Cha Cha's Beach Cafe (Boracay) Breakfast Buffet: Is It Worth It?

I’m doing a Boracay Food Trip 2023 series this month. Check out the installments so far: Cyma Greek Taverna | Percy Seafood | Sapphire (Seafood Buffet at Henann Crystal Sands Resort) | The Sunny Side Cafe

When my wife and I are on vacation, we usually opt for accommodations that don’t serve breakfast. That’s because we want to explore breakfast spots. And in our latest Boracay trip, we tried the breakfast buffet of Cha Cha’s Beach Cafe.

Cha Cha’s Beach Cafe is the in-house restaurant of COAST Boracay, a beachfront resort at Station 2. Both Cha Cha’s and COAST belong to Raintree Hospitality, the group behind the Friends & Family and The Coconut Club at Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and Farmer’s Table at Tagaytay City (check my review here).

Cha Cha’s serves food from cuisines all over the world. You can order Filipino, Mediterranean, Mexican, and even Malaysian food (they serve Nasi Lemak, Malaysia’s national dish made of coconut rice and a plethora of side dishes).

You can have any meal of the day at Cha Cha’s. But as I’ve mentioned, we tried their breakfast buffet. Is it worth it? Here’s what I think…

They have several stations, including for bread and pastries, hot food, and cereals, among many others.

Other Stations at Cha Cha’s Breakfast Buffet

The breads, in general, are nice and soft. The jams are also good (except for the kaya or coconut-egg spread, which I don’t find authentic). The cheeses are good.

One of my favorite items in the hot food station is Cha Cha’s signature Ube Champorado. It’s rightly “ubey”, rightly thick, and the dilis (deep fried anchovies) is rightly salty. This can be addicting!

Another favorite in the hot food selection is the Boracay Bam-i (also known as Pancit Bisaya, a Visayan stir-fried noodle dish). It’s a contrast of savory and sweet (because of the chorizo).

Their sausage is flavorful and juicy. I think there’s sage in it, if I’m not mistaken.

Interestingly, they have a pot of Beef Pho, which has a tasty broth with a pronounced anise flavor, and Shakshuka (a Middle Eastern dish made with eggs poached in tomato sauce and spices), which is sweet, tangy, and has a kick in the end. I just can’t tell if the latter is authentic; I haven’t tasted this dish before.

Of course, no breakfast buffet would be complete without an omelette station. I ordered a ham and cheese omelette, which is delicious. It’s gooey and the melted cheese has perfect saltiness. But you might need salt for omelettes without cheese, as in the case of my wife’s bacon and mushroom omelette.

They also have a beverage station. My favorite here is the Cold Brew, which is nicely brewed and very refreshing, especially in the Boracay heat.

Now let me give you a quick roundup of dishes I tried and I recommend to avoid:

Beef Tapa: It’s too sweet for me, and some pieces are tough. The roasted garlic cloves help balance though.
Breakfast Pizza: It needs more salt or seasoning. I like the egg on it, though.
Roasted Tomatoes: Meh!
Waffles: They are bready and dense, a sure waste of stomach space and calories.

So is the breakfast buffet of Cha Cha’s Beach Cafe worth it? It depends. If your accommodation doesn’t include breakfast, whether ala carte or buffet, and you want to have a big breakfast to sustain you for a whole day of activities (such as island hopping and water activities), then yes, it’s worth it. But is it worth ditching your hotel breakfast? I don’t think so.

With that said, I’m recommending Cha Cha’s breakfast buffet only if your accommodation doesn’t include breakfast.

PS I want to try Cha Cha’s ala carte items, so I’ll definitely be back!