Get ready for a culinary tour of Boracay with restaurateur Nowie Potenciano

When I visited Boracay together with my wife, Odette, for the first time, we both were still tied down to office jobs in Manila.

We fell in love with the fine white sand, blue waters and laid-back energy, and continued visiting the island over the next couple of years.

Moving here was never in the picture, but in 2005 a commercial space became available at D’Mall and we decided to open a small shop selling local premium ice cream.

Odette ended up quitting her job in Manila, and I did the same a few years later.

Building an iconic dining spot

In 2014, while on a trip around Southeast Asia, we noticed that in each destination we visited, there was always the one bakery or breakfast spot that people gravitated to every morning.

Boracay needed a similar kind of establishment, we thought, and so in 2014 we opened The Sunny Side Cafe, where we bake our own bread, reinvent classic breakfast dishes and make specialty coffee.

Banking on Sunny Side’s success, we opened Spicebird in D’Mall nine months later, serving grilled chicken with piri-piri sauce, a style of cooking we discovered in London and Sydney.

We have opened three more restaurants in Boracay since that time.

Boracay goes to rehab

In April 2018, the government closed the island of Boracay to fix extensive environmental damage caused by years of unrestricted tourism. The white sand beaches were cleaned, roads were repaved and a 30m stretch of sand between the shoreline and establishments was restored.

Like most of the businesses on the island, we were caught flat-footed. But we had our employees to worry about, so we organized pop-up events in Manila and used the time to study how our operations could be improved.

Welcome a cleaner Boracay

When Boracay reopened to tourists in October 2018, new measures were implemented to protect the island from irresponsible tourism.

Drinking and smoking on the beach are now banned and businesses have been asked to be more environmentally conscious.

We are proud to say that we have reduced single-use plastics in our kitchens by 40%, transitioned fully to using metal and rice straws, and now source most of our rice directly from Filipino farmers.

Fifteen years since we opened our first shop on Boracay, Odette and I are still here, and we love this island even more.

Boracay in the time of pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic caught everyone in the hospitality business by surprise and we had no choice but to temporarily cease operations. It’s been a challenge, as we were all hoping that a strong summer could help us recover from the island’s six-month closure in 2018.

Thankfully Boracay reopened once again in October 2019, and all domestic tourists are now welcome.

The island is more beautiful than ever, and for those of us who call it home, there is a quiet sense of confidence that, since we’ve gone through so much difficulty before, we can very well get past this too.

We have seen the island change over the years, but it is clear to us that its appeal will always be there.

Saturday

6AM

I start the day with a morning run at Station 1, the north end of Boracay’s famous White Beach, near the formation called Willy’s Rock. There are fewer people here and the sand is more stable for running.

Since Boracay reopened in October 2018 after six months of rehabilitation, establishments are no longer allowed to set up tables by the shore, so I get an unfettered view of this 4km-long stretch of powdery white sand. It looks like paradise.

8:30AM

Little Wave is one of the few cafés on the island that serve specialty coffee. Its beans are sourced from Manila’s best roasters and it sometimes collaborates with its suppliers to make seasonal coffee-based beverages.

Today I’m having the Death Cream, a rich and indulgent espresso and custard drink, which I have with a slice of pumpkin toast.

I take this time to catch up on work. Boracay has a growing number of digital nomads and this shop has become popular for its free WiFi and great grub. Station X, Main Rd

11:00AM

Boracay’s vibe may be easygoing, but when we’re here we try to work as hard as we do in Manila. At Spicebird Piri-Piri Grill, I check out the new additions to our menu with executive chef Natalia Moran.

Two of my new favorites are the piri-piri crab and the merguez sausage board, but today I opt for the piri-piri falafel.

It’s a vegetarian-friendly number that’s packed with flavor, thanks to our signature sauces available on every table. D’Mall Plaza, Station 2, White Beach

1:00PM

The sun is now bearing down with such intensity that I decide to take a breather at one of the new pool clubs on the island. Pool Bar at Station X, at Hue Hotels & Resort along the island’s main road, is the place to see and be seen.

For a fee, you can comfortably lounge on a daybed next to a gorgeous pool with food and drinks. I end up ordering grilled Aklan oysters and porchetta pizza from Streetmarket.

On other visits, I try to go to The Day Club, located at Aqua Boracay resort near Bulabog Beach. Manila-based Spanish chef Chele Gonzalez helms the restaurant, so the paella dishes – his specialty – are a must-try.

3:30PM

The locals hawking massages by the shore have been replaced by new establishments where you can get pampered by professionals.

I head to The Lind Boracay hotel, where the famous Manila-based chain The Spa Wellness has opened an outpost.

