a galley on shore!

My wife and I were looking for some Japanese food one night. Along the beach when we happened to stumble upon a little grill. Well, since we couldn't find any Japanese tonight we thought about giving it a try.

From the outside it looks simple enough; Small and humble. But to my surprise when I peeked through the window; "whoa!" I thought, "this might be a little too classy for my budget."

but what the hey, right? it's not every night I get to take my wife out for a date. So, there I was. Intimidated by the set up I just saw through the window. I was about to open the door when suddenly... A member of the food service crew opened the door for us and welcomed us in. she gave us a warm smile and gave us a table and a couple of menus.

the next thing I discovered blew my mind. they named most of their dishes in the native language, making them the first and only restaurant I came across in Roxas City that does that. they don't serve baked oysters, Hell No! they serve baked TALABA! No seaweeds here, they serve LATO! and yeah! they serve MANGA and BAGOONG as Appetizers! now that is a Local Restaurant with a World Class Feel and Service.

But my wife and I weren't actually there to eat our hearts out but to enjoy each other's company. So, we skipped appetizers and soups and ordered Baby back ribs and BAKED TALABA (still can't get over the fact that it's TALABA and not OYSTERS! I love it!) while we were waiting for our order, we noticed a lot more great stuff about this small, humble restaurant by the beach. For one thing, they have a great choice in music and a very "vinyl like" sound. I don't really know what they call it but it's like I hear the music loud and clear yet it's not too loud that you have to shout over it to have a conversation. More like it envelopes the conversation with the music. Kind of like a vinyl record. another thing that caught our attention was the look and feel of the place. it made me feel relaxed, especially when the waitress comes over very politely with a very warm smile on her face. And not just our waitress, I noticed the same thing on the table next to us. our food wasn't served yet but I already felt like we got more than what we paid for (and we haven't actually paid yet). another thing was a window sized picture of the Sta. Monica Parish in Panay that houses the biggest catholic bell in Southeast Asia right beside our table; made me feel like I was in Panay rather than Roxas City.

and we haven't even gotten to the food part, huh? well, check this out:

BABY BACK RIBS!!! they served the ribs with only one knife and I was about to ask for another knife but this stopped me from doing so.

F**k it! Hell yeah! I just forked it and the meat fell off the bone effortlessly! and the flavor is exquisite! the tender meat burst with flavor "I have a flavor orgy in my mouth!" was the next thing I found myself saying. and as I'm writing this, I'm remembering how it tastes and want to go there again.

their food is amazing! and their service is first class!

Anot's Galley Grill & Restaurant Food Service Staff and Crew with Chef Joel Patuglan Later we found out that Anot's Galley Grill and Restaurant is a partnership between Chef Joel and Chef Arnold Abatay. Their specialties are Baby back ribs, Bulalo and Kare-Kare. I haven't had the chance to try every thing they have yet but I'm pretty sure I'll be coming over again to try more of their culinary artistry. Anot's is located at Baybay, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines, and they are available for catering services; just get in touch with Chef Arnold at +369293835723.