Theo and I have been to Cebu before, but we never had the chance to see the city as tourists; so when Alaska Milk Corporation asked Theo to do a cooking demo with Chef Janice de Belen at the Gaisano Country Mall last January 23, we didn’t miss the chance to make the most out of our one-night stay.
As soon as we landed, we headed to Sabel’s Pocherohan. Most Cebuanos are not familiar with this quaint restaurant found in Capitol Drive, but our friends who’ve been there attest to Sabel’s (formerly Marjo’s) ultimately delicious fare. They only have three items in their menu: Pochero, Lechon Kawali, and Rellenong Alimango. Their Pochero is what we know as Bulalo; and unlike the Tagalog Bulalo, Sabel’s Pochero has labong and the meat is red and tender… much like having fresh corned beef brisket in hot, meaty stock. Paired with Lechon Kawali and Rellenong Alimango, Sabel’s Pochero is definitely a must-try you wouldn’t want to miss when you visit Cebu.
The afternoon was spent touring Cebu’s famous landmarks Magellan’s Cross, Sto.Nino Shrine, and Fort San Pedro. As soon as it was time for dinner, we scoured the malls in search of good food. We ended up in The Gustavian. We’ve never been to the one in Manila so we took the opportunity to try their award winning menu. With all the rave we’ve heard, we expected the food to be a bit pricey; amazingly, the price was definitely “sulit” for the portion size! I ordered the Scaloppini Al Gorgonzola (Pork medallions with Italian blue cheese and mushroom fettuccine) and Theo enjoyed the steak buffet. All in all, a truly satisfying feast!
The next day, we headed to Gaisano Country Mall for Theo’s cooking demo. We had the best breakfast ever – Anna’s Cebu Lechon! The tasty, meaty, fresh lechon was served with sinamak and puso or rice wrapped in leaves. Our friend, and event coordinator from PhD, Yam Nacaya said that if we think Anna’s Cebu Lechon is great, wait till we taste CnT Lechon. The demand for CnT Lechon is soooo high that people are informed to make reservations days before picking up their Lechon. Good thing Yam was able to reserve for us 3 kilos, which we decided to bring home to our families.
The food trip was still on even after the event. We headed to one of Cebu’s favorite restaurants, Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant. We met up with friends and delighted in the resto’s special Cebuano fare. We had baked shellfish, garlic shrimps, grilled ribs, and special ensalada. Their food is superb!
Before we headed to the airport, we took a last bite at Le Swiss Chalet Restaurant. We savored their Hungarian Sausage with French Fries and Swiss Dark Chocolate ala Mode. It was a good way to end our nakakabusog trip.
The overnight trip was definitely bitin, and I’m sure there’s still so so much more places we can discover in Cebu. Looking forward to our next gastronomic trip!!
by Sam Zaragoza
