Annattos

Annattos does grilled meat on skewers and does it better than most places charging twice as much. This is the spot you hit after a full day of surfing when you want something that tastes like someone actually seasoned it, not just charred it and hoped. Chicken thigh, pecho skewers, spare ribs, pork bbq, the works – all cooked over coals and served with garlic rice and that calamansi-soy-chili oil dip that you’ll end up drinking straight if no one’s watching. Order the spicy pomelo salad no matter what else you get, it’s the thing regulars keep coming back for alongside the grilled veggies. Chicken liver and gizzards, octopus, atchara are all on rotation if you want to go further than the standard skewer lineup. Prices are properly affordable, service is fast except during the dinner rush when everyone in town seems to have had the same idea, and the fairy-lit seating makes it feel cozier than a place this casual has any right to be. It’s a no-frills setup, so don’t expect much in the way of aircon coverage – some seating areas only get fans, and on a hot night that matters. Bring your own napkins mentally, they’re stingy on that front, and if ribs aren’t cooked right that night send them back rather than push through, it’s one dish that occasionally comes out overdone.