Read the Feature: The Best Restaurants in Boracay 2021
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Dos Mestizos, one of the surviving restaurant institutions in Boracay, recently celebrated its 25 years. During the pandemic, they relocated to a more accessible prime spot along the main road in Station 1 behind Seawind Resort. A visit to Boracay is not complete without experiencing tapas and paellas at Dos Mestizos.
During our recent visit, we were able to meet one of the mestizos behind the restaurant who shared with us stories of Boracay during the pandemic and their secret to lasting this long on the island.
DOS MESTIZOS
Main road, Station 1 (Across Seawind Resort)
Telephone: +63 966 6728077, + 63 961 5844774
Email: dosmestizos@yahoo.com
Website: http://dosmestizos.com
First Things First
The resto is al fresco with spacious distancing between tables. You’ll feel at home the moment you enter.
Most people go for the tapas and squid ink paella, but Dos Mestizos also serves carnes, pescado and mariscos.
It was an honor meeting Binggoy who is the legend behind the success of Dos Mestizos.
They initially planned to open another concept here with his daughter, a San Sebastian trained chef, before the pandemic but eventually decided to relocate and strengthen the Dos Mestizos brand and to provide continued livelihood to their staff, especially during the pandemic.
Dos Mestizos Food
They bake their own bread—crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and good for dipping and swiping sauces off the plates. A glass of sangria is enough to get you in the mood for their Spanish food.
Their croquettes were pillowy soft and served in just the right amount to tease your palate.
This is how we like our Salpicao, tender chunks of beef with a garlicky sauce and topped with garlic bits.
We loved their callos because of the good chunks of tripe and beef meat soaked in rich sauce with chick peas to cut though the sauciness. Simut sarap pati yung sauce!
It’s quite rare to get good quality oysters on the island, so they source these directly from Aklan. Eat while the béchamel is hot and oozing from the shell.
They stick to time tested recipes with good quality vegetables and the right amount of Caesar dressing.
Their specialty is squid ink paella and they use only the squid ink they squeeze out of real squid, not the canned ones most restos use nowadays. Reserve one if they have; otherwise, check out their fresh seafood version.
The paella is served with a thin layer of rice and socarrat at the bottom and topped with a generous serving of fresh seafood.
Final Thoughts
I’m still amazed at the high quality of food they offer especially during the pandemic, staying true to the Dos Mestizos Spanish food we grew up with. I was impressed with Binggoy’s drive to reopen the restaurant to provide livelihood to his staff and to continue offering good food to the locals and, soon hopefully, to more tourists on the island. No wonder they continue to thrive after 25 years and survive in spite of the pandemic.
Best time to go is during noontime for a lazy lunch with less crowd, but dinner time is good for celebrating something special with family and friends. I love how safety protocols are followed and, overall, you just feel safe in the environment and how the staff serves the food.
Congratulations to Dos Mestizos. Hope you thrive more in the years to come post-pandemic!
DOS MESTIZOS
Main road, Station 1 (Across Seawind Resort)
Telephone: +63 966 6728077, + 63 961 5844774
Email: dosmestizos@yahoo.com
Website: http://dosmestizos.com
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Thanks to Nikkei Team for the experience. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. Hope you pursue the opening of a new concept in Silay, Cavite 🙂 Good luck!
Look forward to dining there!