Ponsyon

When I first read the restaurant signboard, I read it as "Pensyon," and I asked myself why would anyone want to name his restaurant that?  I merely guessed that restaurant was probably connected with a pension house somewhere.  To my embarrassment, my host corrected me and told me that the restaurant was called "Ponsyon," the Ilonggo word for "Feast!"  And what a feast we had--baked scallops, crispy pork, grilled managat (fish), clams, sizzling bulalo and chicken binakol (chicken soup cooked with coconut water and coconut meat, the specialty of the house).  The staff were very accommodating and service was pretty fast. Food came in hot, but I had expected the portion sizes to be a little bit more generous.  I quickly learned that Ponsyon is actually an extension of the famous Breakthrough restaurant, which is located right alongside the seashore.  That was why the managat fish tasted so familiar--it was something that I had tried some months back during my last trip to Iloilo.  While Breakthrough does has its rustic charm, Ponsyon is a bit more upscale--air-conditioned, more comfortable and with fancier food presentation.  We spent something like P600 per head, and walk out probably gaining 5 pounds each!