Discover the Marble Capital of the Philippines beyond its natural playgrounds–from its beautiful beaches and magnificent waterfalls, to its refreshing, clean rivers and challenging climbs. We’ll make sure your itinerary is filled with memorable places and things you should try and eat!
Here are the top 8 dishes to complete your Romblon experience…
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1. Sarsa
Sarsa is a local dish found only in Romblon.
The dish is made out of small shrimps caught in streams, mixed with young coconut and chili. It is then wrapped in coconut leaves, giving it that local touch. You eat the dish paired with rice.
Best to buy early in the morning before it runs out. It can be found in their local carinderia and wet markets.
2. Taghilaw
Taghilaw is pork meat and intestines cooked in vinegar sauce. A dish similar in preparation to “dinuguan” but minus the blood.
3. Gayabon
Gayabon, is Romblon’s version of Laing. But what makes it different is that they use fresh gabi cooked until the leaves are mashed into a pasty texture. It is very chunky and is not spicy like the Bikolano version.
4. Sihi Shell
Sihi, a local edible shellfish. One cannot normally eat by sucking it out of its shell, but instead, with an aid of a pin, you slowly pick the meat out.
When fishermen aren’t able to get a good catch of fish for the day, they would often resort to looking for these shells by the shore.
Often cooked in coconut milk, you can find them in carinderias in Looc Town.
5. Inaslum
Inaslum is a healthy vegetable soup that makes use of any available fresh vegetable in season. It is not sour like what the name suggests, but actually very bland. Good for those who are health conscious and for seniors.
6. Longganisa, Tocino, Tapa
Odiongan is known for its preserved meats like the longganisa, tapa, and tocino that can last outside the fridge up to 5 days.
Romblon’s longganisa would probably be the sweetest one we’ve tasted so far. It’s made using quality pork cuts with only sugar, garlic, asuete as its preserving agents.
7. Locally made peanut butter
Romblon makes a good blend of peanut butter spread. We liked that the oil doesn’t separate from the mixture.
8. Freshly Caught Seafood
Whether its shrimp, squid, or fish, you’ll never go wrong ordering something from the sea.
Yumm!
Live an Awesome Life,
Team Our Awesome Planet
Full Disclosure: Nothing to disclose. We paid for our meals. We are not connected with the owners or the organizations promoting these restaurants.
P.S. Watch out for our complete guide around the three major islands of Romblon!
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In Carmen, part of San Agustin in northeastern Tablas Island, we have Young Jackfruit chopped finely and cooked with dried dilis fish and bago (lumbay) leaves in coconut milk. We have also kari-kari na manok, not the normal kare-kare of Luzon but a different version, because this one is very spick and the chicken bones in chopped finely and cooked together with the meat. We have also sampayna, almost related to menudo or apritada inbetween. But what I love most is our inasluman version (similar to Diningding) but this contains mushrooms, kuyamamis leaves, in-season vegetables, fried or broiled fish, alugbati leaves and calamansi juice. We still have a lot of Romblomanon food in Carmen.
Sihi is the collective terms for all seashells but the one in picture is called sikad-sikad.
For me “Sarsa” is the best appetizer for young and old…i love the “Gutaw” and “Dinuguan with green Papaya” of my Lola Saning in Looc, Romblon.
Another delicacy in Looc, Romblon that I always love to eat…..”Suman”…..any occassions or gatherings that “suman” will always be on the food table. I’ve tasted all kinds of suman all over the Philippines but nothing beats the “suman” in Romblon…a must try!
Speaking of delicacy or a must try in Romblon is this delish afternoon snack sold by an old woman yelling outside—Inday2x, Pinindooooowt!😄
Inday-Inday is like a “palitaw” covered with white sugar and sprinkled with sesame seeds while the famous Pinindot is like a ‘Binignit’ in Cebu—served hot and creamy (with coco cream, sweet potatoes, sweet langka, colorful ‘sago’, and the sticky ‘bilo-bilo’). Two thumbs up for you, Nanay
Nanay will always be remembered by her legacy of selling Inday2x, Pinindooowt!😍