ultimate CEBU

A Sumptuous Lunch Buffet at Marco Polo Cebu’s Café Marco

2009-08-07T22:24:00.041+08:00

Once in a while, even the most budget-conscious individual needs to splurge, especially when it comes to delicious eat-all-you-can food. That’s why I and my wife found ourselves at the lunch buffet of Marco Polo Hotel Cebu’s Café Marco.

We’ve grown to love the Café Marco buffet. Fortunately for us, we’ve shelled out the full price of the buffet only once since the other dining occasions were office team building and family events.

Café Marco was at the tail end of its Sabores de España (Flavors of Spain) culinary journey. Aside from the usual cuisine, Japanese, Chinese, etc., assorted Spanish dishes were available. I was excited to try these dishes out.

For appetizers, I had the Japanese sushi and sashimi dishes. The salmon sashimi is the best I’ve ever tasted. It’s very soft and very fresh and it left me craving for more. The California maki, while tasty, doesn’t really stand out when compared to California maki’s from other Japanese restaurants.

The tuna maki and the fish fillet in bacon, on the other hand, left me very disappointed.

my appetizers - Japanese!

For the main course, I tried out the Spanish dishes. I had the paella valenciana (mixed rice), tortillas de patata (potato omelette) , pescados en salsa verde (fish in green sauce), and callos (tripe).

bland Spanish dishes

Unfortunately, the high expectations I had of these Spanish dishes were drastically brought down to earth. Except for the callos, the rest of the dishes were bland. They lacked that distinct mix of flavors I’ve come to expect from Spanish cuisine.

Feeling full but not quite satisfied, I decided to have some of the Chinese dishes. I had the mixed vegetables, chicken in honey sauce, and siomai.

tasty Chinese except for the siomai

I greatly enjoyed the chicken in honey sauce. It was very tender and the honey sauce was delicious. Meanwhile, the mixed vegetables tasted just ok.

The siomai caught me by surprise. The texture of the dish was very different from the siomai in other restaurants. I think the Café Marco chefs made sure their siomai was extender free. Unfortunately, they forgot to make it taste good.

To end the Café Marco buffet, I had dessert and coffee. From the Spanish desserts, I opted for the brazo de mercedes (cream filled log cake) and churros with chocolate dip. I also filled my plate with mango charlotte, chocolate tart and chocolate fondue.

yummy desserts

The chocolate desserts were the highlights. The churros was very delicious. Its center was soft and the rich chocolate dip made it extraordinary. I’m sad that this will not be part of the Café Marco buffet anymore after their Spanish flavored theme ends.

The chocolate tart was also very rich. But I had difficulty finishing it because of this richness. My advice is to get just a very small slice of this tart for your consumption. The chocolate fondue did not disappoint as well.

While I enjoyed the mango charlotte, I greatly disliked the brazo de mercedes. I expected the brazo to be soft and sweet. Instead, the texture was difficult to chew and the filling lacked the sweetness I was looking for.

It’s the first time I’ve given any Café Marco dish poor feedback, most on the Spanish dishes. It’s good that these dishes are just temporary. But I’ll miss the churros though.

Ultimately, I’m still recommending Café Marco’s lunch or dinner buffet. Despite my less than stellar feedback on some dishes, I enjoyed the buffet as a whole. Who wouldn’t enjoy the seemingly unlimited choice of cuisine? Many dishes still remain to be tasted and I’m looking forward to trying them when I visit next time. And who doesn’t want to relish in Café Marco’s luxurious ambiance while enjoying a hearty and tasty buffet?

Café Marco is in the Marco Polo Hotel Cebu. Marco Polo Cebu is located at the Veteran’s Drive in Nivel Hills, Cebu City. You can also visit their website at http://www.marcopoloplazacebu.com/. To inquire about the prices of the lunch or dinner buffets, you can call the Marco Polo trunkline in the website and request to be connected to Café Marco.

A Very Ordinary Cafe Laguna

2009-07-09T11:59:00.016+08:00

People dine out in order to experience culinary dishes they cannot create or cannot duplicate at home. A restaurant should either offer something very unique – dishes that the customer does not usually have at home – or add something very special to already familiar dishes.

That’s why I was surprised when the dishes I had in Cebu’s Cafe Laguna Filipino Restaurant were very ordinary.

