Subic Weekend: Day 1

I feel kind of guilty with spending the weekend at Subic instead of staying at home and be my mother and aunt's slave for Mother's Day. But I somehow figured it doesn't even make sense, because I AM their minion/slave/at their mercy regardless of the day and the occasion. Grabbed the opportunity I did when Francis invited Xander and I to experience an awesome Subic weekend at Boardwalk Inn!

Left Manila around 1:30 PM and arrived in Subic around 5 pm. JJ* was gracious enough to fetch us from the Olongapo Victory bus station. We commuted* and was surprised how easy it was to go to Boardwalk Inn through public transportation. 

I was seriously stoked when I had a glimpse of where we were about to stay. The cool, zen and beachy vibes of Swell Bar and Cafe immediately made me say, "Hell yeahz!" Swell Bar and Cafe is the restaurant which serves the guests in Boardwalk Inn. It has an air of  L.A. laidback culture, Japanese peaceful aura + wood panels and Greek white brick structure amidst blue background detailing reminds me of Santorini (but I haven't been to Greece ever) but it feels so Greece-y, somehow it does. (?) Also, the floor textile designs remind me of the cute little art ground pieces embedded in the sidewalk of Session Road, Baguio City.

Before we proceed with dinner, we had about an hour or so to look around the vicinity and of course to settle down in our rooms for a while. The room was spacious which has a very simple, down-to-earth feel. I also noticed the aircon was already turned on when I arrived so the room was cool when I entered. Okay, I know the weather is crazy hot this summer, but I was ecstatic about their hot and cold shower! I don't care how scorching the world is outside, hot shower is love.

Boardwalk Inn view of the other rooms. Yes, it is an open area

My room

Francis and Xander called me on the phone saying we'll have dinner + drinks and chill in a couple of minutes. So while waiting for dinner, JJ was so toured Xander and I around Swell Bar despite the place being jampacked! He also told fun little facts and stories about how the place came to be.

 Here are some fun facts from what I could recall:

• Subic has clean and safe tap water! In fact, that was what I was drinking in the photo above
• JJ is a surfer which is why there are surf boards everywhere
• Boardwalk Inn offers paddle boarding lessons. If you are interested, you might want to inquire early on
• Swell Bar and Cafe is fine dining, but mind you, the price range is actually affordable 
• Swell Bar and Cafe has one of the best views of the beach along McKinley street (hope I got this right!). The location is so strategic because Swell Bar is in front of a park which can't be commercialized so... it's just an open area free from obstruction like buildings etc
• JJ has a wide selection of international beers! Too bad I didn't try one

Now, let's talk about dinner! Chef Niko Martinez*, the head chef in Swell, stepped out of the kitchen for a while to personally take our orders (I was so flattered, really). Naturally, when one goes to a new restaurant, the best thing to order is the best seller. Chef Niko told me right off the bat that their best seller is the Pork Medallion, so ordered I did. Meanwhile, Xander and Francis both ordered Fish Fillet Braised in Aromatic Asian Sauce.

Swell's Sweet Potato Chips + Mayonnaise on the side

For appetizer, Chef Niko handed us a bowl of Swell Sweet Potato chips to munch on while waiting for our dinner. However, after a few moments, he stepped out of the kitchen and gave us a sample of two new dishes he plans to add to the menu: Spicy Shrimp Gambas and Beef Salpicao.

Gambas

Beef Salpicao

What is admirable about Chef Niko is that he knows how to season his dishes perfectly. The spicy gambas was perfect; not too spicy and salty. I personally don't like beef salpicao because almost all beef salpicaos I've tasted before aren't edible (too tough! I have a tendency to spit it out) but Chef Niko's Beef Salpicao is so moist and tender, again, very well seasoned, just the right amount of saltiness you still get to taste the taste of the beef.

Pork Medallion

Chef Niko used two round slices of pork loin, known to be one of the most tender parts of pork. He seasoned it lightly with salt, wrapped it up in bacon. Positioned it in a bed of potato discs. Drizzled some tangy cream cheese sauce then finally topped it with charred red bell pepper strips. How to describe the flavor of the dish is rather difficult, but I am going with the word virginal. The flavors are pretty simple; seasoning is very minimal; one just savours the real, natural taste of all the ingredients, especially the pork loin. Superb.

Turon

For dessert, we had Turon topped with Ice Cream (or whipped cream), sprinkled with chunks of almonds and powdered cinnamon then drizzled with caramel sauce (or dulce de leche). Yummy!

Citron Crush

Citron Crush

We capped off the night by drinking a mouth watering cocktail called Citron Crush. Nothing's better than finishing a hot day with an ice cold citrus alcoholic drink!
________________

*JJ (Juan Jose) Montelibano is the owner of Boardwalk Inn and Swell Cafe and Bar

*Commute: How to go here via commuting: ride any bus which has a direct route to Subic SCTEX. Bus fare will cost you around 210 bucks. In the bus stop, you may ride a taxi going to Boardwalk Inn in McKinley St. Taxi fare is just around 50 bucks.

Chef Niko: "My consultancy comes with a fee." Len is trying to reason out. haha.

*Chef Niko Martinez: It was awesome to meet the brilliant man behind the wonderful dishes served at Swell Bar and Cafe. He wasn't even selfish in sharing how to do the the dishes! Thank you so much, I really enjoyed our talk and most especially, the food you served us are all FANTASTIC! 

Swell Bar and Cafe / Boardwalk Inn 

Bldg 664 Waterfront Road

Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Tel: (047) 250-2221

PPS
But wait, there's more! Subic Weekend: Day 2!