When in Boracay: Spice Bird

It has been a long while since I’ve visited Boracay and my last one was a mere 22 hour trip. Yes, it wasn’t even a whole day. Anyway, this time around, I decided to stay a bit longer, not to bask under the sun but to feast. After all, aside from the fine white sand, Boracay is known for its wide variety of restaurants and good food. And as soon as we checked in, first stop was... Spice Bird.

Hello, Spice Bird!

It would be easy to miss out Spice Bird if you don’t look for it. Located behind the ferris wheel of the famous D’Mall Plaza, Spice Bird’s location is not exactly a great one but its strong following still makes this restaurant a hot spot for foodies. 

The adorable restaurant is one of the few with A/C perfect for those who want or have to escape from the heat wave. The left side of the restaurant has a huge mirror that runs to the other end and has quotes from numerous reviews by reputable sites and publications. 

As a first timer, I relied on the server to recommend what to order and she suggested that we try either Piri-Piri Chicken Board (PHP295, 1/4 chicken | PHP495, 1/2 chicken) or Piri -Piri Pork Board (PHP320, pork belly | PHP275, pork chops). We went with the latter and chose pork belly. We also ordered Pulpo Salad (PHP195), Mango and Mint Shake (PHP120) and Homemade Calamansi Cheesecake (PHP245). 

Service was quick and my drink was served in less than 5 minutes! 

The Mango and Mint shake was absolutely divine. I love how mint made your usual mango shake so refreshing. The best part was that the glass was filled to the rim and it made me feel that I got my money’s worth. 

The pulpo salad was also something else. 

The texture of the octopus down to the vinaigrette dressing mixed with Spice Bird’s signature Piri-Piri sauce was scrumptious! 

I loved how fresh the octopus and tomatoes were. It went beautifully well with the mildly spiced dressing. And it was actually quite filling. 

I was slightly worried that the Piri-Piri pork board would be too small for R and I but I was surprised when it was served to us. The size was actually good for sharing.

The succulent pork belly was so soft that I didn’t even have to exert effort in slicing it. It was also wonderfully marinated that it could be enjoyed as is with the delectable dirty rice. But since we were there for a Piri-Piri experience, we tried all the sauces. 

Spice Bird offers four sauces namely, Piri-Piri, Garlic and Lime, Hot Bird and Curry Curry. My favorites were Piri-Piri and Garlic and Lime. 

After struggling to clean our board clean, we got our dessert tummies ready to feast on the calamansi cheesecake. (I’m not so sure why calamansi is popular in Boracay but hey, calamansi is great!)

I was excited to try this dessert as it had ice cream on top. But I realized that it was not vanilla ice cream at all when it didn’t even melt a bit after minutes of being in front of the camera. Apparently, it was cream. 

The calamansi taste was very strong in this dessert and foodies who are not into tangy dishes would not appreciate this. Though I am a sour candy fan, I didn’t go crazy either as the taste was just too strong and cloying. I guess when they said “good for sharing” it should really be shared as a few spoonfuls would have been more than enough to cap the meal.

Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience and I still find myself wishing that Spice Bird will fly to Manila. 

Spice Bird is located at Unit108 D’Mall Plaza, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan.