Food Trip in Gensan

Whenever we have guests who visit us in Gensan and stay for a few days, we often bring them around to have a “taste” of Gensan. The most popular destination where we take our guests is at Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. Lake Sebu is about two hours drive from Gen. Santos City. A popular resort and restaurant in Lake Sebu is Punta Isla. They serve a variety of tilapia dishes. “Chicharon na Tilapia”, is cooked deep fried with breading and very crispy. The “Kinilaw na Tilapia” is raw fish fillet mixed with vinegar, onions, and radish, and then the head and bones part is cooked as “Paksiw na Tilapia” as a by-product of the kinilaw. My personal favorite is the “Sinanglay”. It is tilapia fillet wrapped in cabbage leaves and cooked with coconut milk, “aligue” or crab’s fat and chili. And another is the “Tilapura” or Tilapia Tempura, where the fish fillet is breaded and deep fried, with slices of potato and eggplant which are also breaded and deep fried. Most of the dishes on their menu are less than P200.00

On the way back to Gensan, right after the boundary of Marbel or Koronadal City, along the highway is a popular place called “Aparejo Buko Halo Halo”. Their “halo halo” is served in a fresh coconut shell, with its coconut meat, but without the juice. You’ll be amazed at how the man who cuts the coconut open, can do it with just one stroke of his very sharp bolo. The ingredients of their “halo halo” are sweetened langka, sweetened kamote, sweet corn, sweetened banana, beans, nata de coco, ube jam and ice cream. The crushed ice is so fine that it melts in your mouth.

Between Tupi and Polomolok is the Durian Garden, a farm resort where there are durian and rambutan plantations, cottages, and a restaurant. Visitors can buy and taste the freshly picked durian fruit or have a taste of their durian ice cream and other durian delicacies.

In Gen. Santos City, there is a place called Tiongson Arcade. It is a place where several restaurants that serve barbecue are right next to each other. All of them serve the same grilled pork, chicken, chorizo, chicken intestines and gizzard. At the other side of the arcade are restaurants where you get to choose fresh seafood and cooked anyway you like. Every night, especially on weekends, people flock to the Tiongson Arcade to have a taste of freshly cooked seafood or barbecue cooked right from the grill.

Two other restaurants that I recommend to my friends who come to Gensan for a visit are Ranchero and Café Amore. The original Ranchero Restaurant is located along the national highway near Mabuhay Road. But since they opened a branch at SM City, the original place now serves as a venue for receptions like weddings and other functions. To have a taste of “Gensan food”, one should not miss the fresh “Kinilaw na Malasugi” served with sliced radish, onions, tomato and strips of green mango. There is also the grilled tuna belly and “Inihaw Na Panga ng Tuna”.  Since seafood are always served fresh in Gensan, the “Sinigang na Sugpo” is also a must try at Ranchero’s.

At Café Amore, which is located at Valley High beside Microtel Hotel and at the back of McDonald’s, they have a coffee shop that serves coffee and pastries and a restaurant that serves really good food. My personal favorite is their steamed fish, and it’s usually steamed Pampano. They also serve very good Crispy Pata, Bulalo and other Filipino dishes. Both Ranchero’s and Café Amore’s menu are reasonably priced.