Cebu's A-list destinations

I’m originally Cebuano but moved to Manila as a toddler and grew up here. I find myself taking the plane to Cebu more frequently these days as business is booming and the province is buzzing with activity. My trips are usually balikan, meaning in and out via one of the many (thankfully) inexpensive airlines servicing the route today (I do wish they would offer something like stored value cards for those really frequent flyers so we could hop on and hop off when our schedule dictates).

The last few jaunts to the sunny island gave me the opportunity to discover some delightful new destinations. I found one new (at least to me) place in Mactan and one new restaurant in Cebu City. Both places are “A” listers, not because their names start with the letter A but because they are both aesthetically engaging and satisfy other senses as well.

The first is Abaca, a boutique restaurant and resort in the Punta Engano district of Mactan (just past the Shangri-La Hotel). There used to be a dearth of good restaurants other than in the big hotels there, but that has changed with the likes of Abaca.

The ultra-chic Abaca Boutique Resort and Restaurant on Punta Engano Road appeared as if by magic three years ago. The gourmet oasis was the brainchild of New York chef Jason Hyatt and his wife, Anna. It was quickly tagged by foodies as far as Manila in a few months’ time. The restaurant, which opened first, boasts a wood-burning oven, Mediterranean-influenced California cuisine made with organic vegetables, and dishes centering on seafood. I’m not a gourmet but the food was continentally (American continent, that is) excellent.

I’m more fascinated by the architecture and landscape of places like this. With the success of the restaurant, the Hyatt decided to extend the facility to include accommodations. Two years after the opening of the restaurant, they inaugurated a compact complex of six deluxe suites and three villas.

The place is quite exclusive as you need to make reservations or book rooms to get in. A stern security guard vets visitors. Parking is on the upper part of a sloping site. The entry to the facility is through a lushly landscaped garden with glimpses of the sea. The restaurant and villas are tucked into a mini-cove overlooking a modernist infinity-edge pool.

No crowds, or the hustle and bustle of big hotels here — just you, the sea and good food.

Try the crayfish “Cobb” salad with smoked bacon and avocado, jumbo chilled shrimp with homemade horseradish cocktail and/or Maryland-style crab cakes with spicy chili mayonnaise. Braised lamb shanks or prime New York strip loin for the main course is a good bet, or the sautéed salmon with yogurt tahini, grilled tomato and coriander paste.

The next “A” place I found was just as magical, if not more so in a comfort food way. The singular find is called Abaseria, Spanish for sari-sari. It is one of those wonderful restaurants that are scattered in the labyrinthine street system of Cebu City.

A number of consultants and I had just finished a presentation to a client in the morning and I was looking forward to a good lunch (and a little celebration given that the presentation went well). Thankfully our host did not take us to the usual mall restaurants but opted to introduce us to a new place with much more ambience than the usual franchise facility.

Abaseria’s owners apparently started out as handicraft and jewelry exporters. Visitors (from overseas and Manila) who ventured into their showroom often had to ask where there was a place to eat nearby so the restaurant seemed like a natural extension of their business. Their merchandise also made for a much-used resource for the interior décor.

The restaurant offers great comfort food, home-cooked style. We started with Cebuano chicharon, which was heaven with vinegar and chopped chilies. For soup we had tinolang manok Cebuano style with generous malungay (my dad’s favorite). Bangus belly was the main course with ultra-moist chocolate cake and brewed coffee for dessert. The restaurant also offers stuffed chicken, seafood paella, Mexican tamales, stroke-inducing humba (a Cebuano delicacy) and Hunan crab.

The design of the restaurant is homey; my type of home with framed prints of old postcards and scenes from Spanish and American-era Manila and Cebu. I regaled (or bored) my meal-mates by identifying the places and dates of the prints and photos. On sale all around the restaurant were delicacies and knickknacks from up and down the Philippines as well as books on old Manila and Philippine art. The furnishing is eclectic Filipino, which adds to the comfort level. A smoking vestibule (not that I condone the habit) is thoughtfully placed in a corner and doubles as a light well and pocket garden.

Of course there are other A-list destinations in Cebu. I come from Argao and that’s a place just waiting to happen. I do hope they renovate the beach resort there. Points north and south of Cebu City are also humming with activity or at least the rumors of activity. Resorts, hotels and residential developments seem on the verge of a boom again. At least that’s how it feels. In the meantime, the food’s good enough to take the trouble to visit.

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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com. Check out Abaca’s website at www.abacaresort.com and you can contact Abaseria at abaseria@yahoo.com.ph.