Ka Lui
After spending a whole day island hopping through Honda Bay, it wasn’t over. With the evening upon us, it was time for us to have dinner.
And while our first night was spent at the Kinabuchs Bar and Grill, this evening would be spent at Ka Lui’s.
If you happen to be in Puerto Princesa and are still sitting on the fence on where to dine in, I’ll save you the trouble by saying it has to be this place. This is probably the best restaurant to eat in the entire Puerto Princesa, Not only is the food great, so is the ambiance. And to top it all off, it won’t break the bank.
Table of Contents
Trip
It is about a fifteen minute ride from Kawayanan Resort, the place we were staying in while at Puerto Princesa.
To get there, all you need to do is ask the front desk to call you a tricycle that will take you there and in twenty minutes tops.
I was actually expecting a good forty-five or hour’s drive so when we stood in front of the non-decrypt gate, we were quite early. So early that we had to wait another thirty minutes before our table was ready.
Now you may be thinking that you can use the time for other things, like shopping at Cora’s or having a quick drink at Kinabuchs. However, I’d advise against it. Ka Lui’s isn’t that big and it gets filled up really, really fast. So if you want to dine in the best places in Puerto Princesa, I suggest getting there early.
[Yup, this is one time where waiting is worth it.]
Incidentally, since the restaurant is within the city limits and on a main thoroughfare, you don’t have to contract the tricycle driver to come back for you after dinner. Once done, it’s quite easy to hail another one to take you back. However, if the driver you got was very nice, then by all means get his cell number so he can pick you up after.
Just keep in mind that rates in the evenings are much higher than during the day. Going to Ka Lui’s cost us PhP20 one way. Coming back in the evening, it was PhP 50.
Alternately, you can walk to Ka Lui from Kawayanan Resort. Depending on how fast your pace is, it can take you less than an hour to get there. With this method, you get to see the city up close and personal.
I only see two problems with this method, with the first being that you might find a place that piques your interest and stop, which means that you might not get a table.
And the second is that that if you decide to walk in the evening, you won’t be the only one having dinner. The mosquitoes will most likely have quite a meal by the time you get to the restaurant.
Ambiance
Of all the places I have eaten in, this is probably as close to what the old Filipinos experienced over the centuries, all the way to today.
You see, this is the second place, other than Binatuan Creations, that requires you to remove your shoes or slippers before entering the dining area.
[So get those tootsies in shape by scrubbing those calluses, touching up your nail polishing, and washing your feet!]
Don’t worry about losing those expensive shoes of yours, each group is issues a small drawer or basket to store their footwear in. And since you are issued a number, the only thing you have to worry about is if the shoes of your companions are so ratty, they’ll pass on the same thing to your pair!
Once inside, you don’t have to worry about getting stepped on by the waiters. They also go about their business barefoot. I wouldn’t worry about the bamboo slatted flooring as they are close enough together, your toes or feet won’t fall through.
I would careful where if you happen to be a klutz like yours truly, though. People like me sometimes end up stubbing their toes on the bamboo legs of the tables.
[That’s what slippers are for; to keep you from stubbing your toes!]
Now if you want to take Filipino authenticity a notch higher, then you must eat only with your hands as it is the best way to get every little piece of flavor out of the food. Shrimp, chicken, and even pork chops need to be eaten with the hands because utensils can’t get the meat close to the bones. And it’s this part of the meat that is the tastiest.
There is a restroom and sink where you can wash your hands before and after meals, so the flies don’t follow you home.
If you find eating with your hands to be a bit awkward, fret not, each table is set with a spoon, fork, and knife for you to use. And if you happen to drop one on the floor, asking for another one is as easy as asking any of the fast moving waiters.
Speaking about flies, I didn’t notice any for the evening we were there. No doubt, the lighted candle on our table helped repel them. I also did not notice any mosquitoes, but then I had slapped on a good amount of insect repellant before leaving our hotel room.
The light around the place was of the warm yellow fluorescent type. This helped to enhance the heavily wood and bamboo that made up the restaurant. Even the ceiling and walls were made of thin strips of bamboo woven to provide a flat barrier.
For those of you who haven’t seen an authentic Bahay Kubo, or Nipa Hut, this is as close to what the real thing is all about. The only difference is that a Bahay Kubo is smaller and has walls, while Ka Lui’s is bigger and open all around.
Food
Being my first time in the restaurant, I did what every first time does, which is to sheepishly look at what the other tables have for dinner.
And since every table had a majority of native dishes, couple this with my wife’s desire to try out the Shrimp, that was the first thing on our list.
With the prices being quite reasonable and the restaurant taking credit cards, choosing the best dish could not be anymore difficult. I had about five dishes in mind. And since I couldn’t eat all of them, I opted to take to the waiter to break the impasse.
So for our dinner, we ended up ordering the Prawns and chicken. For drinks, we had Mango Juice and Ice Tea. Not being much of a desert guy, I didn’t order anything.
What can I say? The food was excellent!
The Prawns were so tasty, I could smell the butter and garlic before stealing a piece from my wife’s place. The Chicken was perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. If I go back to Puerto Princesa, I’d be content just to order the same thing.
And while we didn’t order and desert, it was included with our meal. Served in a freshly cut coconut,
the fresh fruits had something added to it to make it very, very different. I’m not sure, but I think it might have been Caramel, or brown sugar, or something that made it very good.
If the same thing gets served to you as a desert, I suggest trying it out before dismissing it altogether. I was the perfect way to end dinner.
Other Areas
Japanese houses and gardens have that distinctive oriental look to them. And I must admit, before coming to Ka Lui, I could not say that Filipinos had something quite as distinctive.
While waiting for the food to arrive, I naturally wandered around the place. And tucked at the back was an area that very Filipino. It’s very hard to describe it or to show it in pictures; you just have to be there to see it. And once there, you will just know.
There was an area in the middle composed of gravel and with curved wooden floor floating above it. You will find tasteful decorations made of Capiz and beaded stones. The lights, fabric, and even the wooden decorations all combine to come out Filipino.
Final Thoughts
Once our meal was done, we presented our card to the person manning the front desk so we could get our shoes back. We then texted our Tricycle driver for pick up to finally head on home.
I must admit that I was still in a daze when I boarded our ride because I was very satisfied with our meal. And even if it was still early in the night, I was already sleepy.
Our second day has been quite full with island hopping on Honda Bay using up the daylight and topping it off with one of the best meals at night.
Tomorrow, we will finally see the Underground River, the main reason we are in Puerto Princesa. Then, we’ll end that evening with another great meal at Badjao Seafront Restaurant. So I hope you will join us for our last day in Palawan.
Till next time, keep your cameras ready, your eyes peeled, and your minds open. You never know where your next adventure will take you!
Must Dos
- Bring a camera with a flash.
- Make sure to try the desert.
- Get an order of the Grilled Prawns.
- Walk around the restaurant.
- Put on a healthy amount of insect repellent.