I’ve eaten in Cafe Laguna previously and I do not have any memory of eating a bad dish there. But strangely enough, except for one dish that I enjoyed – their Boulibase, I do not remember any dish that stood out.

I had the Baked Tahong (mussels), the Tangigue (mackerel) Steak, and the Lumpiang Sariwa (fresh lumpia) for dinner. Although I was definitely full after my meal, it felt just like I was just eating the usual pedestrian Filipino dishes at home.

I’ve tasted better Baked Tahong in other restaurants. It seemed like Cafe Laguna just mixed the cheese with the mussels without adding other ingredients to liven up the taste.

baked mussels

The Tangigue Steak was passable. I liked how the sauce had an abundance of garlic sprinkled on it. But it still lacked that distinctive taste that should differentiate it from what can be concocted at home.

tangigue steak

I’ve heard accolades on Cafe Laguna’s Lumpiang Sariwa. Unfortunately, I was not able to find anything special about it.

fresh lumpia

To its credit, the Cafe Laguna ambiance was very warm and comfortable. I felt very welcome and at ease dining in the restaurant. If only the food can match these interiors.

Cafe Laguna food prices range from P100 to P300.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for excellent and affordable Filipino dishes in Cebu, I suggest you try other Filipino restaurants.

Cafe Laguna restaurants are located at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu and at the SM City Cebu.

Ribs and Redemption at Casa Verde in Ayala Center’s The Terraces

2009-06-28T21:58:00.101+08:00

I’ve always been a fan of baby back ribs. Whenever there’s an opportunity, I’ll make sure to order one….but at the right price. Usually, you can’t have it both ways with ribs. You’ll either pay a premium to enjoy the truly delectable ones or be wary of the ones that come cheap.

Fortunately for Cebuanos and Cebu visitors, there is one restaurant that has been serving affordable and delicious ribs for a while already. Casa Verde started out in a house converted to a restaurant near Ramos Street. Now, more people are enjoying their ribs and other dishes with the opening of branches at The Walk in the Asiatown I.T. Park and at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu.

I tried out Casa Verde at the Asiatown I.T. Park when it opened at the latter part of 2008. Since I've already tasted their ribs, my wife and I tried out their other dishes. My wife had pasta while I had a steak. The result was one of the worse dining experiences I had in my life.

I can’t even recall the names of our orders. There were more onions and bell pepper than pasta in my wife’s order. My steak was so small and the rice serving was equally miniscule. Food quality and quantity was not worth the price. Right there and then, my wife and I swore never to eat at Casa Verde again.

But fate would bring us back to Casa Verde when my wife’s officemates came to visit from Manila recently. They heard about Casa Verde's famous ribs and wanted to try it out.

It was packed when we arrived at Casa Verde in The Terraces. Even though they were still in soft opening, the service was quite excellent. The waiters got my cell phone number so they can contact me when tables become available. The waiters were very accommodating when they were unable to place us in one table. They promised to transfer us to one long table as soon as other patrons finished dining.

My wife and I settled at the bar and ordered Brian’s Ribs (baby back ribs) and Shrimps On The Barbie (skewered shrimps). We crossed our fingers while waiting for our orders.

We were caught by surprise when our orders arrived quickly. Ribs and shrimps under 10 minutes is fast. I was confident the ribs would be delicious. I was more apprehensive with the shrimps. Thankfully, the shrimp dish did not disappoint.

In my opinion, aside from its affordability, the sauce makes the ribs Casa Verde’s bestseller. The sauce is not the typical baby back ribs barbecue sauce. It’s more on the sweet side. It reminds me of tocino sauce. The only drawback with the ribs was its consistency. Some portions were not as soft and juicy as other portions.

shouldn't miss ribs

I tasted a familiar tinge of sweetness when I tried the shrimps. I was sure the marinade for the shrimps contained similar ingredients as the ribs sauce. The combination of onions and bell pepper with the shrimps plus the marinade has catapulted this dish to number two in my Casa Verde favorites list. For a seafood dish, this was quite cheap at P168.

yummy skewered shrimps

Additionally, the plain and harvest rice plus the side dishes of corn and carrots and buttered vegetables were perfect complements to the ribs and the shrimps.

