a vegan option, or if you’re trying to watch your weight during a beach trip, there’s the Sicilian Cauliflower that’s an umami-packed dish of mixed capers, lentils, eggplant, and cheese.
We’re sure you’ll also love their thoughtfully made Rustic Clams Brodetto. This fruity, tangy, creamy tomato soup is mixed with intensely flavored Tagaytay clams. Unlike most clams, Tagaytay clams are a lot smaller, allowing its clam juice to be more concentrated.
Another appetizer you can get is their Ricotta Caprese made with tangy, creamy, lemon ricotta that Forno Osteria makes in-house.
Finally, it’s time for the main dishes. You shouldn’t miss out on their Spaghetti Nero, which is tangy, creamy, and has a richness only quality squid ink can give. Their Pappardelle Bolognese, a cheesy, meaty pasta dish, is a great way to enjoy their fresh pasta, as the fresh pasta’s wide cuts give you a lot of
For their pizzas, choose from Margherita Pizza or Quattro Formaggi Pizza which both use a beautiful, fruity Pomodoro and a generous serving of cheese. You can’t go wrong with your choice of pizza thanks to a stellar, fresh Neapolitan crust that’s soft, tender, crunchy and light.
The truly unforgettable dish of the night though, or your whole stay would have to be the Angus Rib Eye Steak. What makes it so unbelievably good is their use of a rare Josper oven that’s even better than most high-end Italian restaurants’ charcoal grills. The Josper oven is also griller, but it’s enclosed, and so, when a steak goes in, as it carefully cooks, and gets its even, delicious charring, it’s also being infused with smokiness. Other grillers may accomplish the same taste and texture for 6 hours of cooking, but the Josper does it in an hour. What you get is an incredibly tender cut of beef that upon contact with your tongue, and down to every bite, explodes with an intensely smoky flavor that complements the high-grade beef’s juicy, fatty bite. Honestly, this steak is good on its own, but it also comes with a selection of three sauces: Bearnaise that gives it a creaminess, House Steak Sauce that is a reduction of the steak’s juices, and Melted Gorgonzola that amplifies the umami.
The Exclusive 360 Roof Deck
If you’re staying at one of the Signature Suites, you need to take advantage of the food offerings at the Exclusive 360 Deck. This plush space is truly one of the highlights of the brand new Signature Wing. The roof deck has a centered, undisturbed view of the beach that’s absolutely perfect for sunset-watching with a glass of champagne as you float in their infinity pool, plunge in their jacuzzi, or lounge in one of their comfortable seats. The relaxing atmosphere and one of a kind view is the perfect spot for a romantic meal, pica-pica, or a cocktail to end a grand day.
You can order their simple but consistently crunchy and perfectly seasoned Salt & Pepper Calamari, or have a hearty, flavourful Spicy Kimchi Reuben with fries. The best item on their menu though has to be the Angry Fried Chicken Wings. Juicy, precisely-cooked chicken is covered in a crunchy coating that’s dredged in a generous amount of umami-packed gochujang and miso glaze.
If your kind of vacation includes good food, you will be spoilt for choice at Discovery Shores Boracay. There’s just no getting tired of the view and of the copious amount of good food.
Discovery Shores Boracay is located on Station 1, Barangay Balabag, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan, 5608, Philippines.
