Henann Resort, Bohol, Philippines

Ordered by the pool at Henann Resort, Alona Beach, Bohol, Philippines

Nothing but leisurely activities were listed on the agenda for our 6 day trip over New Year’s in Bohol, Philippines, and I knew enjoying a club sandwich in a relaxing environment wouldn’t be a difficult task to check off.  To my surprise, however, a decent club was a hard meal to find; while everywhere served western food, the club sandwiches were less than lackluster. I ordered two from different establishments over our first 3 days and immediately as they arrived, I knew they were nothing I could post here… a white bread sandwich with chicken and a toothpick in it simply cannot qualify as a club sandwich that represents a destination. I needed more. I needed something that truly said Alona Beach knew what sandwiches were and how to represent the club. But most of all, I needed my craving satisfied.

With no luck 5 days in, my friend Malcolm, after dining and proposing to his now fiancé at a higher-end hotel restaurant, encountered a club sandwich that sounded too good to be true. After being told the big news, I could not stop thinking about this sandwich (and congratulating them, of course). He had mentioned thick cut angus, overflowing bacon, large fried egg, and a gorgeous setting, so I knew where we would be lunching on our last day: the newly rebranded Henann Alona Beach Resort.

“Two clubs!” we happily told the waiter as we sat poolside for a mid-afternoon lunch. Malcolm was spot on and the menu provided a detailed list of ingredients to this club that would make any sandwich lover excited for what was to come.  And oh yes, they delivered.

While the bread was hardly toasted and quite thick, it did match this juicy club and held together the ingredients nicely. The Angus beef bacon was well cooked and delicious, the egg perfectly fried and not overdone, and the thick slice of ham was well grilled and far from any pre-sliced sandwich ham you find elsewhere. Cheese was delicately melted over the egg and barely noticeable.  The chicken, while present on the menu, was hardly present in this sandwich, although this was probably for the better.  While lacking tomato, sliced cucumber was a nice moist touch along with the small piece of lettuce. The club could have used a bit more French fries, as the current portion didn’t really add much, but by the time I finished this sandwich, I simply didn’t care. And one of the best parts about this club was the excellent cutting job; while not quartered, it was (as seen above) halved to perfection.

The hotel really did offer a perfect scene to enjoy each bite and with no one else around, it was incredibly serene. Add a fresh squeezed mango juice to this meal and it’s easy to label it club sandwich in paradise.

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