SAY the word Subic and most people will automatically think of shopping, beaches and adventure. Food? Not really. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give its restaurants a shot. You might just discover a feast for your palate.
Subic Fishcado Grills & Seafoods Restaurant
MC 12 Waterfront Road corner McKinley Street, SBFZ, Olongapo
Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (daily)
Fishcado is a place for seafood lovers. The whole place is spacious, with sunlight streaming through the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Its waiters and waitresses don colorful Filipino outfits.
Fishcado boasts of a wide range of fresh seafood in its menu. Like its branch in Davao, it offers a lot of choices--fish, shellfishes and squid cooked in all ways imaginable--from sizzling and fried to grilled and stewed.
A small basket of crispy crablets costs P80 while calamares is at P145. We decided to order sinigang seafood (mixed seafood sinigang)--you can choose between a small (P175) or a big (P350) serving. Tuna belly is P60 per 100 grams and the sizzling mixed seafood, P150 per 100 grams.
I have three reasons to go back to Fishcado. One, the baked scallops (P150 per order), which are buttery and garlicky. Two, the fruit shakes (P55) that are so rich and sinful. I loved their generous serving of mango shake--it’s definitely fresh, with chunks of mango. Yasmine’s avocado shake is creamy--to this day I am still craving for it. And third, the huge plate of pomelos they served for dessert, minus the skin (no more tugging and pulling). Now that was a real treat.
A Tavola
Palm Street, Subic
There is no shortage of Italian restaurants in Subic.
A Tavola is one of them. When I walked into the restaurant, the first thing that caught my eye was the checkerboard floor. The windows and the wooden furniture lend a feeling of quaintness to the place.
The restaurant’s owner led us through a full meal consisting of the restaurant’s specialties.
We began with Bruschetta al Pomodoro (P60). This is garlic bread topped with fresh tomatoes and basil leaves. The tomatoes are red, juicy and really, really fresh.
Then we started trying different pizzas and pastas.
I loved the Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil--P240). The Quattro Stagioni (P280) or the four season pizza is even better. It offers two slices each of the restaurant’s different pizzas--prosciutto (ham, mushrooms and mozzarella), pescatora (tomato sauce and seafood), marina (tomato sauce, garlic and black olives), margherita. Perfect for those who can’t make up their mind, or for people dining together who have different cravings.
The pizza crust is really good--garlicky. Even the pasta has fresh ingredients. The Rigatoni alla Maticiana (large tubular pasta in a light tomato sauce with savory imported panchetta, P180) has a smoky flavor because of the bacon. The Fettucine alla Panna Vesuvio (homemade flat egg noodles--but the cook used Farfalle noodles when we tried it--with a rich creamy sauce tossed with ham and mushrooms, P190) is good, very creamy. That’s my pick. I’ve always been a sucker for white sauce.
The Rigattoni alla Parmigiana (large tubular pasta on tomato sauce with mozzarella and fresh eggplant, P190) is good, too, although I’ve never really been an eggplant lover (except when I cook moussaka, a Greek dish). The last pasta served became the group’s favorite, Spaghetti alla Bolognese (spaghetti noodles with the classic beef tomato sauce, P170). Not too tart, just right for the average Filipino tongue.
Cambusa
Subic Bay Yacht Club
Rizal Highway, Subic Bay Freeport Zone, 2222
Cambusa is the Italian word for galley, or the kitchen area on a ship. The perfect name for a restaurant found in smack dab in the middle of Subic’s yacht club.
For starters, we ordered the Mozzarella in Carrozza (mozzarella cheese, deep fried with anchovies and caper sauce, P145), Insalata di Pescatori (marinated seafood salad with chili, olive oil, garlic, oregano and parsley, P215) and Carpaccio Classico (chilled raw beef tenderloin marinated with extra virgin olive oil and topped with parmigiana cheese, P215). Not exactly a fan of raw food, I settled for the mozzarella, which was good, although I remember it being richer during my visit a couple of years ago.
What’s an Italian feast without pasta and pizza?
We tried the Spaghetti Marinara alla Oliva (spaghetti al dente sautéed in garlic olive oil with mixed seafood, chili and basil, P185). We sampled different pizzas--Cambusa (mushrooms, smoked salmon, olives, shrimps, ham, mozzarella and oregano, P315), Cosa Nostra (pepperoni, anchovies, onion rings, red hot chili peppers, salami and mozzarella, P285) and the Calzone (milano salami, prosciutto ham, cooked ham, poncetta, pepperoni, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion rings, fresh herbs, P295).
We also tasted the Rissotto Frutti Di Mare (rissotto with assorted seafood sautéed in olive oil, garlic, onion and parsley, P285). This rice dish, though, is a little too flavorful for my taste.
I liked the pizza better than the pasta. But what’s remarkable at Cambusa are the desserts. Don’t leave Cambusa without trying the Tiramisu Classica, the classic Italian dessert with mascarpone cheese (P80). Unlike most tiramisus I’ve tried, the flavor of the liquor does not overpower the delicate taste of the dessert. It is light and rich at the same time--a contradiction.
The Creme Brulée (Italian style in-house custard cream topped with hot caramel syrup, P95) is also a must. It is tender and soft and the flavor would burst in your mouth. Try the Mousse Gelata al Ciocolato (frozen chocolate parfait served with warm chocolate amaretto sauce, P75)--great for your sweet tooth.
The presentation of these goodies are also a delight. These desserts are the perfect way to end your meal. The service is impeccable. The waiters are constantly on-call to answer every slightest whim. Too bad our doggie bags mysteriously disappeared. We probably had too much of a good time. No one could remember who put what where.
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