Cebu Beckons

One of the great pleasures of travel is discovering how the other half of the world lives – be it in their lifestyle, customs, traditions or simply in their everyday cuisine. Of course, seeing the great landmarks of civilization first-hand is a major attraction in itself. But then again, with the global recession hitting us, one doesn’t have to go far and wide in search of that elusive X factor that one looks for in capturing the spirit of a place. As the DOT slogan goes: "Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan (Don’t be a foreigner in your own country)." So what better time to see our beautiful country than this coming holidays.

Quite recently, Mary Ann and I hied off to Cebu City, that much-touted Queen City of the South, and with good reason, we discovered. But that’s getting ahead of the story. Cebu Pacific had opened a thrice-weekly route between Clark and Cebu, and having heard this, we lost no time booking its maiden flight last October 26. Being residents of Angeles City, we are practically a stone’s throw away to the newly renamed Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark. With no traffic to contend with, it takes a little over 20 minutes from our house to the airport (which would have taken us close to 3 hours to Manila Domestic Airport.). But what made this trip doubly pleasurable is the awesome realization of a hassle-free time when traveling domestic, ergo: there is no Immigration or Customs to deal with; no need to apply for those damned hard-to-get visas; no foreign currency to worry about, especially with the value of our shrinking peso vis-à-vis the US dollar; no long queues checking in, boarding and retrieving luggage. All thanks to the professional ground handlers and staff of Cebu Pacific. The flight took all of one hour and 10 minutes. Everything went precisely like clockwork. It was rather uneventful, except for the rambunctious in-flight entertainment of a mini-dart tournament (nope, not the real McCoy but velcro), which lasted only about 15 minutes, thank goodness! But as the saying goes, no news is good news. We had a safe journey and a perfect landing.

Once settled in our Marriott Hotel room, we had ample time to snooze and take a dip in the Olympic size of a baby pool before our first night out in Cebu. Our room was fairly large, even by Manila standards, and the bathroom spotlessly clean. The hotel, which is located right smack in the heart of the Cebu Business Park, is a short walking distance to the Ayala Shopping Center. What better location could anyone ask for?

Cebu takes pride in being the country’s oldest city. With its sea-valley-mountain terrain, it is blessed with so much natural beauty, not to mention its favorable climate producing the sweetest mangoes. Most of the 166 islands comprising the province abound with white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters teeming with marine life. In our short five-day stay there, we got to visit its many historical landmarks like Fort San Pedro, Casa Gorordo, Magellan’s Cross, Basilica Sto. Niño, etc. We also had a cursory tour of several resort hotels dotting the metropolis and its seashores, including a couple on Mactan Island. (Let’s leave the details to the tourist brochures.) But more importantly, we got a first-hand taste of Cebu’s finest assets – its residents’ warmth and hospitality, and its gastronomic delights.

TIN GAU (Waterfront Hotel-Lahug) On our first night out, we were invited to dinner at this Chinese restaurant, hosted by Conie Morales, an aunt of our good friends the Gallegos and Mondoñedos. Mostly a family affair, conversation around the two tables was congenial, as platters of different dishes came. Most memorable were a Seafood Hot Pot with silken Tofu, Roasted Duck and Sweet and Sour Pork. Now, there goes the rub. You’d think something as commonplace as sweet and sour pork is nothing to crow about? Well, most Chinese food lovers’ yardstick of how good a joint is is by this dish first and foremost (ours include hot and sour soup). The pork strips, lightly encrusted in batter, are deep-fried to a crisp perfection, then coated in a syrupy sauce, ever so delicately sweet and sour. And in spite of this latter addition, it comes to your table still crisp as the minute it was fried, yet tender and moist inside, not soggy and greasy as in many a fine dining wannabes.

