Letter from Balesin
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Tang Palace swimming pool (Photo by John L. Silva)
I was the guest of the Vallejos, Gus and my sister Marie, at Balesin, this island resort just off Quezon Province due south of Polillo Islands. Businessman Roberto Ongpin had bought the island years back to set up a club house and develop seven (now eight) different country resorts with themed rooms and restaurants (French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Thai, Indonesian, a new Chinese addition, and our very own Philippine). In the main clubhouse are more dining rooms, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, a German beerhouse, and a steakhouse. As for rowdy millennials and under, there are jetties on parts of the island serving as informal seafood hangouts or bars with thumping non-stop music.
Balesin Island (Source: Google)
There are other, non-gnoshing, things to do like snorkeling, archery, bike or horseback riding, and massages, but we’ll leave that to the kiddies. My hosts and I had the sole intention of dining at all the restaurants during my week’s stay.
There were dining high points starting with Thai night at the charming Salathip Restaurant where we pre-ordered one large native black crab along with an order of the sea-farmed Vannamei shrimp, a white variety found in the Pacific Ocean. I had been told by longstanding locals that the chef could do it in the butter garlic Than Long-style (a San Francisco restaurant I adore). As for the shrimp, Dennis Adan, Salathip’s village manager knew his cooking and promised a Shrimp Ceviche and a Tom Yum soup using the heads and shells.
Crab dish, Than Long style, Salathip Restaurant (Photo by John L. Silva)
My palate went aflutter upon tasting the richest Tom Yum soup ever with streaks of shrimp oil from its fried heads, lacing the floating sticks of lemon grass, mushrooms, and cheery cherry tomatoes. I vowed that moment to always maximize the use of shrimp heads, aside from just sucking on their cavity.
Peeled and cleaned shrimp doused in lemon and a squeeze of our native kalamansi, with wansoy, chopped onions, chili and peppers were served in its “au naturel” state. Each bite was totally succulent sashimi style, its freshness novel to city slickers who have much of their seafood bought frozen. I will never forget shrimp served me long ago on a Guimaras islet that I saw friskily jumping about in nets by the shore just minutes before my lips trembled at their utter, indescribable sweetness. This moment was that same moment.
Shrimp Ceviche, Salathip Restaurant (Photo by John L. Silva)
The very bountiful crab made its appearance almost hidden in a shower of julienned bell peppers, onions, an obscene mush of dripping minced garlic, indiscriminate peppercorns, and a pool of butter around it.
A huge claw, conveniently cracked, had the pampered meatiness of crabs grown in laid-back island pens. There’s a virile Polynesian texture in contrast to the tender, flaky, Dungeness crabs of the temperate Northwest. We at the table, swooned, moaned, and surrendered to heavenly delight from Balesin’s bounty.
The new restaurant addition, the Chinois Tang Palace, was both Architectural Digest divine and very yummy with its offerings.
Tang Palace Restaurant (Photo by John L. Silva)
The Crabmeat in Sweet Corn Soup was superb, a perfect starter, and authentically “Chinatown,” rivaling the best of the restos in the city.
The Vannamei shrimp was transformed into Live Drunken ones, barely cooked and tender to the bite. The Braised E-FU noodles (also known as Yi Mein, a fancier “long-life” version) were uniquely spongy and a wee bit crunchy at the same time. The dessert, a perfectly chilled mango sago was palate soothing; like a child, I tongued the slippery sago beads in my mouth.
Europe, especially the parts I like, seems verboten to travel to as of this writing. On the island, I fantasized, cruising down palm tree lined roads surrounded by the never-ending cicada refrain to get myself to Italy, to Toscana Village, to try its version of Spaghetti alle Vongole (I try any vongole dish I see on a menu the world over). This one had just enough virgin olive oil and a generous portion of clams to place it on the top ten of my vongole world review. The small and thin crusted pizza was the evening favorite of all, with little anchovy squares and sliced olives dotting the cheese-laden circle. That cheesy-stretchy mouth-feel with a hit of anchovies was unforgettable.
Spaghetti alle Vongole, Toscana Restaurant (Photo by John L. Silva)
I don’t want to give the impression that food was all I thought of. Upon waking up and throughout the day, there was cooing, singing, cackling, and chirping that I had to check out and be enchanted by, with so many birds of so many colors flitting about various branches. The most alluring songs came from the yellow-breasted, black-naped Kilyawan (Orioles) with a four-tone song of lament.
