17.002 Rock Lobster in Garlic Sauce

Cycle 17 – Item 2

Post 5,846

7 (Wed) January 2026

Rock Lobster in Garlic Sauce

3.0

at Gold Mango Grill & Restaurant

-Lapu Lapu, Cebu, Philippines-

with DJ, MtG & family, et al.

Dive Trip to Cebu, Day 2 of 5

In Cebu.  With DJ (IZ has already started school, so he and W stayed behind).  Third time for both us, first when DJ was not yet 4 (see generally 2.124 Pancit Canton), second when DJ was not yet 7 and IZ was 2 (see generally 5.121 Best Pig … Ever!).  Tagging along with MtG and his family, who are training for their PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water certifications (DJ also going for AOW).  Arrived Tuesday, a day early to spend some quality time with DJ.  Diving together Wednesday + Thursday + Friday.  Going back Saturday.

DIVE SHOP

We are diving through Winner Dive.  Owned and operated by a Korean couple.

A short walk down to the pier at left, where we board the boat.
No Casa Escondida (see for comparison 16.146 Set D-2: Sizzling Burger Patties), but nicer than the Korean joints in Anilao.
At the last minute, we decided to add DJ to the Advanced Open Water training – here, learning to navigate with a wrist-mounted compass.

DIVING

Because of the bigger waves in Cebu, the boats are much wider, and thus more stable, than those in Anilao (see for example 5.356 Soya Cake with Three Kinds Mushrooms).

Having ditched my old GoPro, I’m trying out a new set-up with Divevolk, which allows me to bring my iPhone on the dive.  However, I hadn’t invested in a color filter, hoping that I could adjust the coloring on my computer, but it didn’t work – hence the saturated blue imaging.

Not a fair comparison between a first timer (MtG) and an experienced diver with nearly 50 dives since he was 10 (DJ), but notice the stark difference in their forms: the video first shows MtG (left) and his wife (right) frantically/continuously finning, then pans down to DJ who very casually/smoothly fins once every few seconds, and uses fins to adjust trim and direction (no hands); DJ also employs the lateral frog kick, which delivers more force per thrust.  This economy of movement is largely why DJ still has 120 bar of air remaining at the end of a dive, while MtG ends with just 50 bar.

LUNCH

Lunch was prepared at the dive shop, hauled onto the boat, then served on the boat between our 2nd and 3rd dives.

Buffet [from top left]: fried hotdogs, rice, kimchi, sautéed potatoes, bean sprouts, fried ham.
Compared to the lavish Korean barbecue spreads in Anilao (see for comparison 5.189 Diver Lunch), I was disappointed by the lunch here.  Processed meats, skimpy banchan, cold rice.  In any case, food always tastes good after diving, so we still enjoyed it.

Also dak tori tang.

STYLE

Whereas scuba diving is an inherently dangerous sport, it’s all about skill and safety; divers will immediately observe and assess each other’s expertise based on form and flow, but nobody is paying attention to anyone’s gear – at least underwater.  On the boat, in between dives, style counts.

MtG in his rented wetsuit; I offered to buy it for him, and pay him 30,000 won per documented dive, but he declined – this is now my all-time favorite picture of my best friend; it’s the home screen on my phone.
DJ in his brand new wet suit – style, baby.
On the walk back to shop: both proud of themselves, for diametrically opposite reasons.

DINNER

Gold Mango Grill & Restaurant is a Filipino restaurant.  Offers a reasonable selection of mainstream Filipino dishes, nothing too adventurous, good for tourists.  Korean owned.

Located 550 m from the resort.

The food was okay.

Pancit Canton (2.5): okay but too sweet.

(See RESTAURANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See BOOZE)

Leave a Reply