Dining at El Nido with Kids

May 18, 2011

Dining at El Nido with Kids

When you are traveling with kids, meals are always something of a concern. City kids are used to fast food meals. When they feel hungry, there's always a place where meals are immediately available. But when you are visiting a province in the Philippines, meals are always cooked from scratch so it takes a long time, at least an hour, to prepare. You cannot wait till your kids complain of hunger before deciding to go to a restaurant to eat.


At El Nido, these are the places we recommend you dine with your kids:


1. Squidos



We stayed at El Nido for 5 nights. And almost all our meals were taken at Squidos. We all loved the food at Squidos. The price is very reasonable and there's a great variety of food in the menu to cater to all kinds of taste. All the meals we ordered were delicious. 

Squidos takes 30min to an hour to prepare your meals because they cook it from scratch so you are assured of the quality and freshness of the food you ordered. What we did so the kids will not be impatient waiting in the restaurant is to order food in advance, return to Marina Garden Resort, then return 30 min to an hour after we ordered. Since our resort is near Squidos, at one time, they just knocked at our door to inform us that our food is ready. They are also willing to deliver the food to you if you wish. But we prefered to dine inside the restaurant so we didn't avail of that last option.


See more information and photos at my post: 

2. El Nido Skyline Grill and Restaurant




If you are hungry enough not to be able to wait for food to be cooked, there is a fast food option too. It is what is known as "turo-turo" food. "Turo turo" literally means "point point". You point to the waitress your choice of cooked food from a selection displayed in a in a glass shelf and they serve the food immediately with rice

There are lots of 'turo-turo" food in El Nido town but it's usually available in a small canteen or carinderia. We didn't try these since we are uncertain of the quality and safety of the food served.

However, we decided to try the turo-turo food available at Skyline Grill. Since Skyline Grill is a full service restaurant, we concluded that the turo turo food they offer is clean and safe to eat.

The turo turo food at Skyline Grill tastes like your typical Filipino homecooked meal. It's cheap if you just eat 1 order of rice and viand, which cost 65 pesos. The size of the rice and viand is not too big so when our family ate there, the cost for one meal for the whole family is the same as the cost of our meal at Squidos. But at Squidos, the food tastes much better and we usually end up with some leftover to be taken home. 

To conclude: if you're so hungry that you cannot wait for your meals to be cooked, go to Skyline Grill turo turo food. If not, eat at Squidos. You get better quality of food at Squidos and in larger amount.


See more information and photos at my post: 
"Turo Turo food at El Nido Skyline Grill and Restaurant"


3. Midtown Bakery




The egg pie is very good. Not too sweet and freshly baked. It's only available in the afternoon freshly baked and in limited quantities. The cost is  20 pesos per slice. 



See more information and photos at my post: 

4. Marina Garden Resort Cafe




If you're booked at Marina Garden Resort and do not wish to go out for meals, they serve all day breakfast from 6am-9pm. The meals are cooked quickly.



See more information and photos at my post: 

All-Day Breakfast at Marina Garden Resort Cafe, El Nido

All-Day Breakfast at Marina Garden Resort Cafe, El Nido

The cafe of the Marina Garden Resort is called Octopus Garden Cafe. The native hut shown above is the cafe. They serve all-day breakfast from 6am-9pm. So if you need a quick meal and staying at their resort, this is another meal option for you. 

This is the Filipino breakfast.
This comes free together with your accommodation
if you're booked at Marina Garden resort

This is the menu. 

This is the choice of breakfast that comes free with your accommodations at 

Marina Garden Resort.

Snacks at Midtown Bakery, El Nido

May 17, 2011

El
Snacks at Midtown Bakery, El Nido



Our favorite egg pie at 20 pesos per slice. 
We like it because it's creamy but not too sweet.
Other selections of baked goods
They have sugar free snacks!!
See the lowest part of the shelf 
LOCATION:
Along Rizal Street, beside Skyline Grill





Turo Turo Food at El Nido Skyline Grill and Restaurant


Turo Turo Food at El Nido Skyline Grill and Restaurant

This is called turo turo food. "Turo turo" in English means "point point". You point at  cooked food on the glass shelves shown above to indicate which of the viands displayed you would like to eat. If you are already hungry and cannot wait for food to be cooked at a regular restaurant, you can safely eat here. Food is always available and ready to serve. The taste is much like a regular Filipino home-cooked meal so we actually enjoyed eating here. 

However, the servings are small. Viand and rice cost 65 pesos. My daughter who doesn't eat a lot ordered 2 viands and rice to fill her appetite. We ended up spending as much as we do when we eat at Squidos. The advantage of eating here is that food is ready-to-eat and will fill your appetite immediately. No need to wait 30 minutes to an hour for food to be cooked. 