Casa Verde at the Terraces impressed me with its efficient, excellent service and their delicious food. I also noticed that the steak entree I ordered previously was not on the menu anymore. When someone sitting beside us at the bar coincidentally ordered the pasta my wife had at their I.T. Park branch, I noticed that the dish was served as it should be, with lesser bell peppers and onions than pasta. Casa Verde completely redeemed itself.

Now, if only Casa Verde could continue to keep its prices affordable. I remember when Casa Verde ribs cost around P100. Now, it costs P188 for an order. If they keep increasing prices, I may have to look for other restaurants to have my ribs. That is if I ever find one.

I also need to point out some downsides which do not concern the food. First is the menu. It is not presentable at all with masking tape placed all over to mark changes in entrée prices and note unavailable menu items. Why can’t they just print new menus? Second is the overall theme of the restaurant. I noticed they are cloning T.G.I. Friday’s, from the interiors to the way the waiters dress. The dominant color may be different but the similarities are unmistakable. They need to be more original.

Overall, my "new" experience with Casa Verde has placed it back in my radar for restaurants to visit again. Despite my other concerns, food quality and restaurant service are top notch. Ultimately, their ribs should be enough reason for me and for everyone else to visit and then keep coming back.

An Afternoon with the Business Icons

2009-06-20T21:57:00.006+08:00

June is Cebu Business Month. With the theme “Get Inspired!”, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) has lined up various events to develop and promote Cebu’s businesses particularly in Tourism, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and Entrepreneurship.

I was able to attend one of the events for the Entrepreneurship track of the Cebu Business Month called “Meet the Business Icons”. This was held at the Marco Polo Lobby Lounge last Thursday, July 18 from 2 pm to 6 pm. For a minimal fee, with snacks already included, I had the opportunity to be sitting with other individuals, from students to other businessmen, as three prominent business icons shared their experiences and wisdom in business.

The icons who graced us with their presence were George Yang of Golden Arches Development Corporation (master franchise owner of McDonald’s Philippines), Justin Uy of Profood International Corporation (largest producer of dried mangos in the Philippines) and Dr. Alfonso Uy of La Filipina Uy Gonco Corporation (with businesses from agro-industrial to real estate).

With the masterful Bunny Pages facilitating the discussion, each business icon responded to different questions thrown by the audience. They were able to tackle topics ranging from the tame – typical day for a business icon – to the challenging – how they cope with the current finanical crisis.

Although I thought that most of what they shared were very generic, things that can be gleaned from any entrepreneurship textbook, these were still words of gold coming out of from the mouths of these very successful businessmen.

Out of the three icons, I grew to admire Justin Uy of Profood International after hearing his story. A true blue Cebuano, he was able to overcome his financial background and a very difficult start to his business and grow it to the size and profitability it is today. Every aspiring entrepreneur, Cebu based or not, should make him one of their role models.

Unfortunately, there were two downsides to this event. First, the venue was not enclosed. Noise from other parts of the hotel especially from the participants of another event in a separate function room was very distracting. Second, the event started late (around 2:30 pm) and ended early (4:30 pm). Event organizers should strictly follow the time stated in the brochure and the invites. I felt that ending the session early (plus its late start) shortchanged the participants who came and paid to be there.

As a plus, Marco Polo as usual, served excellent dishes for snacks. Listening to the icons while having a hearty snack of various pastries and cocktails was very pleasant.

So what did I take home from this session? Two things: persistence and diligence. George Yang, Justin Uy, and Alfonso Uy were unanimous on these qualities of a successful entrepreneur. And as George Yang added, a little luck also helps.

Kudos to the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) for holding this event. I’m sure every participant came out of this truly inspired.

The Cebu Business Month events continue until the end of the month. You can visit the CCCI website at http://cebubusinesswebportal.com for the list and schedule of events or you can call them at 2321421 to 24.

Ding Qua Qua, Harbour City and Dimsum Break offer the best dimsum in Cebu

2009-06-10T19:10:00.003+08:00

The moment I first tasted Ding Qua Qua’s pork steamed rice and spring rolls when I was still in elementary, I knew I was hooked for life. I used to to be able to gouge down 5 bowls of pork steamed rice in one sitting and a number of their siomais back then. Although I am not able to replicate this feat now, there isn’t a week that passes by when I don’t have lunch or dinner in any of these restaurants.