One late afternoon I hiked to the Bali Nusa Dua bar at the end of a jetty. There were no millennials about, the sunset came and the world and humanity became enchanting again, aided a bit by a lively G&T garnished with my favorite lemon squeeze. There was a stunning cloud show, which in minutes transformed from cottony white to red to deep indigo shadows. I remembered once being with other long-haired sunset watchers on a California coast and we were smoking some pretty strong Thai sticks. When the sun finally sank into the ocean, we all wowed and giggled and rocked back and forth, clapping and thanking the universe for another super light show.
Bali Nusa Dua bar (Photo by John L. Silva)
This time when the sun disappeared on the horizon I clapped once again for old-times’ sake, and continued clapping for the lingering colors that strayed behind.
And then I was hungry once more.
Much as one tries to avoid rice, it’s impossible with foods from our part of the world. Like our Balinese dinner, with their version of Hainanese Rice and an epic satay with peanut sauce and another round of fragrant yellow rice with garlic sprinkles.
I cannot fail to mention the Han Gang Korean Restaurant with its bowls of snackies and condiments to go with what I consider to be one of the best Bulgogi dishes ever made on this planet. Dark and moody, livened with pears to tenderize the sliced beef and sprinkled with sesame seeds, it was instantly scooped to my plate, once and many times more.
Bulgogi dish from the Korean Han Gang Restaurant (Photo by John L. Silva)
If you wander to the tip of the island, to the photo-op blue and white Mykonos Village, must not miss the Lamb Moussaka. The hummus and the other appetizers were quite delish, but the tender Moussaka will be your poundage enhancer at this Greek fantasy resort.
Mykonos Village (Photo by John L. Silva)
Desserts have been my death walk from the dietary discipline I’m supposed to keep. I have secretly harbored the notion that the Thai version of Halo-Halo is both aesthetically more pleasing and tastes less of the evaporated milk I’m not too fond off. They do a splendid rendition of it at Salathip Restaurant.
Thai Halo-Halo, Salathip Restaurant (Photo by John L. Silva)
But at the end of the day, despite the wanderings around Balesin’s food world, we seek out our comfort food. The Balesin Club is the go-to for Filipino food on the island. The breakfasts, the various tapsilogs, danggits, daings and the mainstay Corn Beef are served bountifully in the big veranda with a gorgeous view of Lamon Bay and the gentle mountains of distant Quezon Province. I recalled signage in front of an open nipa-frond bar stating that was the place the late dictator Marcos planned Martial Law with his pals. I now noticed the sign had been changed to something bland and cheeky, inviting a new generation of “Balesinners” to come. Hah, hah. Let’s make sure they’re not of the coup plotter variety.
And, at the very end of the day, I must rave about the utterly all-giving service performed by the Balesin staff. We’ve traveled the world, and surely you know what I speak of when I declare that our people, when made to serve, give their 110 percent and more. My room was impeccably cleaned, replenished with new and plush towels ready for my return from breakfast or cocktails.
Beautiful and handsome restaurant servers come at a moment’s notice, and I see the outlines of their engaging smiles behind their face masks. They practice the most elemental of Service 101, anticipating your desires. Another fork, an extra plate, a dessert suggestion perhaps, or ANYTHING not on the menu. Your predilections are instinctively figured out and they’ll aim only to please.
The island staff had it rough last year, having been closed for six months; so, this is the comeback year and hopefully a continuing one.
I am a pouting spoiled brat as I wave goodbye to my hosts and board the service bus to my plane. I don’t want to go, but the shopping at the airport Bounty Store distracts me. I pick up my packed Vannamei shrimps, a bottle of the Chili Salt, (from their salt beds) a bottled bagoong bagnet. I consider the chic cooking apron with the leather straps but am called to my plane. With little time to weep I dwell instead on the wonderful week of dining internationally and enjoying that unique brand of Filipino hospitality.
If we want to help get our country out of its economic rut, consider local travel and if you can wing it with connections, make it to Balesin. It’s still a health disaster out in the world so spend your pesos here, where you don’t pay costly Euros for haughty service. Here, the food’s superb and our people are at your eager service.
Phuket Village (Photo by John L. Silva)
John Silva
John L. Silva is executive director of the Ortigas Library, a research library in Manila.
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