Brgy. Balaring in Silay City, Negros Occidental was suddenly thrust into the limelight more than a decade ago because of the floating restaurants that line part of the shore of this sea side community. People come here for the native foods and of course for the fresh sea breeze and homey ambiance while dining.
The Floating Restaurant by Toto in Balaring, Silay City was the first restaurant in the area that was built more than 11 years ago. It was owned by the Javellana family. And it was soon followed by several players. But despite the success, the health of the family’s patriarch affected the business operations. But now, they have re-opened under the management of one of the daughters, Lenny, and they are ready to give their best.
Our family was privileged to be invited to their grand re-opening last December 5, 2015 by one of the sisters, Lina Javellana-Gabino and her family. We had dinner there while enjoying the cool evening breeze. We had the standard fish kinilaw (fresh fish soaked in vinegar, seasoned with salt, and served with chili, onions, and ginger), grilled pork, fried boneless bangus, mixed seafood, and pork sisig. But of course, there are more seafood dishes and Filipino native specialties, especially fish sinigang, to try there.
The food is good but during dinnertime I suggest that you consume them immediately because the food can easily get cold because of the breeze. Limit taking pictures and dive in. haha What I noticed about their cooking is that, it’s either they don’t use a lot of MSG or they don’t use it at all. You can really taste the pork in their chunky pork sisig–a dish that is often heavily seasoned. And the best thing is the price. They are really affordable. You wouldn’t feel so bad driving all the way there from Bacolod and spending so much on gasoline and then have to scrimp on expensive food.
For those living outside of Silay, Balaring is a dining destination. If you just want to get away from the city and have the time to spare, take the long drive going there and experience dining by the sea. The Floating Restaurant by Toto is at the farther end of the Balaring strip, separated by a short distance from the last seafood house. But you wouldn’t miss it because it is standing tall and proud and surrounded by the sea on all three sides. They are open daily from lunchtime till about 10pm.
