Experiencing Sands

At the end of a long stretch of hotels and restaurants along Waterfront Road in the Subic Freeport stands a relatively new landmark known as The Lighthouse. I took this photo in early 2007, when the place was in its final phase of construction:

          
The boutique hotel has since been fully operational and has been getting good feedback for its well-appointed rooms and captivating location (facing the beach). Late last year, I went back there again and had lunch at one of its restaurants called Sands.  It offers an international menu consisting of seafoods and grills and features al fresco dining, but we opted to eat indoors. The restaurant's interiors are elegant and inspired by the sea, making the place ideal for intimate dinners.  

I was, of course, with my Bea and a dear Subic-based friend of mine, Cleofe. For starters, we shared a bowl of fresh mushroom soup (P120). It's a mixture of shiitake, button and grilled oyster mushrooms--three of our favorite fungi--simmered in beef stock and then pureed. The flavor of the grilled oyster mushrooms was so well defined and the soup had a thick and creamy consistency, which made it as comforting as a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day.

         

What followed was an entree called King Dao (P200)--"braised pork belly in a flavorsome oyster sauce, orange and star anise." While the liempo wasn't exactly very tender, the sauce exuded the right balance of salty and sweet that made it very appetizing to me. The following photo doesn't give much justice to the dish, but it was splendid and the serving was generous.

         

We also ordered pockets of mahi-mahi (P290) to satisfy our craving for fish. The dish looked rather complicated but, simply put, it's "mahi-mahi fillets with prawn and mushroom paste cooked with white wine served with crab fat sauce." It came with some steamed vegetables on top of mushroom risotto, which provided a wonderful match for the fish. Needless to say, it's a complete and satisfying meal for the figure-conscious.

         

The Lighthouse Marina Resort may not be a five-star hotel, but its restaurant Sands has exquisite culinary treasures at very reasonable prices. With its nightly entertainment of relaxing piano music, Sands may just be the perfect place to unwind or just watch the magnificent sunset when in Subic.

For more information, visit the website of The Lighthouse Subic .