Lake Sebu’s many ways of cooking tilapia

LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato—If Dagupan City in Pangasinan prides itself for its Bonoan bangus (milkfish), Lake Sebu has the tilapia to beam about.

“Lake Sebu is the place when it comes to fresh and sweet-tasting tilapia,” said  Love Basilio, 22, a flight attendant and native of Koronadal City.

Just how vibrant the local tilapia industry is can easily be gleaned from just strolling on the streets.

In an eatery maintained by the Tabaculde family, long queues of tilapia paksiw enthusiasts easily form every day.

Another place to savor the many variations of tilapia cooking is Punta Isla Lake Resort, which stands against a backdrop of lush greens.

It boasts of at least 50 ways to enjoy tilapia, including pinakbet, sinanglay rebosado, tempura, spicy tilapia fillet, sisig, sinigang sa pakwan and the most desired inihaw.

“This is where you would bring your guests visiting the province—to taste our pride, our best-of-its-kind tilapia,” Basilio said. “Plus the place offers the picture-postcard vistas of the lake, just unforgettable for my friends when they leave.”

For Martini Guerrero, 22, of Antipolo City in Rizal, the kinilaw (ceviche) tilapia was “phenomenal.”

“It’s the best I’ve had. You could not tell the difference between tilapia from a first-grade tuna,” Guerrero said as he savored the meat cubes bathed in vinegar and garnished with cucumber and radish shreds.

Jesa Pereyra, 25, could not imagine herself finishing a serving of deep-fried finely cut chicharon tilapia. “There’s no muddy aftertaste,” she said.

On peak days, Punta Isla serves about 1,000 kilos of the fish, according to its manager Marilou Dequillo.

“Our tilapia is distinct; ours are grown in the lake, not from the pond,” Dequillo said. “That’s why it’s more delicious and fattier, and has no muddy taste.”