There is Ding Qua Qua, Harbour City, and Dimsum Break. These restaurants, which have the same owner, essentially serve the same fares albeit in different styles. Ding Qua Qua and Harbour City are on the casual dining side. Dimsum Break is on the fastfood dining side.

The centerpiece of the eating experience in these restaurants is definitely the pork steamed rice. This dish, which is already a meal in itself, consists of steamed rice packed at the bottom of the bowl with a special sauce (containing some pork, some shrimps and some green peas) poured over it. Mix everything and enjoy this dish!

the "main event" - pork steamed rice - before and after mixing

Of the different dimsum available, my personal favorite is their spring rolls. Make sure that you dip it in its sweet and sour sauce to fully savor the combination of flavors.

the delicious spring rolls

There are also have a variety of delicious siomai to choose from. They have bacon siomai, quail eggs siomai, etc. From these, I have no personal favorites since all their siomais basically taste the same – the toppings just enhance the flavor. In fact, this variety is a plus since it prevents me from getting bored with the food when I drop by because I can order different flavored siomais every time.

plain siomai - just one of the many varieties

I’ve been all praises for the food in these restaurants. You may be wondering if there is anything that I don’t like about them. Yes, there are. First, I advise you to avoid their egg tart. When I tried their egg tart, I could not tell if it was egg tart I was eating. Second, I hate their iced tea. It’s very sweet and it irritates my throat. Do they make their own iced tea? If not, do they add another ingredient in regular powdered iced tea to make it taste that way?

One thing I noticed in Ding Qua Qua and Harbour City is the decrease in the number of dimsum carts going around the restaurant. In the past, food was ordered by signalling one of the carts and then pointing to the dish of your choice. The waiter then placed the dish on your table. Now, order placing is more conventional. I definitely miss the old way of ordering since this became part of my personal dining experience with them.

Price-wise, most of the dimsum hover around P52. They also have set meals available that range from approximately P90 to P120. In terms of serving, this is rather expensive. P52 for 2 to 3 pieces of siomai? But who can resist these dimsum treats?

So how do I put into words the taste of these enjoyable dimsum? Frankly, I can’t think of any. Maybe the mixture of flavors is just too overwhelming for words? (Or maybe it’s MSG that’s adding that extra bang to these dishes? Hehehe!) But really, the bottomline is this. These restaurants serve delicious dimsum and these dimsum are ultimately the best in Cebu.

Ding Qua Qua is located in JY Square, Lahug. Harbour City is in Ayala Center Cebu and SM City Cebu. Dimsum Break branches can be found in in Ayala Center Cebu, Banilad Town Center, Colon, Elizabeth Mall, Lapu-lapu City, Mango Square, SM City, Tabunok.

Thai cuisine in Cebu with Siam Thai Cuisine

2009-06-04T10:17:00.015+08:00

Not being a fan of anything spicy, Thai food has never been on top of my favorites list. I prefer eating Filipino or Italian cuisine over Thai. But my wife has always held Thai cuisine in high esteem.I often had little choice if she wanted to eat in a Thai restaurant.

There was one “hole in the wall” Thai restaurant in Manila that we gravitated to most of the time. The place had very reasonably priced, authentic Thai fares. Surprisingly, the food was delicious – I avoided the spicy ones. And thus, I’ve set this small restaurant as a barometer whenever I try other Thai restaurants.

One Sunday night, my wife and I decided to try out the Siam Thai Cuisine at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu. The waiter recommended the Bagoong Fried Rice and the Chatuchack Spareribs. We added the Golden Bag and the Fried Tofu with Sweet Sauce to these orders.

So how did Siam Thai Cuisine fare against my gold standard?

The Golden Bag, vegetables and meat in a flour wrapper that are deep fried, tasted just average. I was not able to find anything different in this dish from those cooked at home. It was also very messy to eat with bits flying around when you try to slice it. You should try something else.

Golden Bag - just average

Fried Tofu with Sweet Sauce was no different. The tofu was very bland and the sweet sauce did not help enhance the flavor at all. A little spice sprinkled on the tofu or on the sauce could make this dish more exciting to the palate. This dish is in dire need of improvement.

