A special occasion prompted us to have lunch at the Cabugao Seafoods Haus in the town of Pavia. Located along the highway near the border with Sta. Barbara, the restaurant opened a few years ago in the light of the inauguration of the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan.
It was among the first businesses to have sprouted along the airport route in the hopes of attracting people who will travel to and from the said place. And it paid big time as it is now among the most successful businesses and in my opinion the biggest success story when it comes to food. It even branched out in the town of Oton, which is along the southern Iloilo route.
The restaurant has the native feel as it bamboos, wood and nipa are the ones making the structure. And from a single dinig area, more dining areas have now sprouted all over the place – it now has a big extension on the side completing their original eating area.
They also have cottages for private groups plus an air conditioned area to those not used to the sweltering heat of the sun.
While waiting for our orders to arrive we found a cage of lovebirds near the parking entrance.
And it was their native litsong manok which came first to our table. Though I don’t like the way it was arranged, like a deck of cards being spread with each part of the chicken lining up, the taste was very good enough. Also it came cold, no hints of being grilled, but it was good that I ate a lot, dipped in sinamak.
We also had kinilaw nga pasayan and tangigue. The fish ceviche looked and tasted perfectly – with salted eggs adding more flavour to the dish. The shrimp kinilaw was also good though it didn’t look appetizing.
The sinabawan nga managat looked tempting and tasted just right, not too salty nor bland.
The grilled pork chop was dry but tasted better than the previous one I had which was very salty. Good thing the sinamak-toyo concoction was there to save the day.
The adobado nga alimusan is among the popular orders. The sauce had the right flavour and consistency that complemented the fish thus making it appetizing even for those who don’t usually eat “catfish” like me.
The grilled managat was a misdirected order – they got confused and gave it to us when we didn’t order any. But I managed to capture it before it was wheeled off to the right table.
It was another delicious gastronomic experience at the Cabugao Seafoods Haus and even with some miss hits (just in my case), it was a worthy visit that I’ll surely be back and even recommend to anyone. After all, taste is subjective, and you might find them all worthy your discriminating taste.
Cabugao Seafoods Haus
Along the highway in Cabugao Sur, Pavia Iloilo
Tel. No. 033 320-1805