Vintana at Shangri-La's Boracay Resort & Spa — Restaurant in Malay

We first dined at Vintana Asian Café. The kare kare sauce was clearly made from scratch, with bits of peanuts adding a lovely texture. Although the sauce was a tad bland, the shrimp paste on the side more than made up for it. The lechon kawali was sinfully crispy and flavorful, paired perfectly with pickled cauliflower and carrots. The Chicken Inasal was deliciously authentic, marinated to perfection, and enhanced by a combination of chicken oil, soy sauce, and calamansi.

Over at Cielo Poolside Restaurant, I enjoyed my favorite dish of the entire trip: the Greek-style grilled octopus. It was tender, juicy, and grilled to absolute perfection, complemented perfectly by the smashed potatoes with pesto and pine nuts. My partner opted for the Peri Peri Chicken, and the portion was huge!

When it drizzled, we decided to order room service, and I indulged in a succulent salmon steak and a comforting French onion soup served with a cheesy baguette — both dishes were heavenly!

We can’t forget to mention the breakfast buffet — hands down one of the best we’ve ever had, probably the best in the country! The spread was absolutely incredible, featuring all the breakfast favorites you could think of, all made with high-quality ingredients. From detox smoothies to bibingka and puto bumbong, gourmet sandwiches, taho, and even a dimsum bar — it was a feast! The variety and attention to detail were impressive, and we were so stuffed and satisfied that it kept us going for hours. Truly an unforgettable...

Beautiful venue let down by mediocre food. Ordered kilawin na tanigue starter which was a good start, sinigang na salmon sa miso which was decent however everything went downhill from there. Adobo was far too salty and we were served stale rice. We returned the adobo and asked for new rice from the kitchen. We were served the same stale rice likely from the same batch as the first. Upon speaking to their wait staff, they had also confirmed it was "old" rice. We asked to speak to the chef who did not come out to speak to us, however the wait staff particularly Dave were highly apologetic. The only compensation offered was a free dessert. We ordered 2 x ube pannacotta and were charged for 1.

Having spent a week in Boracay dining at various establishments, it's disappointing and perplexing that a fine dining establishment could not even get the balance of adobo right nor serve fresh rice. No wonder the place was practically empty on a Saturday night. We went to Andok's Chicken after the dinner fail at Vintana where we were served fresh fluffy rice with delicious chicken for a fraction of the price. Do not recommend...

If you're not staying at Shangri-La Boracay, make a reservation at this wonderful restaurant and pay a visit. The 5 stars says it all. Staff at Shangri-La are incredibly warm. The food is delicious. The atmosphere in Vintana is cool and comfortable with soaring ceilings and elegant Eastern decor. Prices are surprisingly similar to your average restaurant in the US... But with food, service, and views like this you really get great value. Getting to Shangri-La requires some trike hiring, so be aware it's a 20 minute trip from Station 2. But the change of scene and the chance to see this resort will be memorable. PS... at Shangri-La's private beach is the equally delicious open-air bar and restaurant called Cielo, with its own nice menu of snacks and...