Fried Tofu - boring dish

The Bagoong Fried Rice was above average. The differentiating factor for Siam’s Bagoong Fried Rice was the amount of onions with each serving. I never knew that mixing more onions on Bagoong Fried Rice could greatly enhance the taste.

Bagoong Fried Rice - better than most

The Chatuchak Spareribs when not dipped in the sauce was okay. The ribs were soft and were a bit on the salty side. But the dish, mixed in its sauce, suddenly tasted exquisite. The sauce greatly complemented the flavor and the texture of the ribs. The initial flavor was tangy and sour and then the spiciness comes out at the end. The Fried Tofu needed this sauce!

Chatuchak spareribs

Siam Thai Cuisine’s prices range from P150 and up. The servings can feed two to four persons.

My verdict? Siam Thai Cuisine was not able to match the standards I’ve set for flavor and price. I’m not dismissing Siam Thai Cuisine just yet since I’ve tried only a portion of their menu. And to its credit, the restaurant’s modern interior with Thai and Asian accents trumps most restaurants. But as for now, round 1 goes to my little “hole in the wall” Thai restaurant in Manila.

Siam Thai Cuisine is located at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu between The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Cyma.

An exotic toast and tea experience in Cebu

2009-05-26T10:38:00.004+08:00

I’ve already tried the Kopi Roti Kopi Bun when I was still working in Manila. My wife’s cousin brought a box to our house. I found the buns to be very delicious.The buns were coated with a brown coffee crumb-like substance, were soft on the inside and had a sweet and creamy concoction at its center (which I thought then was plain butter). These were perfect complements to a cup of coffee.

the Kopi Bun

When I transferred to Cebu, I’ve always had the Kopi Bun at the back of my mind. Although I was never really craving for it, I’ve always wondered whether there was anything that could perfectly go together with coffee than the Kopi Bun. Bakeshops in Cebu eventually sold something similar but these did not capture the taste I was looking for in Kopi Buns.

When Kopi Roti opened in Cebu, I made a mental note to try it out. I realized that all I knew about the store was their Kopi Buns. Maybe I was missing their other, more delicious, specialties?

When I finally passed by Kopi Roti, I had the Kopi Bun, Roti French Toast, Kaya Toast, hot milk tea, cold milk tea, and homemade iced tea. So how different were these from what other restaurants and bakeshops were offerring?

Roti French Toast is just French toast. Kaya Toast is just toasted bread. It is Kopi Roti’s butter and special coconut jam spread – called the Kaya spread – that adds a very special and very Asian taste to these fares. The combination of butter, coconut, sweet potato flavor in the jam spread on the toast is a delight to the taste. I also discovered that this is what is in the Kopi Bun.

the Roti French Toast

The milk teas went well together with the Kopi Bun, Roti French Toast, and the Kaya Toast. Kopi Roti’s milk tea was not too milky and did not taste too exotic unlike other restaurants that serve milk teas. In fact, this was the best milk tea I’ve tasted in Cebu so far.

the milk teas

I advise everyone to stay away from their home made iced tea though. We ordered their iced tea thinking that it would taste like sweetened brewed iced tea. It actually tasted like cough syrup. Yuck!

As for the price of their products, Kopi Roti's meal sets range from P80 to P120. As a budget-conscious individual, I was initially put-off with the price. But I realized that the price was for the pastry and drink already. For the price of one cup of coffee from other coffee shops, I can already enjoy my coffee or tea with my toast or my Kopi Bun at Kopi Roti.

I would love to try the other food items that Kopi Roti is offering. High on my list are their chocolate toast and their soft boiled eggs. I also like to try out their milk coffee too. How would these taste like?

I’ll make sure to order these when I visit next time. I recommend you try out Kopi Roti too.

Kopi Roti is located at The Gallery in Mabolo, Cebu City. You can also visit the Kopi Roti website at http://www.kopiroti.com.ph/.

TOP of the world in Cebu

2009-05-20T00:51:00.004+08:00

If you want to be literally on top of the world in Cebu, there is no other place to go than TOP. Situated on the Busay hills, the view from this place is absolutely spectacular. Even if I have been there multiple times, I’m still filled with suspense every time I walk towards the viewing area.

