Cebu Food Spot

Sausage & Eggs

2017-01-27T23:37:00.000-08:00

Located at the outside of SM Seaside City, City wing. They offer all day breakfast meals at affordable prices starting at P50.

I ordered their Evergood Sausage (Bratwurst), Bacon Bits, Egg and Garlic Rice with one round of Iced Tea or Coffee prices a5 P190.

Their Sausage and Egg meal is Priced at P130.

Serving time is between 10-15 minutes.

Evergood Sausage (Bratwurst), Bacon Bits, Egg, Garlic Rice.

Bucket Shrimp Yumminess in every Bucket

2014-08-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Bucket Shrimp

A lot has changed since I first explored Orchid Street way back in college. Some of the old restaurants I frequently visit are closed and have been replaced by new establishments. Bucket Shrimp is one of the recent additions in Orchid Street. After hearing a lot of good feedbacks about from my friends, I decided to pay them a visit.

The restaurant which opens up to the street is easily accessible to customers. It has ample space and can comfortably accommodate more than forty persons.
Unlike most restaurants, they have a unique method of preparing your table. They cover the table with manila paper and provide a translucent paper for your plate. They provide you with plastic gloves so you ca est with your hands.

Cajun Shrimp

Bucket Shrimp specializes in boiled shrimp. They have three flavors for their boiled shrimp which are Cajun, Garlic, and Curry. They also have other delicious choices in their menu such as Wing-it (chicken wings), Liempo Loco (pork belly). We ordered the Cajun Shrimp and Liempo Loco on our first visit. Serving size for their shrimps is good for 2 to 3 persons while the Liempo Loco can be shared by 2 persons. The presentation of their food is simple and straight forward. The ingredients are fresh and the food is well prepared. Prices are very affordable, if you take the serving size into consideration.

Liempo Loco

Bucket Shrimp Menu

Service was excellent and our food was served within a reasonable time. I had a great time at Bucket shrimp and I will definitely return and try their Curry Boiled Shrimp and Hot legs on our next visit. Bucket Shrimp is one of the few new places in Cebu worth exploring.

Bucket Shrimp is located at 11 Orchid Street Capitol Site, Cebu City. You contact them at 09423820910 for reservation or inquiries. They are open daily from 11:00AM-2:00PM and 5:00PM - 10:00PM

For more information visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/bucket.shrimp

Katsinoy Katsilang Pinoy Cuisine

2014-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Katsinoy

I found out about Katsinoy Boutique Cafe a few weeks ago. Katsinoy offers authentic Spanish and Filipino dishes. They have a wide variety of soup, salad, pasta, tapas(appetizers/snacks), main course meals and budget meals to choose from.

Katsinoy Interior

Despite the limited area, the restaurant has a ample space that can accommodate 40-50 people. They also have a small function room for meetings and people who want some privacy. The interior is well laid out. The rustic furnishing, wooden chairs and table reminds me of old Spanish homes from down south.

Cerdo Asado - Php189.00

My wife and I ordered their Cerdo Asado, Pollo Asado & Grilled Fish Fillet. It took less than 15 minutes for our orders to be served. The first dish that was served was the Cerdo Asado or grilled pork medallon. The Cerdo Asado has two tender slices of grilled pork chops with sauce coupled with fries, a small serving of salad and a cup of rice. Serving size for this dish is good for one person but can be shared by two people with small appetite if they ordered an additional rice.

Pollo Asado - Php189.00

The Pollo Asado or grilled chicken chops composed of two slices of grilled chicken with sauce, fries, salad and a cup of rice. My usual complain with chicken dishes is that some restaurant don't properly cook their chickens. Some grilled chicken are still partially raw inside and have blood near the bone area. I didn't experience this problem from their Pollo Asado. The chicken was juicy and thoroughly cooked inside. The sauce enhanced the flavor of the dish. Serving size for this dish is good for one person but can be shared by two people with small appetite if they ordered an additional rice.

Grilled Fish Fillet - Php 99.00

The Grilled Fish Fillet composed of a single slice of grilled cream dory fish with sauce, fries, salad and a cup of rice. I liked how the sauce enriched the flavor of the grilled fish. The dish was very tasty, full of flavor and the fish was properly grilled. Even though this was a budget meal, the preparation and presentation of the dish was not different from the main course meals.

Although I didn't try their Spanish dishes such as The Lengua and Callos, I would recommend you give Katsinoy a visit if your in the mood for Spanish cuisine. They have a wide selection of dishes to choose from and all of the dishes we ordered were tasty. Most of the prices of their food are affordable and serving size were big. I liked how they prepared their food, I admire restaurants that take time to make their food presentable. Service at Katsinoy was excellent, the waiters immediately entertained their customers and it didn't take long for them to serve our orders.

Katsinoy Boutique Cafe is located at 19 A - El Dorado Subd., Banilad, A.S. Fortuna St., 6000 Cebu City. It is situated just a few meters from the Gov Cuenco Ave-AS Fortuna flyover.
They are open from 11:00 am - 9:00 pm. They accept major credit cards.
For more information visit their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/KatsinoyBoutiqueCafe

Gumbology

2014-03-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last Sinulog I visited City Time Square and found various new restaurants to explore. One of the restaurants that caught my attention was Gumbology. Gumbology derived its name from the Gumbo dish which originated in Southern Lousiana. The Gumbo is a dish that combines special spices with assorted vegetables to make a stew.

The restaurant design, which is inspired by the Mardi Gra, has bright colored walls, lighting and furnishings bringing a festive ambiance to its interior. Another noticeable accent in the restaurant is the numerous Mardi Gra masks found on the center of there table and on poster frames on the wall. The interior design is very eye catching, but what really interested me was their specialty dish the gumbo.

Calamansi Juice - Php 48.00

While looking at the menu, the waiter recommended the Big Easy Gumbo and the Clam and Corn Chowder. We ordered the Big Easy Gumbo, Crispy Chicken Skin, Lumpia Sisig Roll, and Clam and Corn Chowder . They served us a complementary bread and butter while we waited for our orders.

Complementary Bread and Butter

Clam and Corn Chowder - Php 118.00

Within a few minutes they served the clam and corn chowder soup. The soup was served with two slice of toasted bread. The soup consisted of corn, clam without the shell, and other vegetables. The clam and corn chowder soup was creamy and full of flavor. It was similar to cream of mushroom but had more flavor to it due to the ingredients like the clam, corn and other vegetables. Presentation was of the dish was very simple but the flavor was great. The Clam and Corn Chowder can be shared or served for one person.

Crispy Chicken Skin - Php 80.00

The next dish that was served was their Crispy Chicken Skin. Their chicken skin was fried had a crispy coating. The dish had a thick coating of flour which overwhelmed the main ingredient which was the chicken skin. I hardly notice the flavor of the chicken skin. The waiter informed us that this dish is usually served as Pulotan. I was expecting this dish to be similar to Sunburst's Chicken Crackers but I guess each restaurant has their own ways of serving a particular dish. Serving size is good for one to two persons and just like what the waiter told me is perfect for pulotan.

Sisig Lumpia Roll - Php118.00

The next dish that was served was the Sisig Lumpia Roll. Compared to the previous two dishes, more effort was exerted in presenting this dish. The Sisig Lumpia Roll is Sisig wrapped with lumpia wrapper and fried to a crisp and then arranged on top of a bed of sliced vegetable and served with sweet and sour sauce. The dish was perfectly fried and the sisig inside was juicy and full of tasty. Another thing I liked about this dish was it wasn't oily despite its greasy ingredients. Serving size is good for one to two persons.

Big Easy Gumbo - Php 288.00

The last dish that was served was the Big Easy Gumbo. The dish consisted of shrimp, fish, scallops, squid, slices of sausage, fresh okra, and baby vegetables and it is served with rice. What made this dish stand out was the sauce which enhanced the flavor of the dish. I tried dipping the Crispy Chicken Skin and it tasted great. I'm not sure what they used for their sauce but it tasted great. The seafood ingredients were fresh and well prepared. The Big Easy Gumbo looked and tasted great. Serving size is good for one person.

I admire restaurants that serve food that looks exactly like the photos they put on their menu. Gumbology offers a lot of dishes that are both pleasing to the eyes and tastes bud. Some of their dishes are a bit pricey, but considering the quality of the food they serve, I would have to say their prices are reasonable.

I enjoyed most of the dishes we ordered except the crispy chicken skin. I recommend you try their clam and corn chowder soup and gumbo dishes. I will be ordering their other gumbo dishes the next time I visit Gumbology. Gumbology is locted at the back portion of City Time Square which is behind Park mall. Prices of their dishes range from 100-288. Gumbology accepts credit cards and City Time Square has a ample parking space at the back of the mall.

Cebu Beehive Restaurant

2014-02-27T21:56:00.002-08:00

Last February 14, my wife and I spent our valentines day at home with our daughter. The following day I took my wife to Cebu Beehive Restaurant at Ramos on February 15. My dad and brother were the ones who told me to explore the place. Even though Cebu Beehive Restaurant has been around for 50 years, this was the first time I dined at this place.

When we entered the restaurant, it was like stepping back in time. The ambiance of the restaurant was very old school. The floor treatment, rattan furniture, wooden bar and interior design were definitely from the previous generation. I am not sure if this was the same interior design when they opened this establishment decades ago, but it really did look like a restaurant from the 70's or 80's era. Even though the interior design was retro, it was cozy, clean, presentable and spacious.

Cebu Beehive Restaurant has a wide variety of dishes on their menu. We ordered fried squid and fried lumpia for our appetizer. Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Corn for our soup. Tenderloin tips and Fish Steak Tangigue for our main course.

It took around 15-20 mins for them to serve our appetizers. There was nothing out of the ordinary on fried squid dish. It was simply dried squid that was sliced into smaller bits and served with vinegar. Serving size was good for two persons.

The dish that surprise me was their Fried Lumpia. The serving size was big and we only paid Php60 for the whole dish. The ingredients for their Fried Lumpia was mostly vegetables. They cut and arranged the fried lumpia around a bowl of vinegar. For Php60 you can’t go wrong with this tasty, crispy and healthy appetizer

The next dish they served was the soup. I didn't expect that their serving size of their soup was big. since the waiter told us it was good for one person. We ended up finishing only half of the soup since we were almost full. They also served a salad, bread and butter together with the soup.

Shortly after finishing our soup, our main course was served. I ordered their tenderloin steak which was prepared well done. Serving size was around half the size of the plate. There was little presentation for this dish. It was served with mixed vegetables and mashed potato. I ordered my steak well done. The steak was tender and bit juicy. I think the tenderloin steak would have been better if I ordered it medium well.

Prices of their dishes with the exception of the tenderloin steak were affordable. Depending on which dish you order, the prices of there food ranges from 220-400. They also serve sandwiches and pasta. I liked the ambiance of the restaurant, it reminded me of a retro pub.

I will definitely go back and try their other dishes. Maybe I will order their pork chop or a sandwich the next time I visit Cebu Beehive Restaurant. If your looking for a good restaurant in the heart of Cebu City, I suggest you explore Cebu Beehive Restaurant. You can’t go wrong dining at a restaurant which has been around for 50 years. Cebu Beehive Restaurant is located at Ramos Street beside Big Foot Building.

Outburst

2013-12-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I got the chance to explore restaurants due to my busy schedule the past few months. While roaming around J Centre Mall I noticed a restauat that I haven't tried yet. They had numerous posters around J Centre Mall advertising their various dishes.

I decided to look for this restaurant in the mall. It took us a few minutes walking around to find this place. The restaurant was hard to find since the entrance is outside the mall. There wasn't any signs to guide us to the restaurant or maybe I just didn't notice the signs. Outburst has two different areas for their restaurant and bar, each has their own different ambiance.

The restaurant interior was spacious, and was mostly indirectly lit with blue fluorescent lamps. The white furnishing used inside looked great. What I really liked about the interior is the little details that enhanced the interior design. The use of Lamps as casing for the CFL added a nice accent to the ceiling. Their wash area is a bicycle that has a basin and faucet mounted in the rear.

I was so busy taking picture that I didn't notice the time it took them to prepare our food. We ordered the Grilled Squid, Sisig with Egg, and White Sauce Chicken. It took them around 25-30 minutes to serve our food.

The first dish they served was the White Sauce Chicken. This was basically fried chicken wings smothered with their white sauce. I am not sure what they used in their white sauce but it tasted good. They used around three wings for this dish which is good for 1-2 persons. My only complain with this dish is that some parts of the inside were half cooked. I'm not sure if the chicken wasn't thoroughly thawed before cooking but the meat close to the bones were hard to separate from the bones.

White Sauce Chicken - Php 150.00

The grilled squid was served a couple of minutes after the white sauce chicken. The squid was stuffed with tomato and onions and applied with sauce. The squid was soft, juicy and perfectly cooked. The stuffings inside the squid enhanced its flavor. Serving size for the squid was good for 1-2 persons

Grilled Squid - Php 180.00

The last dish that was served was the Sisig. I was surprised this dish was served last since this was supposed to be an appetizer, maybe they had to prepare this dish from scratch. The sisig was meaty mixed with bits of chilly. Serving size ,which is about the same size as a sizzling plate, is good for 1-2 persons.

Sisig with Egg Php 120.00

The food at Outburst was ok, with the exception of the uncooked parts of the white sauce chicken, all the dishes tasted good. Prices and serving sizes of their dishes were very reasonable. Their service needs a little improvement. Even though they were only serving three customers that time, it took the waiters a while to to take our orders and serve our drinks and bill. Our total bill which included 3 rice and 2 unlimited Iced Tea was Php 585. Outburst is located at the Second floor Veranda Area of J Centre Mall, below Golds Gym.

One Claypot House

2013-05-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

I found out about One Claypot House after reading a blog post from Phoebe Roxane last year. One Claypot House offers Singaporean, Malaysian, Thai, and Filipino dishes. Even though I regularly pass by One Claypot House, I never had the time to drop by and dine there. Last night I finally got the chance to explore this unique little restaurant.

Upon entering the establishment, you'll notice a lot of attention was focused in the small details of the interior. The restaurant which has very limited space, can accommodate around 16-18 people. Despite its small area, the ambiance of the restaurant is enhanced by the use of wooden tables, sleek chairs, small table accessories, the black and white poster of Grace Kelly and chandeliers.

After taking a couple of shots of the interior, the waitress offered us their menu. Their menu only had a few dishes to choose from, their menu is complete with soup, appetizers, pasta and the main course. Prices of their dishes are very affordable ranging from Php150-Php250. We ordered their best seller, Lah-lah-lah Claypot, Fried Prawn Noodles and Chicken Wings.

They have three serving sizes for the Lah-lah-lah Claypot. We ordered the medium size which was good for 2 persons. The Lah-lah-lah claypot which has a Cantonese origin is composed of pork, chicken meat, sausage, boiled egg, and some vegeteables. The dish which is basically rice toppings is very similar to Harbor City's hot pot dishes. Serving size for the medium Lah-lah-lah was huge, if you have a huge appetite like me, it will be probably be good for you only.

The Fried Prawn Noodles found on most Singaporean and Malaysian restaurant, was something different for me. Ingredients were dry noodles, prawns and spicy gravy sauce. The spicy sauce they used was hot enough for me to break into sweat and consume about three glasses of water. The taste was something unique to since this was the first time I tasted Singaporean cuisine. Serving size for this dish is good for two persons.

The last dish we ordered was the Chicken Wings. Among the three dishes we ordered, this is what I recommend. I love the flavor of the coating they used on their chicken wings. They topped the chicken with some onions and a sauce which resembled the spicy sauce for the siomai. The skin or coating of the chicke wings were very crispy and the sauce enhanced the flavor of the dish.

Since we were the only ones dining there during that time, our food was served within a few minutes after we ordered. I didn't find any mastercard or visa signs inside the establishment, so my guess is that they don't accept any credit card. I enjoyed dining at One Claypot. I spent a total of Php737 which included our drinks. Service was very fast and the food was affordable and tasted good.

One Claypot is located at 68 Don Gil Garcia St. Capitol Site, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines, 68 Don Gil Garcia St, Cebu City 6000. They are open daily between 10:00am-10:00pm.

For reservations contact: Landline no. (032) 236-5003 Mobile no. +639082791498 For more info visit their facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ClaypotHouseCebu

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Yaki House

2013-01-24T06:57:00.002-08:00

Last night I finally got the chance to return to Yaki House and take some photos of their food. I have been planing to make a post of this new restaurant ever since it opened but unfortunate circumstances always prevented me to capture photos of their food. Since this wasn't the first time I have dined at Yaki House, I already knew which dishes to order.

Yaki house specializes in Yakiniku which is basically grilled meat in Japanese. The first thing you will notice upon entering Yaki house is the Japanese inspired interior design. The wooden floors, ceiling and partition is reminiscent to traditional Japanese architecture. The warm lighting adds to its ambiance and compliments predominantly wooden interior.

Unlike other Japanese restaurants here in Cebu, Yaki house serves most of their dishes raw. This is common to all Yakiniku restaurants since customers are the ones who will cook their own food at the grill provided at each table. Although there are some cooked and ready to eat dishes on their menu, people who dine at these types of restaurant prefer the uncooked food, since cooking your own food is part of what makes Yakiniku restaurants enjoyable.

When we arrived at Yaki House last night, the place has just opened and was still empty. The waiters immediately entertained us and within a couple of minutes our raw ingredients were served. We opted to choose our dishes and ordered the squid, imported beef, and pork belly.

Yaki house provides a well ventilated charcoal grill to cook your food. The ventilation also keeps the charcoal burning constantly and minimizes the smoke in the interior. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes to cook your food depending on what dish you are cooking. Serving sizes for their dish is about the size of one whole plate. Another thing to take note at Yaki House is the huge serving size of their rice, which is around four cups.

Each of the dishes we ordered had different flavors and the outcome of the dishes depended on how well the ingredients were cooked. I particularly enjoyed their imported beef, which was basically thin slices of beef marinated with their special marinade. The flavor of their tasty beef reminded me a lot of beef teriyaki. Price range for their dishes is from P120.00-P200.00. We spent P180.00 for the imported beef, P120.00 for the Squid, P160.00 for the Pork belly. All in all we spent P610 including the rice and our drinks.

Service at Yaki house was great, the waiters were very accommodating and our orders were served immediately. They also made sure that the charcoal in our grill was always burning and my unlimited ice tea was alway full.

If ever you decide to dine at Yaki House I suggest you try their imported beef. For people who have a huge appetite you should try their eat all you can. Yaki House is located at El Dorado Subd., Banilad (beside Caltex), Cebu City. Yaki House is open daily from 11:00am - 2:00pm and 6:00pm - 10:00pm. They have ample parking space and is very accessible for people who are using public transportation.

For more information visit their facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/TheYakiHouseYakiniku

Merilla's Resto

2012-10-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was invited by Niko, the owner of Merilla's Restaurant, to a food taste at their new restaurant at Avon Plaza Building. Since I had no idea where the restaurant was located, I did a search at facebook for their establishment. I also did a little research on what type of food they had on their menu.

Since my invitation was for dinner, I arrived at Merilla's Restaurant at around 7pm. When I arrived there I thought the whole place was reserved since there was a huge group occupying the restaurant. I approached the counter and found Niko there. I initially thought I was going to have a food taste together with other food bloggers but after my conversation with Niko I found out that I wasn't able to join them since I wasn't able to immediately reply on his invitation on my facebook page. After asking Niko more details about Merilla's Restaurant, he told me about their specialty dishes and what dishes they were going to serve.

The first dish that was served was their Rellenong Bangus. At first I thought that the dish I was eating was made of meat. I had no idea that what I was consuming was made of fish. If I hadn't asked the name of the dish I wouldn't have known that dish was made of Bangus. The dish was great and what made it even better was that it was healthy since the main ingredient was Bangus. Presentation for the dish was plain and straightforward. The dish was served with their special sauce which perfectly complements the dish. The serving size was reduced to half since I told Niko that I might not be able to consume everything.

The next dish that was served was their house specialty the Merilla's Ribs. I've tried numerous Ribs from different restaurants and by far their ribs is the only one that stands out among the rest. Merillas Restaurant managed to reinvent the ribs. Most of the ribs I've tried are basically grilled and smothered with bbq sauce. What makes the Merilla's Rib unique is their sauce. Unlike most typical ribs, the Merilla's Ribs has a unique sauce mixed with chopped onions, pineapple bits and other special spices to enhance the flavor of the dish. The ribs was tender to the bones and the meat was full of flavor. Serving size is enough for one person. I definitely recommend you give their Merilla's Ribs a try.

Merillas Resto just recently opened at Avon Plaza Building on Don Gil Garcia Street. They offer a wide variety of affordable and tasty dishes. Merilla's Resto has a spacious interior which can comfortably accommodate up to 50 persons. Prices range from P60-P85 for their budget meals and P50-P150 for other dishes found on their menu. They have ample parking space at the basement and are open from 10am - 10pm Mondays to Saturdays. Check out Merilla's Restaurant for delicious and affordable home cooked meals.

For more details check out their Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/MerillasResto
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Choi City Seafood Restaurant

2012-09-06T18:15:00.004-07:00

Last week I received an invitation to dine at Choi City from Kim, the executive assistant of choi city. I've been looking forward to dine there again since I never got the chance to write a post about Choi City. Although I have dined there a couple of times I was never able wrote a post since I didn't know the names and prices of the dishes we ordered. The invitation from Kim was a perfect opportunity for me to try their other dishes.

When we arrived at Choi City we were immediately entertained by their friendly staff and they brought us to our table. After we were seated Kim and Aaron, the brother of the franchisee, informed us that they prepared something special for us. The stove and small ad about their eat all you can Shabu Shabu gave me a preview on what's to come .

After chatting with Kim and Aaron about the history of Choi City and the backgrounds of their Chinese Chef, the waiter began serving the ingredients of the Shabu Shabu. When I saw the first plates I was amazed on the variety of ingredients for their Shabu Shabu. The first plate was filled with different kinds of balls mixed and vegetables while the second plate was filled with various kinds of meat.

While the waiter was placing the ingredients one by one he also named each ingredients while he was mixing and cooking it. I wasn't able to get all the name of the ingredients since I was overwhelmed with the aroma of the shabu shabu. While waiting for the shabu shabu to cook they served the fried rice, Roasted Layered Pork and Xiao Long Bao.

The first dish I tried was their shabu shabu. At first I was careful on which balls to eat since I’m allergic to crabs. Each ball I ate had a different flavor and each time I refilled my bowl, a different flavor fills my taste buds. After a few more refills I didn't notice that I already ate a couple of balls with crabs in it. I was too busy enjoying the shabu shabu I forgot to take some photos of their fried rice.

The Roast Layered Pork is one of my favorites at Choi City. I've tried this dish in my previous visit and seeing that they included the Roast Layered Pork made my dining experience even better. The only dish I could compare the Roast Layered Pork is the Lechon Kawali. Unlike the Lechon Kawali the Roast Layered Pork is a selection of a specific part of the pork picked by the chef. It has a crispy layer of skin and a thin layer of fat and a thick layer of juicy lean meat. The crispiness and flavor of the skin is consistent in all of the chopped pieces. In my own opinion their Roast Layered Pork is the best crispy pork dish that I have tasted so far. Serving size for this dish is larger compared to other restaurants. Their small is about the same size as two serving of Lechon Kawali found at other restaurants.

The next dish I tasted was their Xiao Long Bao. I haven't tried this dish before so I was curious about its taste. The Xiao Long Bao looks similar to dumplings but the major difference is the ingredients inside. Instead of meat inside the wrapper the Xiao Long Bao contains soup. I was amazed that the chef paid a lot of attention in the preparation of this dish since most of the dumplings in Cebu doesn't look like this and are usually hurriedly prepared. I picked one piece of Xiao Long Bao using my spoon since I was afraid that I might tear the wrapper and spill the soup inside if I used my chopstick. I was surprised that it tasted totally different from the dumplings I am familiar with. It had a different texture and flavor and the soup inside made it a different experience.

The last dish that I tasted was their New Choi City Fried Rice. It looked similar to their yang chow fried rice but tasted a lot different from it. It even tasted great without paring it with the other dishes. As I mentioned earlier I wasn't able to take some photos of the New Fried Rice since I was too busy exploring the different balls of the Shabu Shabu.

The prices of their dishes are very reasonable. If you consider the serving size and quality of of their dishes, their prices are very competitive compared to other established Chinese restaurants here in Cebu. The food at Choi City are prepared by four foreign Chinese chefs with different expertise. The experiences of these chefs from established restaurant in Hong Kong and China guarantees quality and satisfying culinary experience. The different flavors of their dishes and wide variety of more than 200 dishes on their menu offers a lot of choices for Cebuanos who want to explore the diversity of Chinese Cuisine. The large interior can accommodate up to 500 persons and is perfect for meetings, parties and other large gatherings.

My Shabu Shabu experience at Choi city was great. I enjoyed the various ingredient that were new to my taste buds. For just P398.00 per head you get to enjoy their eat all you can Shabu Shabu. I enjoyed and highly recommend their Roast Layered Pork. Asides from the good food and warm hospitality of Aaron and Kim, the earthquake right after our dinner made this experience unforgettable.hehehe If ever your craving for authentic Chinese food I recommend you try Choi City and explore the various dishes they have to offer.

Choi City is located at Banilad Town Center.

They are open from Mon-Sun 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM.

For reservations please contact 032-239-0999

https://www.facebook.com/choicityseafood

Front Gate

2012-08-25T00:52:00.004-07:00

A couple weeks ago I bought some coupons from pinoygreatdeals.com. Front gate was offering half price on their sloppy joes, since I have never tried this dish I bought a coupon and explored this hole in a wall restaurant. Little did I know that I have passed by this restaurant numerous times in the past.

When we arrived at front gate their were only three tables available inside since there were already a few customers dining there. The restaurant could accommodate around thirty people inside and a few more outside. Within a few minutes another group arrived and the place was already full. It was a good thing we arrived there early. The waitress offered us the menu and asides from the Sloppy Joe from the coupon we ordered the Buffalo Wings, Just Bacon and Mashed Potatoes.

While waiting for our food, I took some photos of the the interior. The interior was decorated with a few Mexican sombreros and some framed artistic photos. The ambient lighting was warm and a bit dim which is common on most restaurants. The restaurant had a light yellow, orange and blue theme. The exterior was rough concrete with an partially faux brick finish. The blue door and canopy complements the orange bricks and interior.

Sloppy Joe - P 115

Within a few minutes the Sloppy Joe was served. Serving size for this dish was about the same size as a regular burger. Although the sloppy joe used a burger bun, the ingredients used inside were different. Instead of a burger patty, they used chilli con, jalapeno and melted cheese. Since this was my first time to try this dish, I had no idea how to eat it. My first attempt was to eat it like any other sandwich and the ingredients was just dripping all over my plate and my mouth was also smeared with the con carne and cheese. After a few more bites I slowly got the hang of it and the sandwich was history.

Just Bacon - P115

The next dish they served was the Just Bacon and Mashed Potato. Well the name of the dish is pretty much explanatory. It was basically "Just Bacon". Even though this dish is just bacon, I liked that the serving size for this dish is quiet huge. I think it was almost as many as a one pack of bacon you usually buy from the grocery. Another thing that makes this bacon special is that it is homemade bacon. The bacon was cooked to a crisp and for its price I think you couldn't go wrong with this dish. This is a perfect snack or pulutan which ever you choose it to be.

As for the mashed potato, I forgot to take some photo of this but I think it is worth mentioning here. The serving size was huge which was great since we didn't order any rice. It was placed in a bowl which was filled with their tasty gravy. The mashed potato didn't taste anything like the ones you find in a fast food chain, it was full of flavor and was thoroughly prepared.

Buffalo Wings - P125

The last dish served was the Buffalo wings. I wasn't able to take photos of this dish using my flash since the waitress requested me not to use it. I guess the customer adjacent to our table got annoyed by the flash reflected to the ceiling. So I took this photo without my strobe.

Among all the dishes that we ordered, I liked their buffalo wings the most. The wings were crispy and was smothered with their special spicy sauce. It was served with a blue cheese dip. The flour mixture they used to cover the outer layer of the wings was delicious. Even if they covered the wings with their hot sauce the wings remained crispy and full of flavor.

When I consumed my first piece I didn't notice the spiciness of this dish, it was only when I finished the whole my coke that I began to feel the spiciness of their sauce. Despite the spiciness of the dish I still managed to finish a couple more pieces of this tasty. I will definitely order this dish again on my next visit and maybe ask the waitress to separate the sauce from the wings.

Front gate had other dishes to offer which we hadn't tried yet. Maybe on my next visit I'll try their burgers and other appetizers. Their service was very good, the waitress immediately entertained us and our orders were served very quickly. The food was great, serving sizes were huge and the prices were very reasonable. I recommend you check this place and try the different dishes they have to offer.

View Larger Map
Front Gate is located at 21A Maria Cristina Extension (Beside Sacred Heart School for Girls), 6000 Cebu City
Check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/frontgatecebu

Der Kaiserhof German & European Restaurant

2012-07-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past five years exploring restaurants in Cebu. Most of the time I usually end up at restaurants that offer the dishes that are found at most of the restaurants here in Cebu. If you have read my past posts most of the restaurants I have visited here in Cebu offer Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, and American Cuisine.

Whenever I find a new restaurant which offers something new, I am usually hesitant in trying them out since I have no idea about their specialties, the flavor of their dishes, serving sizes, and prices of of their dishes. The only times I end up dining at these restaurant is when my curiosity entices me to go out and explore these restaurants. I decided to try Der Kaiserhof a German & Euroupean restaurant since I have never tasted German cuisine before.

The first time I attempted to explore to this hidden restaurant I wasn't able to locate it. I didn't know that Der Kaiserhof was inside the premises of kalye80's which was close due to their renovation. I didn't enter the premises thinking that there wasn't anything there. I didn't know that Der Kaiserhof was actually located in a different structure adjacent to kalye80's.

Last week I read an article that informed me that Der Kaiserhof was open and was hidden from view from the street. I went there for the second time and finally found the restaurant. We visited the restaurant during the weekdays which explains why the place was somewhat empty. Asides from us there was only one other group dining there.

The first thing you will notice upon entering the establishment is their wooden bar and warm ambiance. The restaurant has wooden furnishings, warm lighting and warm color tones which gave it a cozy ambiance to this restaurant. It has a spacious interior and had ample seating which made it easier for us to choose our table.

When we were served with the menu, I had know idea which dish to order since all of their food looked delicious. I was having a hard time ordering so I asked the waitress what their best seller dishes and ended up ordering the Bauern Schnitzel and Hollsteiner Schnitzel. I was going to order another dish for our appetizer but when I asked the waitress about their serving size, she only told me that they have European serving size. I had no idea how big a European serving size is so I decided to just stick with our two orders so that I won't order too much which usually happens when I dine at a new restaurant.

After a couple of minutes I was surprised that they served us salad and our drinks. I didn't know that our order came with salad since I was too busy looking at the photos of their food, I never read the details in their menu . The salad was basically lettuce, sliced tomatoes, cucumber, thin strips of carrots, and olive topped with their dressing. Even though there wasn't any extra ordinary ingredient in the salad, I liked that they still took some time to arrange the ingredients to make it presentable. Serving size for their salad was also big considering this was just an appetizer.

A few minutes after we consumed our salad, our main course dishes was served. It was only when they placed our orders on the table that I finally understood what the waitress meant with the European serving size. Both of the dishes we ordered were huge which was actually enough for two persons. Even I, who has huge appetite, had second thoughts whether I could finish my order or not.

Bauern Schinitzel - P295.00

The Bauern Schinitzel is breaded pork tenderloin with roasted onion gravy and garlic cream. This dish was something new for me had a distinct flavor that I have never encountered before. With the exception of the breaded pork tenderloin, the onion gravy and garlic cream had a unique flavor which wasn't familiar to me, The sauce used in this dish wasn't something common in most of the dishes that I've tried. I loved the taste and the presentation of the dish was also something new for me. The food may look small in the photos but in reality the plates are just big which made the food look small.

Hollsteiner Schnitzel - P295.00

The Hollsteiner Schnitzel on the other hand is something I've tried before. It is basically breaded tenderloin, cheese, ham and egg. Although this isn't something unique, I still enjoyed this dish. The serving size is good for two. The serving size of the mashed potato for this dish is a lot bigger than the ones found at other restaurants.

In the end, searching for this restaurant was worth it. Although it took me two tries to find it, I was very much satisfied with their food. I also liked that their food wasn't too pricey, considering each order can feed two people. They also offered new flavors for my taste buds and the restaurant has a simple and nice ambiance. I will be visiting Der Kaiserhof again to try their other dishes.

Der Kaiserhof is located at 80 Rahmann Street (San Jose Street) Brgy Zapatera Cebu City They are open from Mon-Sun 10AM-12MID You can contact them at 032 2663100 or thru their
Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Der-Kaiserhof-Restaurant/114266738663012

Update 5-12-14 :

I just found out yesterday that they have another branch at Banilad Town Center.

Daddy-Yo Diner

2012-07-03T07:25:00.001-07:00

Last month after dining at Don Merto's at Rustans Shopwise, I noticed a new restaurant just opened above Don Merto's. I really wanted to try their food but I was too full after I consumed the huge burger from Don Merto's, so I told myself that I will visit that restaurant the next time I am at Rustans Shopwise.

Last week I had the chance to dine there after I bought my grocery at Rustans Shopwise. Daddy-Yo Diner just opened back in May and ever since I saw that restaurant I was curious in what they had to offer.

When we visited Daddy-Yo Diner I didn't know what to expect. The waitress offered us the menu and I noticed they had a variety of dishes in their menu. I asked the waitress what she recommends in their menu and she told me that I should try their Burger. So we ordered their Double Decker Burger w/ bacon and egg, Onion rings and Corned Beef Breakfast Meal.

While waiting for our order I took some photos of the interior. The theme and design of the restaurant reminded me of TGIF or District 50's with some slight difference. The colors red, white and blue are prominent in the interior which reminded me of the American flag or Filipino flag. I liked that their restaurant was adequately lit, which made taking photos a lot easier.hehe

The old movie poster and photos on the wall were fun to look at but what really caught my attention was the horizontal border made of Coca Cola bottle caps. It made me wonder if the owner had any business with Coca Cola or if he or she is a big fan of Coca Cola. Either way I think its a nice way of reusing those bottle caps.

After waiting a couple of minutes the Corned Beef Breakfast meal was served. The Breakfast meal was basically corned beef with egg without any presentation. It just like any other silog meal, serving size is also about the same as other silog restaurants. The only difference is that they offer unlimited brewed coffee together with the meal.

Corned Beef Breakfast Meal w/ Coffee - P99.00

Since I love drinking coffee I didn't mind the simple breakfast meal since I drank at least three rounds of coffee. They also offer unlimited coffee at P50.00 which is a good deal to me. I usually drink at Bos coffee when I am at Rustans Shopwise, but after dining there I will be drinking my coffee at Daddy-Yo Diner.

A couple of minutes the Double Decker Burger was served. It was served with fries which was about the same serving size as a regular fries at Jollibee or Mcdo. I noticed that it looked like they had a hard time stacking up the ingredients in my burger. The additional bacon and egg made the big burger a lot bigger. Asides from the fries the burger came with a Coke Sakto.

Double Decker Burger w/ Fries and Coke Sakto- P159.00

Bacon Addon - P30.00

Egg Addon - P15.00

After taking pictures of the burger I readied myself for the first bite. I had to compress the burger in order for it to fit my mouth. The burger was perfectly cooked and I liked how the flavors of the ingredients perfectly mixed. The fries were crispy and I didn't find any soft fries on my dish. The only thing that lacked in my burger was tomotoes. In my excitement to try their burger I didn't notice that there wasn't any tomatoes in my burger.

Even without the the tomato the burger tasted great. After having a hard time consuming the burger I realized that I should have just stuck with the the two burger patties which was actually enough for me. The additional bacon and egg made this huge burger a lot heavier.

Onion Rings - P89.00

Surprisingly the last dish that was served was the Onion Rings. I ordered this dish for appetizers since I knew that this was easy to cook. We were already famished when we went there and I thought this would have been a great dish for us to consume while waiting for the main course. Not that I'm complaining since the food was served within a reasonable time. I was able to taste the rings since this was served while I was half way munching on the burger. The onion rings was served with a dip. It was crispy and tasted good.

My first Daddy-Yo experience was good, in fact a couple days later I went back and ordered coffee and their Sloppy Joe Hotdog. They have comfortable furnishings and the food is good. Among all the dishes I tried, I recommend you try their Burger. There coffee is also ok if you like drinking brewed coffee without paying too much for it.

Daddy-Yo is located at the second floor of Rustans Shopwise Mambaling. One last thing, I think it would have been better if their signage on the entrance was a bit bigger since it is not that visible from the ground floor.

Update: Daddy Yo Diner is no longer in operation

Buddies home of the ULTIMATE BURGER

2012-06-30T00:18:00.002-07:00

Pizzas and Burgers are among the most common food here in Cebu. We find a pizza or burger chain almost in every major street corner in Cebu city. Although there are a range of choices to choose from, the difference lies mostly on the market they cater to.

I admit that I am a big burger fan and every time someone tells me that there is a new burger chain in town, I always see to it that I try out what they have to offer. A couple of days ago I was searching for a new interesting restaurant to try out. I was driving to Piazza Elisia since I heard there was a good resto bar there.

When I arrived there the first thing that caught my eyes was Buddies. I abandoned my initial plan and decided to dine there instead. Buddies burger just recently officially opened last June 25. First thing I noticed was there signage which had a similar color scheme to crispy creme. The interior on the other hand was totally different. It had a simple design, white walls with red and white checkered wall band and wooden furnishings.

When I entered the establishment I saw this huge poster of the ULTIMATE BURGER. It was a whopping four layers of beef patty and four layers of cheese with lettuce and tomatoes. I was so interested about their Ultimate Burger that I asked the waitress about it. When she told me that each patty was 125grams I told myself that I should just go for the double patty burger. We ordered there Double Buddies Burger, Nachos, French Fries and Sizzling Gambas.

French Fries - P45.00

Our orders were served within a few minutes. The Fries and Nachos were the first dishes to be served. Serving size for their fries was more or less the same as the regular fries found at jollibee or mcdo. The fries were crispy and not saggy which was a good sign. If they paid a lot of attention to their fries I bet their burgers were even better.

Nachos - P85.00

The nachos was served on a metal bowl which was good for around 2 persons. The nachos were topped with cheese, ground beef, diced onions and tomatoes. I would have preferred that the placed the cheese on a dip since it was hard to eat the nachos without getting your hands full of cheese. Asides from that I think their nachos was ok.

Double Buddies Cheese Burger P180.00

A couple of minutes after they served their specialty dish which was there burger. When I opened the wrap I gazed at the double buddies burger with a watery mouth. I had to resist the temptation on consuming it since I still had to take some photos of the burger. The burger had two layers of cheese, lettuce, slices of tomatoes , and onions. After taking photos of the burger I took a big bite at it and savored the taste. It was juicy and perfectly cooked inside out. One big difference between this and flame it is that I think this wasn't a grilled burger. Nevertheless I still enjoyed there tasty and heavy burger. After consuming everything I started wondering if I could take on their Ultimate Burger challenge.

The last dish that was served was the sizzling gambas. I wasn't able to taste the gambas since I was already full after consuming the Double buddies burger.

Buddies is located at Piazza Elesia Talamban. Asides from their tasty burgers, they also offer tacos, hotdogs and silog meals. If you ever visit Buddies I recommend you try their burger or take on the challenge of the ultimate burger.

Siknoy Noodle House

2012-06-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I last posted here. I've been busy last few weeks with work and I haven't got the chance to go out on food trips lately. Last night I finally got a break from my busy schedule and went out on a food trip.

Since I was in the mood for noodles, I decided to dine at Siknoy. I have passed by this place numerous times but I never got the chance to dine there. The first thing that came to my mind when i read Siknoy is that it was a combination of inSIK and piNOY. I am not sure if that was how they derived the name of there restaurant but I was expecting there dishes to have a mixture of filipino and chineses cuisine.

After browsing there menu we ordered batchoy and beef for our noodles. We also ordered lumpia, siomai, pork spare ribs, and fried bread.

Batchoy Special - P85.00

The noodles was served with a lot of meat and noodles. I ordered the beef and I found that the beef and noodles was more than enough to satisfy my hunger. The soup on the noodles was very tasty and was a perfect complement to the tender beef and long tasty noodles. Serving size was big and is enough for one guy with a huge appetite or two women.

Beef Brisket Noodles - P85

Since spring roll is one of my favorite dishes, I am very picky when it comes to this dish. When I ordered there lumpia I wasn't expecting anything extraordinary. When I saw how bare the dish was served I was expecting it to be ordinary. After I tasted it, I realized my first impression was totally wrong. I was surprised that there spring roll tasted good. It was crispy and the ingredients inside it was very tasty. I am not sure what particular ingredients they used since I consumed most of it before I even realized that I haven't examined it closely. The only downside to this dish was the presentation. Had they used a smaller plate and maybe place some tiny garnish on it, it would have improved it significantly. I guess great taste and affordable price is better than exquisite presentation.

Spring Roll - P65.00

The next dish that was served was the Siomai. Unlike most of the siomai found on commercial establishments, there siomai was bigger and heavier. They used more lean meat on their siomai but still managed to make it juicy on the inside. I also liked that the siomai wrapper wasn't too soft. Together with the three siomai was a hot sauce. If your not a fan of hot stuff I would stay away from this.

Siomai - P65.00

The last dish they served was the steamed pork spare ribs. I usually order this when I dine at Harbor City and I think they name this dish pai kuat. It is basically steamed pork spare ribs. Unlike the Harbor City pai kuat, there serving size is almost twice compared to Harbor City. They also use more lean meat on their dishes. The dish tasted good and it was heavy on the stomach. The dimsum dishes were affordable and had huge serving sizes. Although it is slightly more expensive compared to dimsum break, the serving size more than makes up for the size difference.

Steamed Pork Spareribs - P65.00

Ambiance of the place wasn't extraordinary. It was typical design for a commercial restaurant. The place was spacious and the kitchen had a huge glass window which to me is a good thing. Seeing the kitchen gives me the assurance that my food is prepared with utmost care since I could see what they are doing inside the kitchen. Service was fast and all our orders was served within less than 10 minutes.

I enjoyed my first dining experience at Siknoy. I went in with an empty stomach and went out with a full and satisfied belly. Siknoy offers tasty and affordable dishes with big serving sizes. Although their dishes lacks presentation, I can live with that since I prefer tasty affordable food than expensive pretty dishes.hehehe Among the dishes we ordered I recommend you try their noodles and Siomai.

Siknoy is located at J. Centre Mall A.S Fortuna.

Soul Bistro Creating a better world one meal at a time

2012-04-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Cebu offers a myriad of restaurants to choose from. Every now and then a new restaurant pops out offering something new. I am always on the look out on new establishments and every time I pass by one, I usually get tempted to go and try it.

Soul bistro, which has just recently opened at Banawa, is one perfect example. I regularly pass by this place heading home and noticed that it was usually full which made me curious. Last Sunday, I finally had the chance to stop by and dine at Soul Bistro. The place which could accommodate around thirty plus people was full as usual. We were lucky that a customer had just vacated their table when we arrived.

After we were seated the waitress presented us with their menu. I glanced at the wide array of dishes they offered and I had a hard time deciding which one to pick. So I asked the waitress for her recommendation. Our orders were the Herb & Anchovy Pork Chops, Grilled Garlic Chicken, & Shrimps 3 Way.

While waiting for our order I took some pictures of the place and looked around the restaurant. Even though the place wasn't that big, it managed to fit in a lot of people without making it feel crammed inside. The sliding glass doors also made the room look bigger since the exterior space feels connected to the inside. The small touches like the candle light in the middle of the table, the framed photos on the wall and the hanging beads in front of the restaurant enhanced the ambiance of the place. The small wooden furniture used inside the restaurant enabled them to accommodate a lot of people inside maximizing the whole area.

After waiting around 15 minutes our first order was served. The first dish they served was the Herbs & Anchovy Pork Chops. Presentation ,which consisted of two pork chops and mixed vegetables, was very simple. The sauce they used on this dish was delicious, it would have been great had they placed more on this dish. The pork chops were cooked perfectly and the meat was still tender and juicy when I chewed on it.Serving size is adequate for one to two persons depending on your appetite.

Herb & Anchovy Pork Chops - P 169.00

A couple of minutes later the Shrimps 3 Way was served. I liked the concept of this dish which was basically a sampler dish for their shrimp dishes. They served three different ways of cooking shrimp and presented it on a long rectangular plate. There is a deep fried shrimp covered with bread crumbs, and the other two are served with different types of sauces. I tasted each of the three and I loved it all.

Shrimps 3 Way - P 169.00

The last dish that was served was the Grilled Garlic Chicken. Presentation was similar to the Porck chop with the exception of the minced fried garlic topped on top of the grilled chicken. The dish was tasty and serving size was ample for one person. My only complain is it took them over an hour to serve the dish which was also about the time we finished eating our dinner. We weren't able to savor the dish since we were already full when the dish was served.

Grilled Garlic Chicken - P 149.00

Over all I liked everything they had to offer at Soul Bistro. They had great tasting dishes with reasonable price. The service was fast and great, with the exception of the serving time of Grilled Garlic Chicken. The owners were hands on and are very accommodating.

Since I knew that they just recently opened, I totally understood why there were still some minor lapses with their service. I really didn't mind that the last dish took a long time to serve since the other two dishes were served with in a reasonable time and I was already full and satisfied with the first two dishes. I would definitely recommend Soul Bistro. If you do decide to visit Soul Bistro I suggest you call them for reservations at 09222061114.

Visit their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/SOUL-Bistro

Surfin' Ribs

2012-03-19T00:29:00.002-07:00

I was browsing through istorya.net last week and I chanced upon a post about a new restaurant. The owner started a thread advertising the soft opening of their restaurant. I inquired about the details of the place and found out that it was located at N. Escario. So I decided to explore the place the next day.

I already knew the location since the owner mentioned it in her thread that their restaurant is located where the old flame it used to be. When I arrived at the place one of the owners entertained us and gave us the menu. Before ordering, I asked about the details of their dishes since some of the dishes were spicy. Our initial order was their baby back ribs, crab claws and chicken wings, but he informed us that they didn't have any stock of their crab as of the moment, so we ordered their gambas instead.

While waiting for our order I was busy taking photos of the interior. Even though the place isn't air conditioned, the restaurant is still cool and comfortable. I'm not sure if this is still the case during the afternoon since i went there during the evening. Another thing you'll notice about the interior is that it was designed to look like a fastfood restaurant or restobar. I guess this was what the owner wanted, so that people wont mistake this for an expensive restaurant. Another thing you'll notice are there tables, each table has two holes to accomodate the ice buckets for the beer. Although they offer affordable beer, I really wouldn't categorize surfin ribs as a bar since their main product is their food.

After a few minutes of waiting, our first order was served. The shrimps platter was similar to most gambas offered by other restaurants except that their shrimps platter was served with the shrimp as whole. Serving size for this dish was plenty which is perfect for pulotan. I liked the flavor of the sauce of the shrimps platter which comprised oyster sauce, garlic and butter, my only complain is that it took me a while to munch through that dish since i had to skin each one before i ate it.hehehe Presentation for the dish is pretty basic. The price is very affordable for its serving size.

Shrimps Platter - P149.00

The next dish they served was the baby back ribs. When they served the ribs in front o me i was surprised on how huge the ribs was. The huge slab of ribs made the big plate look small. The tiny mashed potato on the side wasn't actually small, it just looked small when you compare it to the ribs. If you take the serving size into consideration, the price for this dish is very affordable. The presentation is very simple with only the steam vegetables as the sidings.
The sauce for the ribs was good, the meat was thoroughly grilled and was juicy and tender. The meat easily separated from the bones and the flavor was great. Their ribs would have to be one of my favorites. What it lacked in presentation it more than made up for it in the price, serving size, and taste.

Pete's Ribs - P169.00 (mashed potatoes) P159.00(Rice)

The last dish that was served was the Chili Wings. Presentation for this dish again was very simple. it was basically deep fried chicken wings covered with their sweet and spicy sauce. I was expecting this dish to be hot, so i readied my drinks just in case it was too much for me. My first bite turned out ok, it wasn't the overly hot and spicy chicken that I was expecting . Despite that the chicken wings was smothered with their sweet and spicy sauce, it was still crispy when I started eating it. I liked that it was spicy enough to make you sweat and that it wasn't to hot that you will be drinking a lot of water to relieve yourself of the spiciness.

Chili Wings - P130.00

My first dining experience at Surfin' Ribs was great. Since I had a great dining experience there in fact I invited my friends for a food trip there the next day. The prices of their dishes were very affordable. They also serve beers both individually and in buckets. I will definitely be a regular customer at Surfin' Ribs.

Surfin Ribs is located at G & A Arcade N. Escario St., 6000 Cebu City, Philippines
For more info you can visit their facebook page at www.facebook.com/surfinribs

My Bigby's Lent Food Picks

2012-03-11T22:08:00.003-07:00

Recently I've been a bit serious about eating the right food to lower my weight. It was also timely that holy week has arrived and restraining myself from eating meat is something we Catholics usually do during Fridays. Last Friday we decided to have dinner at Bigbys. Whenever I dine there I usually order their Baby Back Ribs. I rarely order their fish dishes or any other seafood dish.

This proved to be a dilemma since I could ruin my self imposed diet and disregard the sacrifice that was expected of us during Fridays. When the waiter presented us with the menu I immediately notice the dish that my mom usually orders when we dine there which is the Pescada Al Fresco. I browsed the other dishes on their menu and ordered the Pescado Al Fresco, Tiki Wacky Chicken Salad, and Viva Las Gambas. Asides from the Pescado Al Fresco I was completely oblivious to the serving size of the other dishes.

The First dish that was served was the Tiki Wacky Chicken Salad. It is comprised of Romaine Lettuce, Tomatoes, Yellow Mango, Walnut, Grapes, Cheese and Cruoton topped with Chicken Salad. I liked how the ingredients mixed well in this dish. The different textures of the food also gave it an interesting dining experience. Although I haven't yet tried a lot of salads, I would have to say this was one of the best salads that I've tried. I liked how the sweetness of the grapes and mango enhanced the flavor of the chicken salad. Had I know the serving size for this dish was this big I would have only ordered two dishes. I know that chicken is one of the meats that I should restrain myself but I think the small portion of chicken in this dish will be negligible. Maybe on my next visit I will order a salad with no meat at all.

Tiki Wacky Salad - P295

The next dish they served was the Viva Las Gambas. This was basically shrimps with a sauce of some sort surrounded with toasted garlic bread. I must say this was my least preferred of all three dishes. I was expecting something different. Maybe I was used to the gambas dishes from other restaurants that have a some sort of garlic with oil sauce. To be honest the Viva Las Gambas was a bit bland for my taste.

Viva Las Gambas - P265

The last dish that was served was the Pescado Al Fresco. This dish is a Pan-seared dory fish fillet with pesto in a pool of onion jus. Since I am already familiar with this dish I decided to order this just in case I didn't like the other dishes. I like the perfect mixture of the dory and pesto. The presentation of the dish is also a plus.

Pescado Al Fresco - P265

Although my lent food picks wasn't perfect I still enjoyed my dinner at Bigby's. The food was presented well and was served within a reasonable time. I know that we Catholics are encouraged to sacrifice during Fridays but after my diner at Bigby's I have to admit that eating fish and vegetables during Fridays will no longer be a sacrifice.

If ever you are curious about the other dishes on their menu you can visit their official site at http://bigbyscafe.net/

Burger trip at the Tiki Bar

2012-03-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

Last week my friends and I decided to go out on a food trip. I did a research on good restaurants outside of Cebu City and found a unique restaurant at Mactan. The Tiki Bar which is located inside the Bigfoot compound has a unique and interesting ambiance compared to most restaurants I've dined. So we all agreed to explore this restaurant and go on a food trip.

Despite the numerous times I passed by the Big Foot compound I never noticed this restaurant. It was only when I asked the guard on duty where the Tiki bar was located that I found out that it was actually located at the back of part of the compound. Even though the restaurant is located inside the big foot compound, it is open to the public.

Upon entering the establishment I can't help but feel that I was on an island resort. The ambiance was designed to make the customers feel like they are in a restaurant on the beach. Since we went there during the night I didn't know that it was actually located on the beach until I strolled around. The place wasn't full when we went there since it was a Thursday night. Most of the customers we saw there were foreigners and this made me feel uncomfortable since I didn't have a clue about the pricing of their food.

When we decided to dine there our only objective was their burger. I read a lot of good reviews about their burger and I convinced my friends that we should give it a try. When they gave us the menu, I was surprised that they only had one type of burger on the menu. So we all ordered one and had some drinks while waiting for our food.

We were already famished when our orders were taken, since we arrived there around at 830 in the evening. Even though we were busy with our drinks I couldn't help but notice that our order took more than thirty minutes to serve. Unlike most burger joints here in Cebu thirty minutes is a bit to long for me, maybe I was just too accustomed to the serving time in most of the burger joints here in Cebu or maybe I was just too hungry that time and time seemed to move too slow.hehehe Anyway I couldn't blame them since this wasn't actually a burger joint but more of a resto bar. What really mattered to me was how the meal tasted.

Taste is actually subjective and people have different preferences. I think the burger was good and it had a different flavor compared to most of the burgers found in Filipino establishments. Unlike the strong flavors found in most local burger establishments here in Cebu the Tiki burger didn't have a strong salty flavor. What you'll notice instead is a good mixture of grilled beef, fresh tomatoes, Onions and lettuce. I am not sure if the burger was a quarter or half pounder. This didn't bother me since I was satisfied with the meal after consuming it.

After our consuming our dinner we continued to stay there for some more drinks. We ordered some tortillas and quesadilla. I forgot to take some photos of these since my only concern then was the burgers. After tasting the quesadilla I regretted that I didn't took some photos of it. The quesadilla tasted great and it didn't took long for them to serve it.

My first experience at the tiki bar turned out good. The food and ambiance was good and I really liked there comfortable bamboo sofas and chairs. It was a good place to hang out and grab some beer and food.

Just an update. My hard disk crashed and most of the photos I took on my other food trips were erased. I will be updating this blog once I recover the files in my hard drive or if I have the chance to go out on a food trip again.

Back to the 50's at District 50

2012-01-29T20:25:00.000-08:00

Last night I had a chance to finally dine at District 50. It is a new restaurant at J Centre Mall and the theme is a 50's inspired restaurant. The ambiance kinda reminded me of TGIF but with one huge difference. They have an old Beetle Volkswagen inside the restaurant for a table of two. I really liked the concept since it really stands out among the other restaurants I've dined in.

Although this wasn't the first time I visited the place, this was the first time I dined their. I only ordered drinks on my first visit and I didn't get the chance to try out their dishes. After browsing their menu we decided to order the Pork Stir Fry, Creamy Pesto Pasta and Cream Dory with Pesto and Pea. I was almost tempted to order the baby back ribs but I had to control myself since I am trying to lose weight right now.hehehe

Creamy Pesto Pasta - P180.00

The first dish that was served was the Creamy Pesto Pasta. I think it only took less than 10 minutes to serve this dish. The dish was presentable and was served with two slices of bread. At first I thought the serving size for this dish was a bit small. I think it had to do with the huge plate they used to served the food. When I started eating the dish,which was by the way very tasty, I realized that I had a hard time finishing my share. The pasta was very heavy on my stomach and we still had two more dishes to consume.

Pork Stir Fry - P 165.00

The next dish they served was the Pork Stir Fry. I am really not aware of what ingredients they used in this dish but the taste was familiar to me. Although I am really not a fan of Pork mixed with vegetables and sauce I think the dish tasted good. The pork was properly cooked and it was tender and juicy inside. Serving size for this dish was more than enough for one person.

Cream Dory w/ Pesto Pea - P180.00

The last dish that was served was the Cream Dory Pesto and Pea. This was my favorite among the three dishes we ordered last night. I really liked the strong flavors in this dish. There were a lot of different ingredients that perfectly complemented each other.

My first dining experience at District 50 was very satisfying. Their service was excellent. Our food was served very fast and place has a great ambiance. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. My only regret is that I didn't order their Baby Back Ribs. I will definitely try their ribs on my next visit.

District 50 is located at J Centre Mall, Corner Bakilid Street, AS Fortuna, Mandaue City

Visit Their Official Facebook Page at: District 50

Everything Yummy Food + Love

2012-01-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Last week my Dad asked me about a restaurant at Talamban and if I tried dining there. He told me he read an article at Sunstar about a new restaurant which specialized on tasty ribs. After reading the article on the newspaper, I was intrigued about this restaurant and scheduled my next food trip there.

The other night I had the chance to finally visit the place. After a very hectic new year, I hadn't got the chance to explore new restaurants. When I arrive at Piazza Elesia at Talamban I was astonished to find there were various restaurants and cafes there. It was hard to spot the place since I went there during the evening and their signage had no lighting. We parked the car and roamed around the Piazza and eventually found the place.

The first thing I noticed upon entering the restaurant was the small area they occupied. The restaurant can barely accommodate around 12 customers inside and another around 4-6 people outside. Even though the place was compact the interior was well laid out and designed. They used wooden furnishings, large mirrors and warm lighting to enhance the ambiance of the interior. The framed photos of the dishes they offer also gives the customer a glimpse of what to expect.

When the waitress presented us with the menu I didn't find any appetizers, salad or soup in it so we decided to just order their main entrees. We ordered the Baby Back Ribs(quarter) and The Lemongrass Inasal. I also ordered an additional mashed potato. Our food was served within a reasonable time, maybe it also had to do with the fact that we were the only customers at that time.

Rib Quarter (Spare Ribs) - P 185.00

Presentation of the dish was very basic. It was served with rice and their special bbq sauce. The serving size for the Rib Quarter was adequate for one person although it is not as big as the ones served at other restaurants, it is also a bit cheaper compared to those restaurants. If you want a bigger serving size they also have a half slab (P 425) and a whole slab of ribs (P 700). One thing I liked about this dish is that the ribs were thoroughly cooked and the meat was very tender. The meat easily separated from the bones and even though the meat was thick it was still juicy on the inside.

Lemon Grass Inasal - P 180.00

We picked this dish since I was curious why they named this dish lemon grass inasal. When the waitress served this I didn't expect the serving size for this dish to be two quarter cuts of chicken. I liked that they used the leg and thigh part of the chicken since these were my favorite cuts of the chicken. The presentation for this dish was similar to the ribs which was very simple.

What made this dish stand out was the taste. I liked how the lemon grass enhanced the flavor of the chicken. The chicken was thoroughly and evenly cooked. The closest thing I could compare to the taste of this dish is the part of the lechon manok where there are herbs to add flavor to the chicken. Unlike most lechon manok wherein the flavor of the herbs are only present on the rib parts of the chicken, this dish had the flavor both on the inside and outside of the chicken. If you love lechon manok you will certainly enjoy this dish.

I enjoyed my first dining experience with Everything Yummy. I loved their food and liked the ambiance. I didn't mind that the place was small since they were able to accommodate all their customers when I was their. The service was good and fast and their prices were very reasonable. This is another good place to try and discover since it is located just within the city. My only comment is the limited choices of dishes on their menu. It would have been great if they served appetizers, soup, salad and desserts. We would have ordered appetizers and dessert had they offered it on their menu.

Everything Yummy is located at Piazza Elesia Gov. M Cuenco Ave Talamban

Tingnan ang Mas Malaking Mapa

Anya's Place - Studio + decor + bistro

2011-12-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I was exploring new dining spots in the city. After my last food exploration at Cadi Shack Diner, I happened to pass by this intriguing restaurant at the same area. So last week I decided to go back and visit Anya's place and see what they had to offer.

When I arrived at Anya's Place I was surprised to see that we were the only ones there, maybe it was because it was during the week days. My initial impression was it was a bar and probably didn't have good food. The tables and chair in front and the videoke room only strengthened my initial impression.

Upon entering the establishment the waiter entertained us immediately and showed us the menu. Unlike the exterior, the interior had a different atmosphere. The fabric covered walls, wood flooring and wood furniture gave the interior a homey feel to it. The place had its own unique ambiance, although I wouldn't compare it to the interior of other expensive restaurant, for its price range the ambiance of the place is good.

Since this was my first visit to this restaurant, I usually look for unusual dishes from their menu. The first thing I noticed was the pork chop with lemon butter sauce. The dish sounded unique and I was curious what the dish looked like since it sounded different. Most of the other dishes on their menu were common to other Filipino restaurants, so I asked the waiter for his recommendation. He recommended us the mixed vegetables with seafood and since we were in the mood for sea foods we also ordered the fish fillet. The food was served within a reasonable time of 15-20min. I wasn't expecting our food to be served immediately since this isn't a fast food restaurant.

The first dish that was served was the mixed vegetable with seafood. Basic ingredients are cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, corn, onion, shrimp, and squid. I loved that they didn't hold back on the sea foods in this dish. I'm not familiar with the sauce but I liked the taste of this dish. The ingredients were fresh and the serving size was good for two persons.

Mixed Vegetables with Seafood - P120.00

The second dish that was served was the fish fillet. I think the fish they used for this dish was cream dory. Anyway the fish was covered with flour and deep fried. The fish was properly cooked and I liked the sauce that came with the dish. Serving size was also good for two persons.

Fish Fillet - P125.00

The last dish that was served was the pork chop with lemon butter sauce. Since the name sounded different I was expecting a unique looking dish with some sort of presentation. I was surprised to see that the dish they served was grilled pork belly with a sauce on the side. At first I thought the waiter might have served us the wrong dish. I asked him what that dish was and he confirmed that this was the grilled pork chop with lemon butter sauce. Among the dishes we ordered I think this one was a bit pricey. This was basically grilled pork belly with a lemon butter sauce placed on a saucer. Serving size was good for two and presentation was basically chopped pork belly with some small garnish and coupled with the lemon butter sauce. One thing I liked about this dish is the sauce. There wasn't anything special with grilled pork alone, but dipping it to the lemon butter sauce gave it a different flavor. I guess this was the reason why they didn't add too much flavor on the pork.

Grilled Pork Chop with Lemon Butter Sauce - P185.00

Overall I had a nice experience dining there. There food had big serving sizes and the price was actually affordable. The place was good and the staff was accommodating. A couple of days after my visit there I brought my friends there since I wanted to try their videoke room. Although we didn't dined there I brought my friends there cause had a good experience there and I wanted to try their other dishes. The videoke room was also the another reason why I came back.hehehe

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Anya's place is located at #39B President Roxas street corner Congressman Noel Street Villa Aurora VKasambagan, 6000 Cebu City. You can also visit their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/anyasplace.

Maki Feast at Red Kimono

2011-12-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

Japanese food has always been one of my favorite cuisine. Ever since my dad introduced me to sushi, sashimi, maki, and wasabi I regularly crave for these dishes. Although I haven't made a lot of posts about Japanese restaurants here I often crave for Japanese food whenever I am at the mall. When I passed by the ad at Red Kimono last Sunday I noticed a poster that stated 40% off for Metrobank card users. Upon seeing the sign I immediately told my brother that we will treat our parents to some Japanese food.

The catch to the promo is that it will only be valid if our bill will reach at least P3,000. At first I thought that it would be easy to reach that amount since I knew that Japanese restaurants are pricey. The only challenge that time was that there was only four of us that time. My brother ordered the usual dishes and I ordered the Maki sampler and Yakisoba noodles. After the waiter repeated our orders I was confident that our bill would definitely reach P3,000. Below are the dishes that we ordered.

Beef Tepanyaki - P385.00

I may be biased when it comes to Japanese food but to me I think that their food was great. Among all the dishes we ordered I especially liked the Chicken Teriyaki, Tempura and all the Maki.hehehe I liked how they managed to make the Maki Sampler looked presentable. One thing I really like about the maki or sushi dishes is that these dishes are very pleasing to the eyes. The chef who prepare these foods always place some effort on making the dishes presentable. It is one thing to eat tasty food and its a whole another experience to see and taste delicious and presentable dishes.

Chicken Teriyaki - P225.00

As for the Teriyaki and Tepanyaki dishes, all three were cooked perfectly. The beef was tender and was served with bean sprouts. The Prawn tepanyaki was also delicious, too bad they only had five prawns on this dish. The Chicken teriyaki was perfect, I really liked that they just used the right amount of teriyaki sauce in it and the chicken was very juicy.

Prawn Tepanyaki - P325.00

Yakisoba

Tempura - P295.00

The Tempura and Yakisoba were great. Since I love tempura, I am a bit discriminating on the flavor on this dish. So far I only have positive experiences with their tempura. The prawns used on their tempura was just the right size and they didn't used to much flour and bread crumbs to disguise the size of their tempura. I wouldn't say this is the best tempura that I have eaten, but to me it is one of the tasty tempura that I have tried.

California Crunch - P215.00

Service on this place was typical for most Japanese restaurant. For the cooked dishes it only took around 15-20 minutes for them to serve our food. Even though the restaurant was full in both occasions that we dined there last week, they still managed to serve most of our food within a reasonable time. The raw dishes on the other hand took them awhile to serve. On both occasions that we dined there last week the Maki sampler was the last dish to be served. I really didn't mind the delay since I knew that those dishes took time to prepare.

Maki Sampler - P595.00

The ambiance of the place was ok, it was presentable and wasn't noisy. The only issue I encountered there is that their air-conditioning system wasn't functioning properly. Price is typical for Japanese restaurants which is a bit high, it was a good thing though that they had the promo and we ended up with a very minimal bill for the dishes that we ordered. Since we enjoyed dining there last Sunday my dad decided to treat my cousin from Surigao to dinner there the following day. I definitely recommend that you avail the promo from Metrobank since it is only upto December 15. It is definitely worth dining there with or without the promo. Total bill paid was P1809 which is 60% of P3015. Red Kimono is located at the second floor of Ayala Terraces.

A Huge Slab of K. Ribs

2011-11-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

Last week I asked the people from istorya for suggestions on hidden restaurants within the city of Cebu. I found a few interesting places which intrigued me. One particular place caught my attention since I have been passing by this place numerous times. I always wondered why the place is usually full of people every time I passed by.

Last Friday I finally decided to dine there and try their dishes. First thing you will notice about the place is its simplicity. It is a no nonsense diner with a ample choices of dishes. They also serve alcohol and have a beer tower.

Unlimited Iced Tea - P30.00

I browsed through their menu and ordered their fish fillet dish, shrimp, garlic mushroom and their specialty their ribs. After the waiter got out order he told us that their fish fillet and shrimp wasn't available. So I ordered their kinupusan and pork belly instead. The waiter informed me that their kinupusan was actually a small serving size and wasn't the same as the one in the picture. I was surprised that he even mentioned that to me. I told him that it was ok and that I will still order the dish.

Garlic Mushroom - P45.00

After 10-15 min our food was served. The first dish they served was the kinupusan. After what the waiter told me I was expecting their serving size to be small, I was surprised to see that it was just the right portion size. Although there was totally no presentation on the dish I wasn't expecting it to be pleasing to the eyes since it had a low price. The dish was exactly what they advertised which is crispy pork fat. My only remark on this dish is that it was served cold.

Kinupusan - P75.00

A couple of minutes after serving the kinupusan they served the rest of the dishes. I think the belly was ok, there was nothing extra ordinary with it. It was just like any pork belly from other grill restaurants. The garlic mushroom was more or less like a side dish and was also exactly as advertised. What really caught my interest was their ribs. When they placed they dish on the table man was I not disappointed. The ribs was huge and while I was taking pictures at it, the anticipation only made my mouth water.

Pork Belly - P95.00

After I took the photos I finally tasted the ribs. I really liked the sauce of the ribs. It was also thoroughly cooked and did I mention it was huge. For the price you can't go wrong with their ribs. Although I noticed that their ribs wasn't like the ribs from other restaurant wherein the meat is easily separated from the ribs. The meat on their ribs is pretty much attached to the bones. This is actually not a huge problem especially if you chew on the bones of the ribs like I do.hehehe

K Ribs Special - P135.00

If ever you'll decide to dine at K Ribs I suggest you go try their ribs. I can't offer any advice on their other dishes since there wasn't any available when I went there. As for the kinupusan and pork belly I would suggest the kinupusan for pulotan when you decide to drink and dine there. The low price and good service coupled with the huge serving made my first visit there a good one. I recommend you dine at K Ribs if ever your craving for ribs at an affordable price.

Total bill paid for a belly full of ribs is P430.00

K Ribs is located at Banawa at R. Duterte Street.

UPDATE:

As of April 2012 K. Ribs is no longer in operation at there current location.

Carlito's Way Diner

2011-11-21T23:28:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I visited their new restaurant at the Persimmon. I was impressed with their new restaurant since there was a huge improvement from the previous one. The ambiance of the new restaurant is definitely better than the previous one. Their service was very good and I've noticed some changes on their menu. Another thing that I noticed is that they changed their name from Carlito's Way Steakhouse to Carlito's Way Diner.

As far as I could remember their old menu wasn't as wide arrayed as their current one. I am not sure since my last visit on their old restaurant was a couple of years back already. The additional dishes on their menu is another great improvement on their service.

As for their food I ordered the Carlito's Way Steak and man was I surprised. The last time I ordered this dish I noticed that they didn't place any effort on the presentation of this dish. I was surprised to see that their price actually became lower compared to their price a few years back. Even though they lowered their price a bit they introduced a lot of improvements on the dish.

Unlike the previous dish they added a pumpkin soup to my steak and some steamed vegetable sidings, this really improved the presentation of the dish. The serving size for this dish was more than enough for me. I got to hand it to the owner for making this minor tweaking on the dish. I already enjoyed their steaks and it is a good thing that they made it better. Not only is it tasty, it has also become very pleasing to the eye.

Carlito's Way Steak - P190.00

My friends ordered the Teriyaki Beef Belly and the Teriyaki Pork Belly. They really liked the taste of their dishes, their only complain was the pork belly had a lot of fats in it. I personally think that both dishes were okay. I also liked how they managed to create their own version of the Teriyaki dishes.

Teriyaki Beef Belly - P160.00

Teriyaki Pork Belly - P120.00

This is actually an update from my previous post of Carlito's Way Steakhouse. The new Carlito's Way Diner is definitely better than the old one. The new improvements had only made dining there more enjoyable. You can experience great service, good ambiance, tasty food and affordable prices at Carlito's Way Diner. I will definitely be dining their regularly. Thumbs up to the improvements.