The flavors of "Modern Asia by Chef Miner" at Ferra Hotel in Boracay

In a gastronomic spread laid out throughout lunch, dinner and breakfast, I got to taste and enjoy the delicious flavors of Asian fusion cuisine in an aptly named foodie hotspot - Modern Asia by Chef Miner at one of the newest hotels on the island of Boracay - Ferra Hotel .

Butter Poached Salmon with a blend of Cherry Tomatoes Confit, Tarragon-lemon creme and pine nuts.

Together with the Iloilo bloggers and media, our delicious journey through the invitation by Chef Miner del Mundo began the moment we arrived at Ferra Hotel.

We were welcomed by the hotel's general manager Dante Cruz and staff making sure they live up to their tagline as our "Friendly Hosts in Boracay".

Conveniently located in Boracay's "Laketown district", Ferra Hotel offers something that's hard to find in Boracay nowadays - a perfect balance of solitude and accessibility. The hotel is at the midpoint of Boracay's two famous beaches; White Beach and Bulabog Beach - both within 10 minutes walk from the hotel. But guests will really appreciate the calmness it offers as it is away from the maddening crowd and certainly will have a relaxing time when in Boracay.

The hotels main food outlet - Modern Asia by Chef Miner features modern-minimalist interiors and design that presents style and functionality. But of course, it was ground zero for all the delicious gastronomic offerings this Boracay trip was made of.

And it all started with these two appetizers - Mushroom "Sisig" Brie Toast and Fish Kinilaw, making us a lot more hungry than we already were. Crunchy-licious in every bite, the sisig reinvention give this Pinoy dish a European flair.

The Fish Kinilaw was a mild one even bordering into the salad category and its a perfect introduction to non-kinilaw eaters.

It may not look as appetizing on this photo, but this Seafood Hot and Sour Soup got everybody's two-thumbs up at the first sip. It was a refreshingly spicy soup that goes down the throat with every flavour yet not too overpowering. It's a well raved and craved for offering Chef Miner has concocted!

Care for pork, beef or chicken satay? These skewered meat that comes with a savory peanut sauce is also a must try.

A perfect pair to the satay is Nasi Goreng, the Malay/Indonesian version of fried rice that even non-rice eaters would love.

Continuing our Asia food fest was serving of Pad Thai. Made with stir- fried rice noodles, it comes with eggs and tofu and flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots, red chili pepper and palm sugar, and served with lime wedges and chopped roast peanuts

A break from the galore of Asian cuisine was a platter of sausage - perfect for those looking for a flavor reset or some familiar taste territory.

Not to be outdone was this Steamed Fish Fillet made with Japaleño and ginger smear, soy sesame broth and mirin.

Desserts come not only well presented (Chef Miner's trademark) but tastes as delicious as it looks.

I dig in the Creme Brulee and it comes with fresh strawberries - now that's something different on this tropical island.

The Turon came with a medly chopped bananas and jackfruit perfectly fried and smothered with rich and thick coconut creme sauce.

And who can say no to this bowl of vanilla ice cream on a hot day!

After an exhilarating afternoon filled with lots activities (Mt Luho viewpoint trek, Puka Beach, Helmet Diving, Sunset Sailing, and more - Thanks Donna for guiding us around), dinner was at the SkyBar at the hotel's rooftop. What a perfect venue to relax and enjoy more treats Chef Miner has prepared for us.

How about some cold cuts and cheese as starters? Definitely a must...

I was glad to have another salmon dish for dinner for I loved that Poached Salmon offering for lunch. We also had grilled steak and tuna - but I gorged on them before I thought of having to take a picture.

SkyBar and Lounge
Photo Courtesy of MyBoracayGuide

A perfect chill-out spot for those looking for a more intimate and cozy place, the SkyBar provides a refuge for those tired of the Boracay nightlife. Or it could be perfect place to start the night on a slow mood in preparation for a more colorful night scene ahead. Eitherway, it makes a great Boracay experience.

Tired from the day's activities (we were up since 3am for travel) so an early nightcap for me was inevitable. And with a room as inviting and cozy as this who wouldn't want to surrender to the serenity of a good night's sleep?

Ferra Hotel offers 37 rooms that comes in Standard, Superior, One-Bedroom nd Two-Bedroom Lofts. All are equipped with Free Wi-Fi Internet access, Cable TV, DVD player, Individually controlled air-conditioning unit, Hot and cold shower, Mini-refrigerator, Coffee and tea maker and In-room safe.

Breakfast the following day comes not only with a view of the dipping pool but an actual dip if you wish.

But first I'll take a gastronomic dip on the breakfast offerings. The Tapsilog combo was so good I could have eaten 2 orders in just one sitting.

Other breakfast treats were Corned Beef Hash and Bacon Overload as ordered by fellow bloggers.

What makes a great host? For Ferra Hotel in Boracay Island, Philippines, it’s not simply about providing a room to spend the night in. It’s more about being that place your guests would love to wake up in, come home to, and possibly visit again for future travels.

Indeed, the hotel stayed true to their definition of being a great host for us. From the time we arrived to the time we left plus all the adventures whether food or travels on the island - it was indeed a summer to remember made even extra special by Ferra Hotel Boracay!

Ferra Hotel

Sitio Bulabog, Balabag

Boracay Island 5608 Philippines

Phone Numbers: (+63) 36-2881177 to 79

Email: sales@ferrahotel.com

Ferra Hotel Boracay Vicinity Map

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece pork broth cube (

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare.

Batwan

Ilonggos know batwan or batuan by heart as the fruit is almost endemic to the Western Visayas. Its scientific name is Garcinia binucao, derived from the Tagalog name for the fruit, binukaw. It is a large green fruit with large seeds and its a favorite souring ingredient in most Ilonggo dishes especially KBL or kadyos, baboy, langka and the Ilonggo-style paksiw known as "pinamalhan". It is characterized by a tamed sourness compared to tamarind and kamias . The fruit is sold by pieces or kilo in wet markets and even big grocery stores. Batwan is the preferred souring ingredients for the Ilonggo favorite- KBL. The photo shows boiled batwan with skin and without skin (right) A favorite riddle when we were young - "Among the many fruits in the forest, but one (batuan) is the best. What is it?"

A native (foods) welcome in Guimaras

Even after having breakfast less than an hour that time, we couldn't say no to this lot of native delciacies that welcomed us in Guimaras. First and foremost, Guimaras best known produce is their sweet mango famous almost worldwide. And it comes with it's best partner, ibos. This brown baye-baye variety is made from toasted rice thus giving it a more disctinct flavour compared to it's more "caucasian" cousin. I like the one wrapped in banana leaves compared with the one in plastic for it gives it a more native feel. So when you're in Guimaras, be sure to check out the markets for these native delicacies that can make your trip more gastronomically satisfying.

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

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