Best Western's Anibong Restaurant - Nothing Too Exciting

I was looking for a "new place" to dine in the city where I grew up, and Anibong Restaurant in Best Western Plus Hotel caught my attention. It was new, it looked posh, and I haven't heard a lot of reviews about it. Perfect for a family dinner, I thought.

The place itself is nice an spacious. The ambiance is perfect for a family event or perhaps even a romantic dinner - quiet, well lit and cozy. It looked expensive, but a look at the menu would reveal reasonable prices (with the exception of the steaks of course). I was ready to dig in on some really good food.

The first sign of bad tidings to come - the waiter told us that the Kare Kare (P300) had no ox tripe and the Beef Rendang (P390) was not available. While we ended up ordering the "Liempo Kare Kare," it didn't live up to the expectations. It lacked the "ooomph" that only tripe can bring to the dish. The alamang, however, was really good.

And then there was the Grilled King Prawns (P590). While they were indeed majestic, there were only three of them - which meant each one cost around P200. Nothing special about the prawns themselves, but the sauce really caught my attention. I made the mistake of putting a lot of it on my prawn before reading what it was - tamarind paste. Needless to say, it was too sour for my liking.

The Western Style Fried Cicken (P290) was okay - a bit on the bland side but with sauce sidings to compensate. Not a fried chicken fan, so I guess some people may like this one.

I personally think that nothing can beat my Dad's Tokwa't Baboy, so it hardly seems fair for me to comment about the Crispy Tofu and Pork Crackling (P220). I guess it tasted okay.

Once again, Baby's Choice won the night. When I asked around, almost everyone was in agreement that the best dish was the Mashed Potato. A close second would be the Pasta Carbonara (P220).

Overall, I suppose it was a "normal" dining experience - nothing too interesting, not much to talk about. I still had a great time though - the Baby was extra active and was even "flirting" with the waitress. Family time is the best.

Anibong Restaurant is located in Best Western Plus The Ivywall Hotel, Rizal Ave., Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.