Enticing, enterprising Cebu

There’s always something enticing about Cebu . its people, its beaches, the malls, even its markets. This is a city that does now sleep, there’s always something happening, day and night. And it is enterprising, evidenced by the industrious Cebuanos who aim to make it in the international market.

Our recent visit to this so—called "Queen City of the South", gave us the opportunity to meet some of its entrepreneurs as well as attend the "Cebu Goes Culinary Foodex 2004" at the Waterfront hotel. It got such a tremendous response from students and professionals that on the two days that it took place the hotel lobby was teeming with visitors and locals, who were treated to an exhibition of both the big and small players in the food industry.

Creativity of the Filipino, specially the young aspiring hotel management students, took the spotlight in competitions that focused on table setting, food preparation and service. We were impressed by the products of their imagination and the use of indigenous materials. They got encouragement from Manila’s prominent culinary experts (Glenda, Heny. Myrna and Norbert) who flew to Cebu to help the organizers (Jessica and Lita) make the event a big success.

It was a feast for the eyes and the palette (for the judges). Plantation Bay had the Herbed Crust Rack of Lamb with Roquefort cheese. There was Tender Beef with Potato in Mornay sauce. The pralines and other confectioneries were so prettily done, in pyramids, curly cues, small decorated squares, vary-shaped wafers. The canapés were as beautifully presented blending shapes , colors and flavors.

Of the Cebu-based exhibitors, we noted Victoria Food Inc., the Central Seafoods, Inc , the Bohol Seafoods and the Chilen Food corporation. Victoria has been known to us for a long time.from the time they started selling the famous Cebu longaniza. Today, they have a line of canned goods and processed meat carrying the Weiner, Virginia, El Rancho , Australian and Champion brands. Central’s slogan is "Freshest Bounties from the Seas" and hence they have (for export) pasteurized canned crab meat soft shelled crabs, lobsters and abalone meat. Bohol takes pride in raising the best tasting bangus (milk fish) in the country. Retailing from P125 to P185 a pack. They also have black tiger fresh frozen prawns. Chilen is into chicharon, and has perfected the production of tuna cracklings. Also exporting but not present in the expo is Polyfood Ingredients whose products come under the label El Paborito. The line, made of imported meat ,is available in some stores and supermarkets, includes longaniza, cooked ham, bacon, spicy Hungarian sausages and corned beef among others. Prices are very competitive.

Of the big players, there was the multi-faceted San Miguel Corporation, offering their "Great Food Solutions" as a Feast of Flavors.. From San Miguel Purefoods, is the deli-ready collection of sizzlers (sausage links), sliced meats, sisig ( now exported). From Purefoods Hormel are Corned Beef and the pizza toppings seasoned with fennel, anise, garlic, paprika and pepper. Its edge is that all the toppings are fully cooked. Magnolia, of course is the best chicken brand and we got a promise that they’d be raising more of the bigger birds, weighing 1.5 kgs or more. The Chocolait is making a come-back, after an absence of about 5 years, in bottles of 200 and 500 ml and l liter. The Cheese Spread has also taken new flavors — strawberry and bacon. Add to that the Cheesemelt spread and the Star Mantequeso.

From Nestle’s, the new products include the Bulilits with Nido flavor, the Pomelo Lemonade called ‘Get tickled Pink’ because of its lovely color and the Spiderman Ice cream, on limited supply which should delight any young boy and girl with its Chameleon red coating (P25 each).

Dining in Cebu is always a pleasure. At Laguna Garden Café, for the first time we had the Crispy Tadyang, and Gulay na Nangka with sotanghon. At Joe’s Inato, the chicken barbecue was deliciously flavored At Waterfront’s Ting Gow, the Chinese offerings are super. Prices are incredibly low — buffet from P128 and barbecue from P60.

Go, visit Cebu.

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