If you've been to Boracay I'm sure you've seen Epic. It's this huge attention grabbing bar at the heart of Station 2 that's beach front with lots of lounging and sunbathing chairs when the sun is up. This property turns into a crazy standing room only, full of party goers place at night! But did you know that Epic is also a full-fledge restaurant serving good to great beach comfort food? More than just the cocktails and beers, Epic delivers in the gastronomy department too.
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But there's a struggle - most island visitors see Epic as a bar more than a restaurant. In an effort to educate the majority of what Epic can offer, their management decided to hold a 1 day, invite only, gastronomic treat for people in the Metro! The EPICUREAN BEACH CUISINE: A pop-up kitchen at The Red Light in Poblacion - an 11 course tasting event by Chef Carlo Miguel featuring the best of what Epic has to offer!
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Got an email from Fran, Marketing Manager of Epic, to join them and I tagged along my friend Abe who said yes in such a short notice!
Epic Boracay x foodfanaticph = YAY!
We started with the Breakfast Burrito. Sausages, scrambled egg and fries all wrapped in a nicely toasted tortilla, served with a side serving of salsa - GOOD MORNING in every bite!
Then there was Popcorn Shrimp! Little deep-fried bombs of goodness that I thought were harmless but my golly, I couldn't stop popping them into my mouth! Crunchy breading, juicy bites of shrimps, great pair with an ice cold beer or a good glass of cocktail.
Fish Taco was served next. Soft taco with a soft and tasty slab of breaded fish fillet, crunchy veggies and a good dressing made up of mayo with some heat from the Sriracha mixed in. This was good, tasty, melt in your mouth fish fillet, great dressing!
Then we had two kinds of BBQ - Pork and Chicken served with a cup of Java rice and a side serving of atchara.
Pork BBQ is Chef Carlo's personal favorite. He explained that he uses pork belly to get that meat and fat combination, makes sure that there'a a good portion of the meat in each stick and didn't want the entire thing too saucy. His Pork BBQ version was indeed good! Well marinated, tender meat, I love the salty and a little sweet profile.
The Chicken BBQ was equally good, basking in the same marinade as the pork. Well, marinated, properly grilled, tender meat - the ultimate beach comfort food!
Baby Back Ribs was served next. Whole slab of locally sourced ribs, served with baked potato smothered with sour cream based sauce and grilled corn. The meat was tender, well marinated and juicy! You have the option to add in more of the sauce but believe me, no need for that!
This Kimchi Steak is one of my favorites. Grilled US Angus Striploin on top of Kimchi rice, served with a sunny-side-up egg. The steak was well seasoned, good sear, nice form. The Kimchi Rice was equally good. It had just the right kick of heat and went well with the steak. A must order when in Epic Bar Boracay!
We also tried another grilled dish - Barbecue Beer Can Chicken. Well marinated and roasted chicken, this was flavorful and tender. Loved the hints of sweetness from the beer.
My other favorite dish during this tasting event was this - Grilled Tiger Prawns. Beautifully plated with a simple side salad and mango salsa on top, the prawns were perfectly grilled - juicy and succulent. Loved the pop of freshness from the mango salsa and the nice crunch from the salad. Another must try when in Epic Boracay!
What's a fest without dessert/s right? The last two dishes of this 11 course menu were ddedictaed to desserts - Cheesecake and Banoffee Triffle.
Banoffee Triffle was my favorite dessert! Fresh slices of ripe banana layered with a delicate dulce de leche cream, graham crumbs, a mountain of snow white whipped cream, chocolate shavings and finished off with a sugar coated, torched stick of fresh banana. It was mind blowing! It wasn't too sweet, it was light and refreshing. Perfect island dessert!
The Epic Cheesecake was equally good too. Smooth and creamy home-made cheesecake topped with fresh ripe mangoes and served with mango salsa on the side.
Perfect ending to a sumptuous feast!
Kudos to Chef Carlo Miguel and his staff! Epic Boracay definitely serves good food! This place should be in your must visit restaurant when in the beautiful island paradise!
5 out of 5 Stars for Epic Boracay!
--- Epic Boracay: Beachfront, D’Mall of Boracay, Barangay Balabag,Boracay Island, Aklan
I totally agree with your opinion that Boracay have a very mouthwatering foods since our Executive Chief in a 5 star hotel in Cagayan de Oro City came from Boracay ^^ I wish i could visit Boracay soon, Love reading your review ^^
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