It takes approximately 20 minutes of winding, cemented road to get there from the Cebu city center. Despite the travel distance, the ride is very comfortable and you are treated with snippets of the view along the way. Make sure you pack enough gas and your car can climb steep roads before going there. If you do not have a car, your only other option is to take a taxi since the place has no access to public transportation. You have to haggle with the taxi drivers though on the fare. The entrance fee is also a steep P100 but it’s definitely worth it.

At TOP, you can see as far as Lilo-an to the north, Naga to the south and Bohol island to the east. You marvel at how everything in Metro Cebu and the surrounding islands seem so breathtakingly small but beautiful. You gaze at the wide expanse of the city and the surrounding areas and slowly identify landmarks – “ Look, that’s the Fuente Osmeña over there”, “Can you see the old and new Mactan bridge?”, “There’s the airport”.

what a view from TOP (Mactan and Olango islands are visible)

Food is available in TOP to accompany your viewing. There are chips, grilled food, and alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks. But be ready to pay extra to buy food here. A big bag of chips is P35. Grilled hotdog is around P40 pesos.

In my opinion, the food needs an upgrade. Why not serve pasta or other higher end food to make the place classier?

Tables and enclosed areas are also available for use, be it for intimate occasions like romantic dates or for corporate occasions like team buildings or meetings.

I suggest you visit TOP late afternoon (around 5 pm) and stay until after dusk so you can experience the shift from daylight to night. As the sun sets, the sky slowly shifts from blue, to orange, and then to black. One by one, the stars appear in the night sky. Below, the city streets and building lights flicker on. The nights can be chilly so make sure you bring jackets or blankets to keep you warm.

savouring the view

I definitely recommend visiting TOP when you are in Cebu. In spite of the distance, the entrance fee, and the passable food, the amazing view is absolutely priceless. I haven’t seen the sunrise from TOPS so I’m definitely coming back.

To go to TOP, take Cebu Veterans Drive (the road going to Marco Polo Plaza Hotel). Past Marco Polo, it's still a long drive. Just follow the road until you see the La Tegola restaurant signage to your right. Just past that signage to the left is a small steep road. Take the road until you reach the entrance to TOP.

Cebu island hopping on the Islands Banca Cruises

2009-05-12T15:23:00.001+08:00

A new twist on the island hopping experience in Cebu is being offered by Islands Banca Cruises. Based on their print ads and their website, aside from the usual island hopping fare, their banca (outrigger) would be equipped with an ipod dock, would have WIFI access, and would be furnished with beanbags. Refreshments would also be on sale onboard.

Excited to try it out, I hastily arranged an island hopping package with them for a Sunday. For P790 per person for 10 persons, Islands Banca Cruises would be bringing me and my friends to the Gilutungan marine sanctuary, just beside Olango island, and to Pandanon island, nearer to Bohol than Cebu. Inclusive in the package was the use of their medium banca called the butete (could fit up to 20 persons), free barbecue lunch with a complimentary drink, entrance fees and cottage rental fees, and towels. Unfortunately, their WIFI would not be available for this trip.

an Islands Banca Cruises banca

How did it turn out? First off, the Islands Banca Cruises butete truly offered a very unique experience. Instead of the usual cramped spaces I’ve experienced with other bancas, this one had a wide padded deck that added extra space for lazing around or sunbathing while cruising to your island destinations. The bow even had enough space to fit up to 5 persons. The banca seats were cushioned and were very comfortable. The beanbags were an excellent addition – very inviting for chilling out under the sun or lazing around under the shade of the banca’s canopy. If the summer heat gets to you, a variety of drinks were available for sale – softdrinks, water, sports drinks – and cold towels were available on board as well.

the butete deck (see speakers at the top of the picture)

Before the trip, I had the impression that the ipod dock on board would be an actual Apple ipod dock. I was wrong. It was just an audio jack to connect your ipod to the speakers. Islands Banca Cruises could have equipped an actual ipod dock to the banca to maintain the unique experience. The sound quality of the speakers was so-so. I would not recommend playing your ipod with the banca running on full speed since you’ll barely hear the music amid the roar of the engine.

lounging on the beanbags and bow on the way to the Gilutungan marine sanctuary

In spite of this, Islands Banca Cruises really scored high by bringing music on board. Having your favorite tunes available helps to set the mood, be it for a lazy afternoon lounge or for an all-out party on the boat.

