Zamboanga City's Knickerbocker

I had no agenda when my colleagues invited me to Zamboanga City's Paseo del Mar. We were there for the dancing water show. We made a stop first at one of the stall selling "knickerbocker"--it's basically assorted fruits (apples, melon, bananas, papaya, pineapple), condensed milk, and jelly topped by strawberry ice cream. Quite refreshing, and cheap, a sweet way to cap our last night in the city .

Zamboanga City's Alavar Restaurant for Curacha (Spanner Crabs)

one item stricken off the bucket list--yehey!

For the longest time, I have always wanted to try curacha or spanner crabs. The last time I visited Zamboanga, I finally did, courtesy of Alavar's restaurant, a must-visit. They taste like crabs, with firm, white flesh; and unlike what I assumed based on the write-ups online, they were not really difficult to eat. The meat is concentrated in the body, so fans of claw-meat, you'll go away disappointed. The sauce made it more special--aligue (crab-fat) and coconut in the mix. You can buy the sauce separately from Alavar's. The dish is best paired with garlic rice to cut through the heavy taste.

Alavar Seafood Restaurant
173 Don Alfaro Street
Zamboanga City
(+63) 62 992-4533