Bulawan Floating Restaurant
October 27, 2006
Filed under Food trips & events
What about the crispy dalag? To start with, the wriggling live dalag was shown to us for approval before it went into the frying pan. We thought at first that it was much too large at 1.1 kilograms but, what the heck, it was late and didnÕt we drive all the way to Pililla for this?
The fish was split open lengthwise, seasoned and deep-fried. A crisp golden crust formed on the entire surface while the meat inside remained soft and moist. Dipped in the traditional sawsawan of freshly-squeezed kalamansi juice, toyo and crushed siling labuyo, it was an experience I will remember for a long time and want repeated for many, many more times in the near future.
To complete the meal, we sipped fresh buko juice between mouthfuls. Not sweetened buko water with shredded meat in a glass but whole husks split open near the top with the meat untouched. After the meal, we scraped the buko meat from the husks with our spoons and enjoyed the sweet tenderness. Who needed dessert? The buko meat was a light and satisfying end to a perfect seafood meal.
We relaxed for a while then paid our bill. When the waiter brought our change, I asked for some background on Bulawan. Since he wasnÕt so sure when Bulawan was established, I asked if it would be possible to speak with the owner or manager.
The manager was also one of the two owners of Bulawan. Mrs. Nora Virrey arrived at our hut some minutes later. A few methodical questions elicited a story that made the place come even more alive before my eyes.
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have heard a lot about the place. could u give directions on how to go there? i plan to bring my balikbayan friends there. thanks.
Hi, Atty. Veneracion, I purposely looked for a way to email you because I wanted to share something with you that you might want to mention in your writings. I chanced upon The Sassy Lawyer last year in a bid to look for another Filipino vegetarian (I am one), and have since been coming back to it from time to time.
Imagine my surprise to find out that you have been to Bulawan, a favorite hangout for myself and my two nephews (who love fishing), which is just a town away from Jalajala, Rizal, the place I wanted to write you about.
Yesterday (All Saints’ Day), at the cemetery, I was able to sample very fine organic chocolate milk made from carabao’s milk, which tastes infinitely better than commercially produced cow’s milk. Their fresh milk, which I also sampled, was very good, too. The dairy is being produced by a farmers’ cooperative through the leadership and guidance of their president, Mr. Roxane T. Halili (who was peddling the milk, too–that’s how much he believes in their products). Mr. Halili is a UP Los Banos-trained dairy farmer, and worked for a long time with Carnation, and for a dairy farm in Saudi Arabia.
Organic carabao’s milk is healthier than any milk or dairy product you can find on grocery shelves, which are made from big-farm cow’s milk, from cows which are fed all sorts of hormones and anti-biotics that find their way into one’s food. Maybe it’s worth your time to try it, and enjoy a scenic drive along one of Rizal’s most beautiful coastal towns, on concrete roads made some years ago by the JICA. I think Mr. Halili lives in barrio Llano or Bayogo.
I hope that you can help the farmers promote their milk and dairy products (they also have pastillas but I didn’t sample it because I was avoiding too much sugar). It would be such a waste if their project isn’t able to take off; something so healthful and delicious (as well as with noble intentions) deserves some push. Ang galing kasi ng Pinoy!
Thank you so much in advance.
Heidi P. Cruz (a panyera since 1999)
ricky, manila east road (national highway), pililla, somewhere near km 59. go by way of antipolo, then on to teresa, tanay… pililla.
Heidi, wow, I wonder if you have read my older entries about UPLB’s DTRI–how I rave about the dairy products. I do love promoting local dairy products primarily because I hate being dependent on imported items hehehe
I would love to try the chocolate milk. If I can have more details where exactly in Jalajala I should go to… it’s really not that far and I’d love to go. Thanks.
Hi, Atty., sorry for responding so late; I had been very busy lately and was unable to check back until today. I heard from Mr. Halili that the processing station is temporarily housed in the “private high school” and that it is in Sitio Llano, Barangay Bayugo. It is difficult to lose your way in Jalajala because it’s just one major road throughout, and everybody seems to know everybody. I do have Mr. Halili’s cellphone number, though, 0906-506-0137.
Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy your trip (I enjoy mine every time I go there–I learned to drive in that area).
hi. id love to try bulawan. i was wondering how much your lunch was? so i can prepare my budget before going there.. thanks!
Thanks, Heidi. I’ll get in touch with him.
A little over 500 pesos, Angel.
I read in one announcement that the cooperative will be featured in an exhibit sponsored by the DAR and the DTI from November 25-26. I hope you can meet Mr. Halili there, if you have time. Thanks!
I’ll contact him over the weekend to ask for details. But what I’d really love is to see his actual place.