Every time I have a trip to Cebu, there is nothing but the feeling of excitement—more so now that my eldest boy Franco has moved there for work! Plus, Cebu is flooded with all sorts of local and international food.
From the airport, it was all eating! What I love about Cebu is there is always something new popping up, on top of my favorite must-visit places.
Our first stop was an Italian restaurant, only a few months old, that specializes in Neapolitan pizza. Now, I never really liked this type of pizza before. I would eat the soft, soggy crust with all its fillings and wonder what to do with the bubbly leftover sides. But Dolce Amore Pizzeria owners Matteo and Cristina explained how this type of pizza should be eaten. Each diner is given scissors. You cut your slice and roll it from the sharp tip to the widest part of the crust. You may dip it in chili oil or eat it as is. OMG! This has to be the best pizza I’ve ever put in my mouth not only because of the delicious filling but the mix of textures of the crust. Crunchy, chewy, salty, sour…wow! No wonder I’ve been missing out. For someone who’s been trying to stay away from carbs, I must admit, I was a miserable failure, but still smiling. What a discovery! My partner Pat P missed this and just had to imagine. Dolce Amore Pizzeria is a must!
Another must visit when in Cebu is Café Des Amis by Chef Philippe Estienne. A pastry chef from Brittany, France, he has been baking the most outstanding authentic pastries I have experienced outside of Paris. He bakes simply the best kouign-amann. These are what I call the French version of cinnamon rolls but just made with flour, sugar, and butter. Sweet, buttery, crusty, and out of this world! A must try! We also had his traditional French food. I ordered pâté de campagne, poulet a l’Estragon, beef bourguignon, eggs benedict with smoked salmon, and many more. I had three of his bestseller cakes and his tarte tatin or French apple pie! I like to talk about dieting, but I cannot ever imagine it working with the job I do. But I love Café Des Amis. Please don’t skip this place.
Then there’s Conching’s Lechon. It’s a carinderia-style setup with a variety of cooked dishes but the main attraction is a weeks-old native chicken, marinated and then grilled over charcoal till nice and crispy tender, chopped, and made to land on your table. It is stuffed with drippings from the fat of the chicken! Served usually with the native rice called “puso,” (boiled rice wrapped in palm leaves and steamed), it is so good I can eat three whole chickens with it. I also love the rellenong alimasag and the kilawin Bisaya, which is similar to our normal kilawin but with coconut milk! Sarap!
Another dish we zeroed in on was Cebu pochero! This wasn’t part of our itinerary but we went to a restaurant I visited over 11 years ago and I was happy to see my photo there as a guest. The food is great! The place is called STK, short for sutukil, which translates to sugba, tuwa, and kilaw (grilled, tinola, and kilaw or raw meat seasoned with lime, onions, and pepper). STK owner Karen Alcover-Cabahug made sure we were well fed. We had her grilled panga ng tuna and her Cebu pochero. This is what I came here for. It was a huge bone from the shank with lots of super tender tendon and almost fall-off-the-bone meat all stuck to the side of this humongous monster. In the middle of the bone was an unhealthy chunk of solid tender and wobbly marrow. The piping hot broth was brimming with veggies. What struck me was the presence of corn and saba. With toyo, mashed sili, and calamasi on the side, boom, what a winner! Can’t eat this without rice.
One of the favorites of my son Franco and his pretty wife Bans is Papa Chalupa, one I was told I couldn’t miss. This type of Mexican-style snack is not found anywhere else but here. These are tacos that are fluffier than what we’re used to, with a variety of meat and seafood fillings. I love the uniqueness and, of course, the delicious flavors. Papa Chalupa is also a must-visit.
These are just few of the many meals we had in Cebu! How can one not look forward to going back there? I love Cebu! See you there soon!
Happy eating!