Before we had lunch, we encountered a small hitch. The cottages in Pandanon island were not immediately available due to the number of visitors. We were fortunate that we did not have to wait long for one to become available. Since part of the package was the cottage rental, Islands Banca Cruises should have reserved a cottage in advance. This way, guests, starving from snorkeling or swimming the whole morning, can immediately partake of lunch.

subathing on deck

As for the food, lunch was adequate for the group. We had one quarter chicken barbecue, three pieces pork barbecue and five pieces puso each. If you or your friends have huge appetites, I recommend requesting for additional servings before the trip. Since there might be no other places to buy food in your trip, it’s better to be ready than to go hungry. You can also bring food from outside on the banca. Just be prepared to pay the corkage which, surprisingly, is very affordable.

I and my friends spent the rest of the afternoon resting in the cottage after a hearty lunch, enjoying the view of Bohol from the Pandanon island beach and taking a quick dip in the island's cool waters. And before we knew it, it was time to go home.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Islands Banca Cruises trip. The additions – beanbags, ipod dock, sunbathing deck, first class service from their stewards – were definitely worth experiencing. Although some improvements can be made, the positives vastly outweighed the negatives.

I’m definitely island hopping with Islands Banca Cruises in the future.

Islands Banca Cruises can be contacted at (32)2364896. You can also visit their website at www.islandsbanca.com.

Cebu Lechon in Time Magazine’s Best of Asia 2009

2009-05-08T12:00:00.006+08:00

Cebu’s lechon (roasted suckling pig) is very popular across the Philippines. People have always associated Cebu with lechon. When I was still working in Manila, I was often asked by my officemates or my relatives to bring lechon every time I came back from Cebu.

Now, the Cebu lechon has reached greater heights by being named the Best Pig in Time Magazine’s Best of Asia 2009, Best for the Body category. Here’s the article in its May 4 issue:

Pork Art

When itinerant TV chef Anthony Bourdain — whose love of all things porcine is famous — visited the Philippine island of Cebu with his show No Reservations and declared that he had found the "best pig ever," many viewers were as surprised by the hyperbole as by the country he situated it in. But not Filipinos, among whom the zenith of porky perfection is an indisputable fact. It was just a matter of time before the rest of the world found out.

The pig that made Bourdain smack his lips with glee was lechón, or slow-roasted suckling pig, perhaps the Philippines' most beloved dish. Usually reserved for fiestas, it has long been a source of fanatical adulation; it's not uncommon for a whole lechón, still hot and fresh from roasting, to be flown across the country for special occasions. Though varieties differ regionally — stuffing can include any combination of lemongrass, tamarind, star anise, garlic, green onions and chili leaves, while condiments range from a light vinegary dipping sauce to a thick liver-based gravy — the basic concept remains the same. A pig is roasted for hours over a fire of open coals, slowly rotated on a bamboo spit, lovingly basted and meticulously supervised until its flesh is so tender, moist and succulent that it can be sliced with the edge of a plate, and its skin so crisp it can be punctured with the tap of a finger. You could call it the Platonic ideal of a pig, but it's doubtful if Plato, or even an entire faculty of philosophers, could have imagined anything so exquisite. – by Lara Day

You can also read the article in Time Magazine’s website. Just follow this link.

I totally agree. Darn, now I’m craving for lechon.

The ultimate CEBU blog

2009-05-06T17:10:00.000+08:00

I noticed that there aren't enough information about things to do, places to go or eat in Cebu on the internet. I thought that posting my experiences in Cebu will be helpful for those who want to visit this beautiful province or those who already reside in Cebu and want to try new things.

I will be posting reviews on the different food establishments I've eaten in, be it home-grown food establishments or those who've opened branches in the province. I will be mentioning places in the Cebu province that are a must-see and those that should be skipped. I will be describing local delicacies that are pasalubong-material and those that should not be bought at all.

Come to think of it, there are countless topics on Cebu that I can post in this blog. I'll post all that I can as soon as I can. I would like to welcome you to the ultimate CEBU blog. I would also like to invite you to come visit the wonderful island province of Cebu. Ari na mo!