What Food Should You Try in Coron?
You came to Coron for the islands.
But between boat trips, diving and road adventures, you're going to get hungry.
Coron isn't defined by one famous dish. Its food reflects something broader: Palawan seafood, Filipino comfort food, island ingredients and influences brought by people who have made Coron home.
So what should you actually try?
Start With Fresh Seafood
You're surrounded by sea, so seafood is an obvious place to begin.
Depending on season and availability, restaurants and local eateries may offer different fish, squid, shrimp, crab and shellfish.
One of the simplest preparations is often one of the best:
grilled fish with rice, calamansi and a dipping sauce.
Don't automatically look for the most complicated dish on the menu.
When seafood is good, simple cooking lets it speak for itself.
Try Kinilaw
If you enjoy ceviche, look for kinilaw.
Fresh fish is typically prepared with vinegar or citrus, ginger, onion and chili, although recipes vary considerably.
It's refreshing, acidic and particularly good in tropical weather.
Because the fish isn't cooked conventionally with heat, choose a reputable establishment with good food-handling practices.
Sisig
Few dishes go better with a cold drink after a long day than sisig.
Traditionally associated with Pampanga rather than Palawan, sisig has become popular throughout the Philippines.
Different restaurants prepare it differently—crispy, soft, spicy, creamy, with egg or without.
It's worth trying more than once because two versions can taste completely different.
Adobo
If it's your first trip to the Philippines, you should probably try adobo at least once.
Chicken or pork is commonly cooked with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and other seasonings.
There isn't one universal recipe.
Families, regions and restaurants all have their own versions.
That's part of the point.
Adobo isn't simply something tourists are supposed to taste.
It's everyday Filipino food.
Sinigang
Hot soup on a tropical island?
Yes.
Sinigang is characterized by its sour broth, commonly made with tamarind or other souring ingredients.
It can contain pork, fish, shrimp or other proteins with vegetables.
It is particularly satisfying after diving, swimming or spending a rainy afternoon outside.
Grilled Pork and Chicken
Filipino grilling deserves more attention from visitors.
Look for grilled pork, chicken, barbecue skewers and other simple charcoal-cooked dishes.
They aren't necessarily sophisticated.
They don't need to be.
Rice, grilled meat and a good dipping sauce can make an excellent inexpensive meal.
Don't Ignore Breakfast
Try a Filipino breakfast at least once.
You may encounter combinations of garlic rice, egg and meats such as tapa, tocino or longganisa.
These are substantial breakfasts—useful before a full day on the water.
And yes, rice for breakfast is completely normal here.
Palawan's Cashews
Palawan is well known for cashew production, and cashew products make an easy local snack or souvenir.
You'll find roasted, flavored and sometimes sweetened versions.
They're easy to carry, don't require refrigeration and are considerably more representative of Palawan than a generic souvenir manufactured somewhere else.
Tropical Fruit
Sometimes the best island snack requires almost no preparation.
Look for whatever is good and in season:
mango, pineapple, banana, watermelon, papaya and other tropical fruits.
Fresh fruit after several hours swimming in salt water is difficult to improve upon.
Try Something You Don't Recognize
This may be the most important suggestion.
If you only order pizza, burgers and pasta because they're familiar, you'll eat perfectly well.
But you'll miss part of the trip.
Ask:
“What's this?”
“Is this local?”
“What do you recommend?”
You don't have to order an entire meal of unfamiliar food.
Add one new dish to the table.
If you like it, you've discovered something.
If you don't, you've still learned something.
Seafood: Ask Before Ordering
For seafood sold by weight or according to market price, confirm the price before ordering.
Ask whether the quoted amount is:
per serving, per piece or per kilogram.
Also ask how it will be prepared and whether cooking charges are included.
A thirty-second conversation can prevent an unpleasant surprise when the bill arrives.
Vegetarian Travelers Can Eat Well Too
Coron isn't only seafood and pork.
The growth of international tourism has brought restaurants offering vegetarian and increasingly vegan choices.
Filipino cuisine also contains vegetables, rice, noodles, tofu and fruit—but travelers with strict dietary requirements should ask carefully about ingredients.
A vegetable-looking dish may still contain fish sauce, shrimp paste or meat-based stock.
Eat Beyond the Tourist Menu
Some of your most memorable meals may not happen in the restaurant with the largest sign.
Try smaller eateries.
Visit bakeries.
Explore cafés.
Look at where local people are eating.
And don't judge a restaurant exclusively by how Instagram-friendly the dining room appears.
Good food doesn't always have good lighting.
Food Is Part of Exploring Coron
Your days in Coron will probably revolve around extraordinary places.
Kayangan Lake.
Twin Lagoon.
Shipwrecks.
Beaches.
Reefs.
Busuanga.
But travel isn't only about what you photograph.
It's also about what you taste.
Try something Filipino.
Eat seafood.
Discover Palawan ingredients.
Order something you can't pronounce.
And give yourself permission to return tomorrow if you find something you love.
The islands are only one part of Coron. The table is another.
Discover restaurants, cafés and local food around Coron and Busuanga on ilovecoron.com.