LOCATION:


Skyline Grill is located at the corner of Rizal Street and  San Joaquin Street
It is located in the same road as Midtown Bakery





MENU

There's sinigang na hipon, pork adobo, chicken adobo, kaldereta, paksiw na lechon, etc



My tip:


1. Eat here when you're on a budget and wouldn't mind the small food portions.
2. Eat here when you're already hungry and cannot wait for food to be cooked from scratch then served.
3. We liked the pork adobo, chicken adobo, paksiw na lechon. My children didn't like the dinuguan and the kaldereta.


Squidos: The Best Restaurant in El Nido Town (Part II)


Squidos: The Best Restaurant in El Nido Town
(Part II)

For our favorite food at Squidos: see Squidos: The Best Restaurant in El Nido Town(Part I)

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Calle Hama corner Abdulla St, El Nido, Palawan
(+63)9192275537
email: squidos1@yahoo.com



LOCATION:
Corner of Calle Hama and Abdulla Street

Click View Larger Map to get details of street and buildings

INSIDE SQUIDOS:

You can sit on this elevated floor "indian style"





MENU AND PRICELIST

As you can see in the menu, they inform the diners that food will take time to cook and asks for their patience 










Squidos: The Best Restaurant in El Nido Town (Part I)

Squidos: The Best Restaurant in El Nido Town
(Part I)

We ate almost all our meals at Squidos during our 5-day stay at El Nido. So we can attest that the food  is consistently good at every meal, and value for money in terms of taste and portion size. 

We befriended the owner, Narcel (standing in the middle), and her 2 waitresses, Chiqui (standing at her left) and Olivia (seated at her right) since we were there almost everyday of our 5-day stay. Each food we tried was good. We just liked it so much we kept ordering the same ones and didn't have time to try the others.


OUR FAVORITE FOOD: 
STUFFED SQUID (their specialty): 170 pesos
The stuffed squid has vegetables inside mixed with spices




Mixed Seafood Curry (good for 2): 350 pesos






Citrus Fried Rice (Spicy): 250 pesos
with grilled pork
grilled prawns
grilled vegetables (eggplant, ampalaya, cabbage, red pepper, etc.)
garlic rice


Spaghetti Carbonara: 180 pesos
(serving is good enough for 2)
Narcel's Mixed Seafood Soup with Toasted Bread: 180 pesos



Budget meals posted in front of the door

Below is what the budget meals look like:

Grilled Chicken with Rice

Grilled squid (this is not stuffed) with rice




FOR MENU AND PRICE, LOCATION, CONTACT INFORMATION: 
see "Squidos: The Best Restaurant in El Nido Town (Part II)"


My Tip
1. The food takes a while to be served because they cook it only when you order. My advice is that you order food in advance and return to the restaurant after 30 minutes to1 hour. Or you can ask them to call you at your resort when the food is ready. They are also willing to deliver the food to you at your resort within El Nido town. Just ask Narcel, the owner, who's very accommodating.

2. The grilled chicken takes longest to prepare. The grilled squid with rice is the fastest.

El Nido (Lio) Airport: How to get a Tricycle to El Nido Town

May 16, 2011

El Nido (Lio) Airport: How to get a Tricycle to El Nido Town


Upon landing at the airport, an airport personnel greets you and inquires about your transportation from airport. As mentioned in my post ''How to go from El Nido airport to El Nido Town ", if you're composed of 6 or more in a group, the better option is to hire a van through your resort. If you are 4 or less in a group, the cheaper option is to take a tricycle. You inform the airport personnel that you need a tricycle to bring you to El Nido town. 


As shown above, sometimes, there's a tricycle already waiting near the airport lounge. 

If there is no tricycle waiting near the airport lounge, you can request the airport personnel to call a tricycle waiting outside the airport gate.

The tricycles are allowed in only after the plane has landed because as shown above, vehicles entering the airport grounds also use the runway to get into the airport's arrival and departure area.

For El Nido Resort guests, they are met by a jeep that brings them to a banca going to El Nido Resort Miniloc or Lagen Island. For all others, they use the tricycle or hire a van through their resort.

This is the tricycle used in El nido
I have seen 4 passengers (excluding the driver) fit into this tricycle. But if you're coming from the airport with medium-sized luggage, only 2 passengers with luggage can fit into this tricycle






Cost of tricycle from El Nido airport to El Nido town: 200 pesos per way
Passenger Capacity of tricycle: 2 passengers excluding the driver
Luggage capacity: 2 medium sized luggage
Distance: 10 minute ride from airport to town
Advantage of using a tricycle: Cheaper if you are 4 or less in a group
Disadvantage of using a tricycle: Non-aircon vehicle so you take in all the dust from the road going to town