Island Izakaya — Restaurant in Malay

A hidden gem in Boracay 💎

We tried this restaurant because I got some vouchers in @klook_ph and I honestly didn't expect anything but I was pleasantly surprised! Although it's not in the central touristy area, it was very close to our hotel in Station X so it was very convenient. There weren't many customers when we went. The place is one of the few air conditioned places in the island too! The first time we visited, there were a couple of foreigners smoking outside and when we were about to go in, they told us the food was really delicious. That was definitely a good sign! We were immediately assisted by their server who was very friendly and hospitable. They gave us service water and damp towel to clean our hands.

These are what we got: 🦪 Oyster Aburi - this was recommended by the server. It was quite good, topping was the topping on sushis - Japanese mayonnaise and other sauce/s. 🥘 Okonomiyaki - this was delicious, although it fell apart easily. Some good pieces of seafood and bacon in it. 🍛 Tonkatsu Don - meat was thick, not that tender, but it was still good! Sauce was made perfectly 👌 🍜 Yakisoba - my partner loved this a lot. I think it tasted a lot like the katsu sauce you'd normally have at Japanese restaurants. The vegetables were fresh and cooked just right. 🍢 Butabara (Pork Belly) & Momo (Chicken Thigh) Yakitori - both were very tender and flavorful, we prefer the sweet style sauce 👍 🍦 Black Sesame Gelato - This was a good dessert to finish our meal. I loved this a lot! It was very similar to the Chinese black sesame ball I used to have when I was younger.

Serving time was fast too which was a bit surprising, but you can actually see them cooking your meals right in front of you since they have an open kitchen. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try their Salmon Don since it wasn't available but we will definitely get that next...

A lot of new businesses opened post pandemic. We discovered a new restaurant in Boracay that is @islandIzakaya which offers Yakitori, Donburi and assortment of small and big Japanese plates.

We tried Reba (creamy chicken liver), Tebasaki (succulent grilled chicken wing), Bacon Wrapped Cheese and Shitake Mushroom from their Yakitori lineup. We also ordered Yaki Soba and Tonkatsudon.

Another thing we love about Island Izakaya was that aside from the Japanese food, they also have a selection of Japanese-inspired cocktails including a dedicated Highball Menu/Sake, Shochu Japanese beer, & non-alcoholic drinks.

An innovative Japanese twist on the traditional drink is the Okinawa Piña Colada (P250). Made with handmade pineapple cordial, fresh coconut milk, pandan syrup, and shochu (a Japanese distilled liquor that tastes similar to brandy and vodka), this drink is light, refreshing, and has a sweet and tangy flavor profile. Another drink we tried was their Cranberry Highball which is a mixture of Japanese Whiskey, Cranberry, Cinnamon Soda, Almond Liquer and Soda Water.

You should try Island Izakaya when in Boracay if you're looking for a laid-back, informal atmosphere with delicious Japanese food and drinks that won't break the bank.

Island Izakaya is located at Station 3, beside Boracay Mini Mart, across Paradise Garden and operates from 4:00 PM to 12 AM daily.

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Staff warmly welcomed us and provided Japan standard service, which was full of Omotenashi spirit! We enjoyed authentic Yakitori, Ebi fry, japanese rice wine, etc. and all of them were very good. The price is fair and reasonable. What is so good about Izakaya style is that not everyone in the group has to eat/order. Also they have many kinds of small dishes so you can try several kinds of dishes within your budget. This is my destination, particularly when only my child is hungry so that i can enjoy drinks while my child enjoys many of small dishes with good nutrition😋 Some groups come to here instead of a bar, while some people come here for dinner. This is also recommended for Japanese-food-beginners because you can try non-sushi typical Japanese dishes by...