Wantusawa Oyster Bar: Serving Farm-to-Table Oysters
I love oysters. Every time I’m in a place where there is an abundance of it, such as Boracay and Iloilo City, I make sure that I get my fix. That’s why I’m happy that in my neighborhood—Poblacion (Makati City)—there’s Wantusawa Oyster Bar.
Wantusawa has oysters flown all the way from Panay, an island in the Western Visayas region where the provinces of Aklan (where Boracay is) and Iloilo are located. It serves live oysters in four ways: Baked, Grilled, Fresh, and Fried. As of this writing, they have two branches—one in Makati and another in El Nido (Palawan).
The oyster bar, specifically its Poblacion branch, was under fire in social media due food poisoning complaints from netizens. They temporarily closed back in February due to the local government’s order, and reopened in March, serving oysters and seafood to their loyal following.
Let’s now talk about the food, starting with their Tuna Tataki Salad. It has crisp vegetables covered with a huge piece of peppery, flattened tuna (I just couldn’t tell if it raw and lightly cooked). The shoestring potato add crunch.
We tried all styles of their live oysters except for fried because it’s not available. The Fresh is cold and briny, and you can certainly taste the ocean. Add a drop of calamansi or vinegar, and its the perfect oyster experience!
But if you’re not into oysters straight out of its shell, then try the Baked one, which is creamy and has a hit of Japanese flavors, or the Grilled one, which is the warm version of the Fresh.
I have yet to try Wantusawa’s Fried oysters, their other oyster dishes, and their other seafood items. But in my visit, I was pleased with their live oysters and, more importantly, I didn’t get sick. LOL. So I’m excited to return, try other items, and update this article. I highly recommend Wantusawa Oyster Bar to you.
Poblacion Branch Address: 5811 Jacobo St., Poblacion, Makati City, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 12PM-12AM | Contact No.: 0977-8138989 | Facebook | Instagram