Tags: Food Establishments, Food Fare and Dishes, Seafood, Truly Pinoy Food and Drinks
By Anna Valmero
CORON, PALAWAN – Kookie Lodge and Restaurant is a household name when it comes to quality dining in this island-paradise. Famous for its fusion dishes, largely because it is frequented by foreigners, it boasts of unique dishes such as crabmeat curry.
Winona Labanan, manager of the Kookie Lodge and Restaurant, says his father-in-law started the business some seven years ago when tourism in Coron started to boom. The influx of foreign tourists created a demand for affordable lodging and food that is familiar to foreign tastes.
They converted their small land , located near the town’s Harbour Center and Coron’s Tourism Center, into a lodge and started a small restaurant to cater mainly to guests and walk-ins.
“I think we are successful as a small business because we offer a unique food menu and the relaxed vibe of the restaurant complements the home-cooked meals we serve our guests,” Winona says, referring to the diner’s wooden furniture and sawali and bamboo walls.
Expect to wait 15 to 20 minutes because food is cooked upon order. Fret not because they serve complimentary bread and atchara.
Best to pick the tables near the open windows to enjoy the cold breeze from the sea. The occasional chat with the locals and fellow tourists would also chase boredom away.
Winona teamed up with her childhood friend Criselda Lopez in manning the kitchen, concocting noodle staples and Indian curry-inspired dishes. Surprisingly, Criselda says curry ingredients are easy to find in Coron, with the possibility of substituting seafood for beef or chicken.
A foodie at heart, Criselda has whipped up bestsellers like the Masaman curry, chicken with cashew nuts, Thai curry (in red, green or Malaysian Penang variation), sausage platter, and Asian noodles. The restaurant also serves lato or seaweed salad for free.
Highly recommended is the steamed lapu-lapu or tuna (P250 for one medium fish) and crabmeat curry (P280), a local variation of the Indian dish using soft crabmeat.
I would dare describe the crabmeat curry as legendary in taste and best of all, you need not crack open the crab’s shell to scoop out the meat amid the overflowing juices. Some people hate eating crabs because it’s too messy. Not for this particular dish.
A bowl of crabmeat (about 400grams) is actually removed from the shell first before being sautéed in home-made curry paste, chili and onions. What you get is the curry’s spicy flavor combined with the natural sweetness of crabmeat.
If you want an added zing, request for a spicier curry. The crabmeat curry is best enjoyed with a cup of rice or as filling for pandesal.
The steamed lapu-lapu did not disappoint and noting the price for its fish (it could be worth P500 plus in Manila-based restaurants), the dish is definitely cheap. The red grouper is a highly priced commodity in the city but the abundant seas of Palawan make this delicious fish common for locals.
The sweet and soft meat of lapu-lapu is best enjoyed on its own, garnished only with onion leeks for extra aroma and a hint of flavor. That is just what we got when our order came in piping hot. I have high hopes for the lapu-lapu since it is a personal favorite but I was still surprised by Winona’s skill to maintain the freshness of the lapu-lapu and deliver some of that flavor into the soup.
Criselda tells me they buy a kilo or two of fish in the morning so you can be assured that seafood orders comes fresh. For those who wish to request for seafood, such as prawns or octopus, she recommends ordering a day ahead.
Also, her Swiss husband Danny personally serves the food to each table. Don’t be surprised to hear him conversing with tourists – he is fluent in several languages.
Since they cater mainly to foreign visitors, a meal at Kookie’s can be pricier than if you eat at a local carinderia or eatery.
“Most people think that our food are expensive because we offer ala carte and only a handful of rice meals. I hope that they will realize that ala carte meals that serve two to three people is even cheaper than ordering rice meals. Plus of course, our service is very personal because our customers can request how the food can be served,” Criselda says.
Get more information on Kookie Lodge and Restaurant
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Davao pasalubong store is popular for its ‘panga ng tuna’
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