The treatment and facilities here are top-notch, and I go for traditional Filipino hilot (healing massage). The Lind Boracay, Station 1, White Beach

5PM

Refreshed and ready for the night, I walk to La Plaza Restaurant on the ground floor of newly opened Feliz Hotel for a light snack of churros and a hot chocolate drink.

The hotel is located within D’Mall, the island’s first shopping arcade and a popular meeting point because it’s a short distance from White Beach, so you’re close to the action without being in the thick of it. Feliz Hotel, D’Mall Plaza, Station 2, White Beach

6:30PM

There’s always a friend or a friend of a friend who is on the island, so we all meet up for dinner at Nonie’s, a contemporary Filipino restaurant that puts a healthy spin on its dishes.

I get the barbecue pork grain bowl, which is based on one of the owners’ family recipes, and pair it with house-made kombucha. It’s a sweltering night and I’m glad to be able to wind down in convivial surrounds. Hue Hotels & Resorts Boracay, Station 2, White Beach

Sunday

8AM

The old Boracay was all about partying, but the new Boracay offers more alternatives for a weekend of wellness and clean living.

Boracay Yoga, a group of yogis based on the island, conducts daily classes on the rooftop deck of Feliz Hotel.

Anyone can join, regardless of level, making these sessions an excellent way to be fit and centered during your holiday. D’Mall Plaza, Station 2, White Beach

9:30AM

I am constantly tweaking the menu at The Sunny Side Cafe and today the team is finalizing our new item: Our interpretation of the famous kaya toast from Singapore, which we serve on house-made brioche that’s topped with brûléed bananas and coconut ice cream.

It’s a little early, but I ask our new barista to make one of the craft cocktails developed for The Sunny Side Cafe by David Ong of The Curator and Oto, two bars in Manila that landed on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list last year.

My favorite is The Girl in the Water, a refreshing watermelon, lime and rum concoction that’s perfect for soaking up the view. Boracay Sands Hotel, Station 3, White Beach

12PM

I stop by Supermagic Burgers for lunch and review our new menu items. While we’re known for our local Kitayama beef burger patties that are freshly ground upon every order (our bestselling item is the Supermagic Umami Bomb), we also make the effort to include vegetarian and vegan options.

We’re now one of only a handful of restaurants in the Philippines that serve Beyond Meat patties and sausages.

I order a Beyond Meat sausage for lunch, served in a special soy-milk bun – baked in-house – and topped with peppers, onions and our own seasoning called Umami Dust. Hue Hotels & Resorts Boracay, Station X, Main Rd

2PM

What’s a trip to Boracay without spending at least an hour looking for souvenirs to bring back for your family, friends and colleagues? Local Color (Station X, Main Rd) offers a carefully curated selection of Filipino-made or -designed products that are not available anywhere else on the island.

My favorites are the vintage-style travel posters, local chocolates and towels by WVN Home Textiles, a women-owned local enterprise working with traditional weaving communities in La Union.

Just across from Local Color is The Tart Shop by The Sunny Side Cafe (Hue Hotels & Resorts Boracay, Station X, Main Rd), where you can also pick up edible souvenirs such as dark chocolate ensaymada (fluffy pastry topped with sugar) and cheese tarts made with kesong puti (local white cheese made from goat’s or carabao’s milk).

4PM

I am hankering for something sweet, so I stop by Coco Mama for its deliciously creamy coconut ice cream – not only is it refreshing, it is also lactose-free and vegan-friendly.

It’s the perfect beachside treat as it’s served in a coconut shell with coconut strips, sweet Philippine mango cubes, pinipig (toasted young glutinous rice grains) and black sticky rice that’s sourced directly from farmers in Benguet.

I get a double serving of the new coco pandan flavor, which smells so good. D’Mall Plaza, Station 2, White Beach; Station X, Main Rd

5PM

The local government has been pushing for electric tricycles on the island, which are less noisy and produce fewer emissions than diesel vehicles, and I’m glad we’re getting there.

I flag down one of these new tricycles and head to Diniwid Beach – popular among those who prefer to escape the crowds at White Beach – for a sundowner and delicious fish sliders at Dinibeach Bar & Restaurant.

One of the island’s newer waterside establishments, this place takes me back to Boracay’s quieter past with its relaxed vibe and rustic interiors.

8:30PM

I take a brisk stroll back to White Beach and to a revived Kasbah, one of the island’s longest-running restaurants.

It’s known for Moroccan cuisine, but since reopening it has added more favorites from around the Mediterranean to its menu. I order a mirza ghasemi – a punchy Persian dip – and some gyros for a light dinner.

I bury my feet in the sand, admire the lights strewn across the island, and thank my lucky stars that I am back on the best beach in the world. Station 1, White Beach