Nothing compares to having your favorite seafood cooked just the way you like it. At the same time what if you can even select fresh ingredients like fruits and veggies to go with it too? Yes, that’s the concept of Isla Sugbu Seafood City. Pick and select the ingredients of your choice and they will cook it for you. Aside from that, they also feature the Visayan’s style of cooking commonly known as  SU-TU-KIL.

SU-TU-KIL stands for Su-Sugba (to grilled), Tu-Tuwa (to cooked with broth and some fresh greens) and Kil-Kilaw (to eat raw or otherwise known as Ceviche). I remember when I was a child, this way of cooking is usually done at the beach when family, friends and relatives gathered together. It was like “… let’s go to the beach and we’ll have SUTUKIL”. I guess that’s how the word SUTUKIL was formed.

My husband and I discovered Isla Sugbu restaurant when we passed by Grand Majestic on our way to Ayala Center. Their big SUTUKIL tarpaulin was huge enough not to notice and the food in photos looked very appetizing. The restaurant looks new. I suppose it’s new since I didn’t seen it last year during our vacation.

In time for our Family Sunday Lunch, I brought my folks to try out this restaurant. The place was big that it can accommodate large group of people. It has a modern open layout design that gives customers the freedom to roam around while picking their choice of seafood and other ingredients to be cooked. The decors gives the vibe as if your dining right next to the sea, wherein everyone can enjoy the fresh catch of the day.

The wide array of fresh seafood selection will surely satisfy your seafood cravings. Below are some photos of live crustaceans and assorted fresh ocean produced.

King Crabs

Diwal (Angel Wings Crab)

Live Lobsters

Fresh Salmon slices

Tanigue Slices

Meat lovers shouldn’t be sad because choices of marinated meats are also available, ready for cooking according to your liking.

Fresh vegetable station

Selection of wines are also available

We ordered Sutukil Package D which includes Grilled Squid, Salmon Head Tinuwa, Shrimp Kinilaw, plus Salt and Pepper Crispy Squid as appetizers, Pork Liempo and big platter of Rice. The serving was big enough for 5 persons sharing. However, since there were 7 of us, I added 9 pieces of pork barbecue and a  vegetable dish to balance our meal.

For our Sugba – we had Squid Sinugba. The squid was stuffed with onions, tomatoes and spices. It was grilled to perfection. Soft and succulent as it should be.

Next was our Tuwa – I must say, the Salmon Head Tinuwa was the best tinuwa I’ve tasted. The balanced  of flavors from the fish and other fresh ingredients made it exceptionally delicious. I couldn’t ask for a better tinuwa than this one.

The shrimps for our Kinilaw was picked from the aquarium. Literally the poor shrimps were jumping as they were being prep for a delicious kinilaw. I did not personally tasted it because I’m allergic to crustaceans however Papa and Derick liked it a lot. To them it was something different since shrimps isn’t a typical protein used for kinilaw. The freshness of the shrimps plus the kick of spicy vinegar and the crunch of the cucumber and onions made it irresistibly yummy.

Salt and Pepper Crispy Squid was also included in the SUTUKIL package that we chose. Again, all praises goes to this crispy squid. Well seasoned and crunchy. Perfect appetizer if I may say.

The Grilled Pork Liempo, wasn’t the best  but it wasn’t that bad also. It can be improved.

Just like the Liempo, the Barbecue isn’t perfect for me. It tasted good however the connective tissues in the meat was unpleasant to eat, it was a little bit tough and rubbery.

Last but not the least, the Fresh Vegetables with Scallops in Garlic Sauce was amazing. The veggies were all perfectly cooked. I must say that the combination of veggies, mushrooms, scallops and garlic sauce was heavenly.

The SUTUKIL experience we had in Isla Sugbu was by far the best. It’s good to know that Isla Sugbu delivers the authentic taste of SUTUKIL and provides a venue for the family to intimately bond together while enjoying fresh sea produce.

Overall, I would happily rate Isla Sugbu 4.5 out of 5. The price was very reasonable, particularly the SUTUKIL packages. As much as we enjoyed the food we also commend our food server who attentively assisted us in all our request. Our food was served right on time. Excellent service! Surely this restaurant deserves another visit. Soon!