Just like you, I had questions in my head before even agreeing to this.
Is crocodile meat legal to eat?
What does it taste like?
Will it have any allergic reaction to me?
Is the meat imported? (Thus) Will it be pricey?
Curiosity struck. And being an HRIM student, it would be a unique experience for me that I can share with my fellow students. I had mix feeling of excitement and wonder. Hmm..
These crocodile dishes are being served in a unpretentiously named, quaint cafe called The Urban Cafe located in Wilcon City Center, Project 8, Visayas Avenue.
Any passersby in the area could be lured inside and yes, apparently they have customers who go back for their crocodile meat!
Well who would be anxious to go in this place with their spacious, clean and modern interior?
The white brick wall design is accentuated with fake grass and wooden furniture to have that indoor garden feel.
You can see that they serve coffee, wine, and cakes. But they're not the main reason of our visit. We were there to try out crocodile meat dishes and figure out why customers aren't intimidated with them.
Before we even go deep in this post, let me tell you that them cooking crocodile meat is LEGAL. They were instructed by the government to distribute crocodile meat because of oversupply. Since they only get crocodile's hide to make leather, the meat is wasted, when in fact it is good for consumption. In some places like Palawan and Davao, croc meat is served too!
They have a local farm somewhere in Luzon where they get the meat of not more than 5 year-old Philippine crocodiles. They are certified by the government and passed food safety standards so we're assured of its proper handling.
Crocodile meat is white meat, like that of a chicken, with less oil and fat yet it has Omega-3 fatty acids that's good for the health! Let's just say that it's like chicken with the health benefits of fish!
A healthy, unusual meat comes with a price. Surprisingly, the prices won't hurt your pockets!
Here's their menu board.
Yet it is true that less oily and fatty food won't make so much of a comfort food (still can't let go of that fatty lechon kawali eh?), these crocodile meat dishes will prove to you that it could be any of your typical chicken, pork and beef dishes!
Yes! Eating CROCODELICIOUS dishes (from breakfast to dinner) without guilt can happen!
Let me walk you through!
Sousvide Croc Tocino-P195
First under their All-day breakfast menu, I could mix it my brother's tocino breakfast and he wouldn't know it's croc meat. It tastes like your regular pork tocino!
Farm-bred Croc Tapa- P195
In this dish you could see more clearly the chicken-like strands of croc meat. You could easily compare the taste of the beef tapa with this one because this is white meat. Plus it's easier to chew!
Croc Hungarian Sausage Silog- P180
This kid-friendly meal uses 100% croc meat!
Dauntless Sisig-P195
This will actually pair good with your drinking buddies who are health conscious! It has all the essence of sisig: bits of meat, few fat, spiciness, minus the very oily finish.
Sousvide Croc Crossbone Steak- P195
Ugh. This is probably my fave. The cut and the taste is like lamb meat, and it has white fat like that of bangus! This dish is flavored with pepper and thyme. Must-try!
American Croc Rib BBQ-P195
Another fave! I'm fond of flavorful foods, and if you're not a fan of pepper steak, then this Croc Rib BBQ will be your savory fix!
If you don't want rice meal, you can snack on
The Urban Croc Burger priced at
P170. The patty is made of 100% croc meat, and the meal is served with potato wedges!
The
Croc Cigar (P180) is an appetizer like that of dynamite but with croc meat strips inside!
The dishes are so good and tasted like how they were prepared!
We can't help but ask, "are they really croc meat?"
That's how flexible the meat is in terms of different cooking techniques and flavors!
Apparently, it's
buwaya for a reason. It could get through almost any red meat-dominated dishes.
Meantime, let's have a break with our reptile friend! After all, what is a cafe without coffee and cakes!
(L-R) Caramel Hazelnut Frappe, Java Chip Frappe and Mocha Frappe
Carrot Cake
I love the plate and how dense this cake is!
Apart from serving these dishes, you could also buy frozen, processed crocodile meat like Croc sausage, Croc burger, Croc tapa etc. in The Urban Cafe so you could cook them at home.
Once you've tried croc meat in The Urban Cafe, I'm sure you'll come back. Patrons buy even the crocodile's egg which is approximately 3x the size of a jumbo chicken egg. The meat and egg are believed to treat health problems too!
P.S. I'm quite allergic to seafood, but one week from when I tasted crocodile meat, I haven't had any allergic reactions! Good for me!
For healthy, CROCODELICIOUS dishes, visit
The Urban Cafe now!
The Urban Cafe
Wilcon City Center, Project 8, Visayas Ave., Quezon City
Opens Mon-Sun, 10am-10pm
facebook.com/theurbancafe
IG: @theurbancafeph
Price range: P130-P195
Brunch, lunch, coffee, snacks, cakes, dinner
Price may change without notice.
Thank you for having us The Urban Cafe!
Love,
MoMo
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