Today there is a lot of Fusion Cuisine, but allow us to recall the real and pure Cebuano cooking, still prevalent if you know where to look. Inasal is whole barbecued chicken, skewered on long bamboo poles along the beaches and roasting in grillers that dot the city, giving off that familiar delicious smell. Balbacua is an old dish, much like the Tagalogs’ kare-kare. Calderetang Kambing (raw meat selling at P290 a kilo) is done with wine. Their lechon does not come with our usual febre (liver sauce) because the pig is seasoned prior to being roasted. There is the danggit dried fish that abounds in the market which, for a while, was only sold in Cebu. Today they are neatly packed in plastic bags (so they won’t stink up the plane) and you can choose between salted and unsalted. Dried squid (big) is also a specialty, found in mounds in the local market.
Other favorite pasalubongs (gifts) from Cebu are Majarial, small blocks of peanuts and sugar; the flaky biscuit Hojaldres and the crunchy Rosquillos. The last two can be bought either in packets or in the distinctive round tin cans. And there’s our favorite Pastille de Crema. Long ago, our Cebu host gave us these biscuits, bathed in sugar with cream filling. Then they disappeared and re-surfaced at the Mactan airport, which is the only place now that carries this delicacy. They are made in Carcar by a lady who is perhaps not aware that there’s a bigger market waiting for her outside the airport.
Foreign cuisine, initially limited to Chinese and Spanish, has long been satisfying the gourmands of the city. We remember Majestic restaurant in Colon (Cebu’s oldest street) where we had some of our more memorable Chinese meals. Today good Chinese food is served in several areas. The Casino Español, looking more elegant with its new additional facilities, regaled its members and visitors with specialties like fabada and paella. Yes, Eddie’s Log Cabin is still operating, the first eatery to offer really good beef steak, served in its natural juices with corn kernels on the side. Today, there is hardly any type of food not available in Cebu. With the "invasion" of international hotel chains and with some of its own people imbibing other culinary influences, Cebu is a haven for any foodie.
Name the type of food you want, Cebu has it: Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Café Laguna, later to be joined by Garden Café at the Ayala Center, owned by migrant Lita Urbina from Cabuyao, Laguna, made a mark when she introduced Tagalog dishes such as sinigang sa bayabas, tinola, etc some 12 years ago. This chain also includes Lemon Grass, offering Vietnamese and Thai specialties. Some items on the menu are partly Halal. Chika-an has given bangus daing a new twist by grilling and bathing it with coconut cream. Krua Thai at the SM complex is perhaps the best place to have Tom Yam soup and Phad Thai. There’s Café Vienna and Café de Paris for sausages and Western-inspired salads and pasta.
Going around the city, one need not worry about getting hungry. The chains (McDo, KFC, Jollibee etc) are there. Small grilling stands for chicken inasal and pork barbecue are all around. King’s is a small place that serves good pancit miki for a pittance. The latest isa Ngo Hiong lumpia at P5 and the so-called poor man’s buffet on the sidewalks, where you dine seated on bangkos (wooden benches).
The Malls abound with a variety of eateries and needless to say, the coffee culture has made its mark among Cebuanos. Their own Bo’s Coffee has expanded and can be found in many areas, including Manila. They have good blends and tempting cakes and pastries. Staff is efficient. Pizza outlets are also aplenty.
Of course the international hotel chains offer their respective bests, mostly in the form of sumptuous buffets that could nearly equal those in Manila. Waterfront has a good Chinese restaurant and cake shop. If one is a big eater, the breakfast fare anywhere generally offers a very sumptuous meal.
And ah, the Cebu mangoes! Before Guimaras, this is the province where the sweetest mangoes come. And you can still find them here.
Eat then to your heart’s–and stomach’s–delight in Cebu!