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Unsurprisingly, Iloilo is UNESCO's first Creative City of Gastronomy because of its delicious native food and fabulous restaurants, some of which are hidden in its villages. These are unique eating places that surprise even the most discriminating of tastes. Nozzled in the town of Sta. Barbara, for example, is Munk's Coffee Shop and Resto, an unpretentious eating place that serves quality food unfamiliar in Iloilo province.  Munk's Coffee Shop and Resto. Source: aesta1 It is a small place that has been here for five years. Who says restaurants like this won't survive in the small town of Iloilo? Together with my sister and niece, we arrived at the restaurant for lunch. There are diners at the four tables (yes, that's all it has). Two guests kindly offered us the bigger table after finishing their lunch. It looks like they had some form of curry. We seated ourselves and looked around. We saw that they also sell coffee grounds for drip or press. Not only coffee, but they also have homemade sauces and jams made from local produce.  Inside Munk's Coffee Shop and Resto. Source: aesta1 We went to the restaurant to try their focaccia bread. If you want to take out the bread, preorder it the day before. We settled for something that we liked on the menu. The coal hamburger caught my attention, so I ordered it. Both my companions ordered pasta dishes. They have curries, salads, and Danish meatballs, which we will order next time. Peter Munk married Lynette, a lady from this town. After work stints as chefs in Denmark, Japan, Poland, and Bulgaria, they decided to open a restaurant in the town of Sta Barbara Iloilo. Peter has prepared food for Denmark's royal family during their birthdays and anniversaries. The couple chose to locate in the Liz complex in Sta Barbara in 2018. They chose Peter's middle name, Munk, to develop Munk's Coffee Shop and Resto. They aim to wean Ilonggos from their super sweet taste, so their bread uses only a bit of cane sugar, and they don't serve rice dishes here. Their bread is all homemade, and they make most of the products they use, like jams and sauces.  Coal Hamburger at Munk's Coffee Shop and Resto. Source: aesta1 If you're in a hurry, you can call them to preorder. Order some takeout and try these at home, but it's no substitute for eating it right there as soon as they finish preparing it.
I look forward to trying their other dishes and products. We only bought the coffee that they sourced from a secret place in Bacolod, located on the neighboring island of Negros Occidental. When Peter and his wife tasted this coffee in 1987, they decided that they would only serve it when they opened their restaurant. This coffee is of the Robusta beans harvested near the mountains of Bacolod. For them, this may be the best coffee in the world. At home, I also use Canlaon Coffee from Negros Occidental, close to the volcano, and this is the only coffee I drink when I am in the Philippines. They may get it from a different place, but I love my coffee every morning. I will have to try out the Bacolod Coffee. Check out Munk's site to preorder your bread: https://munksresto.com Liz Complex, Bangga Dama, Santa Barbara, 5002, Iloilo Tel.: (033) 335 362 |