LA MAREA (Crossroads, Archbishop Reyes Ave., Banilad) Dessert was at this newly opened pastry shop La Marea. With the name meaning "the tide" in Spanish, the ultra sleek interior of this pastry shop has antique bancas jutting out of the wall like spaceships from another time and dimension. True to its promise, it is an out-of-this-world experience to enjoy its delectable desserts in such a setting. Architect husband Ed Gallego designed this dreamboat while wife Dette whips up the fantasies. Bestsellers are Crema Catalan, Peach Gingerbread Cake, Mango Charlotte and Upside Down Cake. A true-blue sea lover, Ed lined the walls with his black and white photos of fishermen in their element, while his collection of antique paddles hangs above the entrance wall. Mainly to showcase his hobbies, teases she, of the pastry shop’s raison d’etre.

TINDERBOX (adjacent to Crossroads) Billy and Marlene Mondoñedo have been into wine and coffee distribution in Cebu for many years running, but it was only last April when they opened this four-in-one retail outlet designed by ultra modernist architect Ed Calma. Its antique Indian lights (personally chosen by Marlene) hovering above its minimalist setting of stainless steel chairs, tables and stark white walls give it a beautiful contrasting effect. The first of its kind in Cebu, it has become the favorite hangout of Cebu’s crème de la crème. Its delicatessen has a wide selection of imported cold cuts like our favorite Jamon Serrano and Prosciutto ham, a wide selection of cheeses from blocks of fresh Parmesan to cave-aged Gruyere (hmmm writing about it now makes me drool); a coffee shop that boasts of the finest espresso with its thick brown crema; a cigar lounge equipped with smoke eaters and very comfortable Italian leather sofas, offering both local and imported cigars in an automatic humidity-controlled room; and a temperature controlled, dim-lit wine cellar where you can also enjoy your meal on a long antique table. Prices of the 6,000 or so bottles of wine lining the walls range from an affordable P180 to a staggering P40,000 per! Oh yes, one can place an order of Petrus, that mystical wine made famous by you know who, consuming it like there was no tomorrow. And no, it’s not true it’s on sale ever since the pipeline from Malacañang Palace stopped flowing.

RASA MARINA (Marina Arcade, at the junction outside Mactan Airport)

With five Singaporean partners taking turns in running this restaurant, how can it miss in the high quality of food and service? It is authentic as authentic can be, not to mention its very reasonable pricing. If it were in Singapore, the food hawkers would have a run for their money, but then again its prices wouldn’t be the same, right? We had assorted satay with peanut sauce, Hainanese chicken rice, laksa lemak (noodles in spicy curry and coconut soup), bak kut teh (pork ribs soup cooked with aromatic herbs) and kangkong belacan (shrimp paste). All this plus drinks and double desserts for five persons for an amazing P1,089.00! This alone is worth the trip back to Cebu. Well, that’s not entirely true – a bite of the famous Cebu lechon wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.

LECHON GALORE! One shouldn’t leave the city without ever trying this specialty. Traditionally, the best lechoneros come from the town Talisay, but now they’ve sprouted all over the city. Each household would have its own suki or favorite. Cebu’s style of lechon would make its cousin from Luzon pale in comparison. The latter is just plain roasted (pretty much bland) and is served with a sweet liver sauce. The Visayans, like the Negrenses, stuff their lechon with any of the following combo: lemongrass, sampaloc leaves, onion leeks, loads and loads of garlic, blackpepper and salt. It comes out very aromatic and flavorful even without any sauce when eaten. In our five days stay there, we got to try three from different lechoneros (burp!):

• CANG’S (tel: 032-231-3278) very aromatic; theirs has sangke or star anise added with loads of garlic and black pepper; a bit too salty for our taste buds; leftovers (if any) great for refrying the next day! Dip in vinegar with chili.

• CNT (tel: 032-254-5767) not as aromatic as the above but very good just the same; seasoned with garlic, leeks, black pepper and salt.

• ALI SOSO (tel: 032-273-0714) Contrary to its name, this is not your so-so lechon. Very aromatic and flavorful as well.

