Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
Our Christmas vacation in Bohol is over and it was time to get to Cebu to the family in law´s place in Oslob. My husband and I headed to Tagbilaran City for a morning trip to Argao, Cebu via Lite Shipping.
Video credits: Create In Mind via YouTube
It took three hours for us to reach Taloot Wharf in Argao and so it was just right to have lunch before traveling to Oslob. James and I thought we should check out this floating restaurant which is right at the wharf area. It was more than five years since we visited this place but we were unsuccessful with the attempt to have lunch here as it was closed during that time.
So today´s blog is all about this floating restaurant which is called Bien Mar Sutukil.
Bien Mar Sutukil
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
From the port where the vessel was docked, it only took a few steps for us to reach the entrance to Bien Mar Sutukil, a huge sign states we have to walk the bamboo bridge to reach the main eatery. But if visitors are coming from the main highway, there´s a sign from there which directs to Bohol and to a park, the concrete road going there has a lot of mangroves on its side, but it won´t take long before reaching the entrance to the eatery. The distance isn´t too far that walking is instead preferable, however, if you got heavy stuff with you, then it is better to take a trike which costs Php 10 only per person.
At the covered entrance of Bien Mar Sutukil floating restaurant, a staff greets the visitors with a huge smile but because it was also raining when we arrived, we were directly offered with cute umbrellas to protect us from getting drenched but it was just a light rain but having the umbrella was helpful enough.
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
The bamboo bridge was more or less one kilometer long, walking there looked a little frightening because the bamboos were already aging, it was quite obvious but we have seen heavier individuals walking through so we didn´t mind it anymore and proceed with entering the bridge.
At our left are mangroves, there was a group of people trying to find for something there, we suspect they were looking for some crablets. I sensed that they are from the restaurant and will have those crablets cooked later on. We laughed at the thought that we should not order crabs or crablets.
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
Cold winds were brushing our hair, the rain stopped and so I took a couple of photographs on our way with James as my subject. There were also other customers who were walking behind me so whenever they step on the bamboos, I could feel the shake and I felt seasick!
There are also a lot of fish cages around but you´ll find it only near to Bien Mar Sutukil floating restaurant.
Food Menu and Review
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
Bien Mar Sutukil offers all sorts of fresh seafood as how they marketed it from the entrance area. I have heard a lot of good things about it because of course, we as Filipinos love fresh seafood. I grew up in an area near to the sea so there is always fresh catch which then fills up our table later on. The same goes for James and so both of us would really crave for anything fresh from the sea.
Sutukil is actually an acronym. "Su" means sugba or grilled, "tu" is for tuwa which are for fish soup and "kil" is for kilaw which is for ceviche. It is a three in one specialty which can be requested if one would order a kilo of Tuna.
Video credits: Jean Beltran via YouTube
But they also offer other seafood options than just tuna. There are shrimps, scallops, squid, crabs and a lot more but sometimes, they would only offer a few because of limited supply.
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
However, there´s a whiteboard which has the menu of the day. Our order was their scallops for Php 150 and half a kilo of tuna, a kilo is priced at Php 500 so the half was at Php 250. The order was cooked into ceviche and soup. They also have sodas and a Mango Float dessert available which we gladly ordered.
It took a few minutes for our order to be served, there was another table of four adults who ordered ahead of us so I understood the wait but it was okay since we were entertained by the animated movie, Coco which I have seen for a few times now but still get entertained with it.
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
When our food came in, both James and I immediately went into an eating mode. After saying our thanks, we dug into our food. We were a little disappointed that we forgot to ask how the scallops would be cooked because we assumed it was baked but no, it was not and so we didn´t finish that.
The tuna was not a big one as expected, the fish soup shows this is just a regular fish, nothing very spectacular about it but it was a little pricey knowing that one kilo of this cost only less than Php 200 in the local market.
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
As for the ceviche, I got again baffled that it was too salty when this was what I have been looking forward to. I have been craving for good ceviche for quite a while now and I hoped I could find it here but it didn´t happen. Anyway, we still finished it despite the saltiness.
Overall, the food was just so-so, there was nothing special about the food served, also to mention that their rice was not cooked well, there were some which were a little hard. But since we were starving, we still ate the soup and the ceviche but not the scallops.
Conclusion
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
Aside from the unique experience of walking a bamboo bridge with a view of some group of sardines and dining at a floating restaurant surrounded by fish cages, that´s about it. The food was just so-so but was a little pricey but we were treated with a view of a school of sardines next to where we were sitting.
For a place such as this, you don't expect much in terms of the facility or the amenities provided. I was a little concern that the sink and the comfort room´s drainage goes directly to the sea so it was given that all the washed soap and other chemically treated stuff would go straight to the sea and just a distance away is a group of people swimming.
I guess this single experience is enough, I don´t see myself dining here again in the future.
Image credits: bitLanders Society via Facebook
Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!
---------------------------
About the author:
Jean Beltran-Figues is a photography enthusiast.
A traveler who wants to promote her beloved country, the Philippines.