ARANO - Spanish Bar/Restaurant (31 Fairlane Village, Guadalupe) El Sr. Don Fernando Ibarlucea, a former pelotari or jai-alai player, lords it over his little kingdom Arano. His residence by day, a bar/restaurant by night, one has to call (tel: 256-1934) and reserve a day ahead specially if ordering his signature dishes like paella, roast whole chicken, roast goat’s leg , fish in green sauce (salsa verde), etc. To call the place nondescript is an understatement, at least from the outside. Our good friends, Cebu residents Maricris Encarnacion and Gina Aboitiz, led us to a far-flung, ill-lit subdivision (or is it?) with an unpaved road leading to it. The joint’s entrance looks sinister enough – its chocolate brown door paint has mostly faded or peeled off; its wall raw concrete. It’s like a scene out of Casablanca, in black and white to boot. But once you cross the door, you are transported, in the blink of an eye, to a bar that could be somewhere in the heartland of Madre España! An oppressive air from heavy cigarette smoke hits you like the sirocco from the African desert. A cacophony of Castillian-speaking diners talking all at the same time, smoking their lungs out, drowned yet again with the glaring sound of live news telecast of TVE (España). Mercifully, we were seated outside in the erstwhile garage. Noteworthy are the chorizos and the roast chicken which came stuffed with olives, lots of garlic, rosemary and potatoes. Its aroma alone made us forget our names and our suspenseful entrance!

SUTUKIL (Mactan Seafood Market, near Magellan and Lapulapu Monuments, Mactan Island) The acronym Sutukil stems from three Visayan words: sugba (to grill), tula or tinola (to boil), and kinilaw (to marinade seafood in vinegar or other souring agent and serve it raw, a.k.a. ceviche). One goes around the wet market and buys whatever seafood he/she fancies, then have it cooked in any of the several restoshacks by the seaside. With these three most basic ways of cooking, very little had probably changed with how our pre-Hispanic forebears had their fill, too. But who’d blame them? What better way to savor the freshest catch of the day except with the least preparation and condiments? And having it with all the sea breeze one can whiff! Better make that with a hammock on the side.

TORTAS – One has to try these home-baked specialties by Vicky Tan. On a tip by our very good friend baking expert Jill Sandique, we got to try Torta Cebuana (much like a cross between mamon and butter cake, but flavored with aniseed), Torta Bohol (rather large like ensaymada) and Pan de Leche. Jill swears by Vicky’s chiffon cakes, heavenly daw, so light and airy like walking on clouds. Another specialty is the ube ensaymada, with real ube (purple yam) from Bohol used, and no artificial coloring, mind you. By order only (tel: 032-272-1896).

TABO-AN DRIED FISH MARKET Located just outside the wet market in Tabo-an on Tres de Abril St., is the wholesale dried fish market. Mounds and mounds of all sorts of dried seafood are contained in giant tiklis or bamboo baskets. But buyer beware: the smell of the dried fish clings to your clothes so better head straight back to your hotel right after for a quick shower, lest you want to be talked about. Another warning: the fish tocino, tapa and dried bones are habi-forming. Paskang lami-a gyud!!!!! No fish tale: First class tuyo -P80/k; salted danggit-P250/k; unsalted danggit-P300/k; fish tocino-P320/k; fish tapa-P200/k; fish bones - P160/k; dried shrimps (hibi) P320/k.

CHICHARRITOS – This is the brand name of the popular bite-size crackling goodies. It comes in a foil-sealed pouches in two varieties: the puffy All Rind and the meaty Bacon ‘N Rind; both in 6 flavors – Traditional, Garlic Vinegar, Sweet Chili, Sour Cream and Onion, Masterpiece Barbecue, and Flaming Hot. Its main shop on Plaridel St. in Mandaue City (tel.032-344-9402) sells freshly popped chicharon by weight. For sawsawan or dipping sauce, one dispenses from any of the four jars filled with different mixtures of vinegar, soy sauce, chili, etc. Ice-cold beer and soft drinks are available on the side. Hayyyyyy, kalami na lang gyud! So gyud, ayos na ang kasunod.