August Rush1st of 3 parts

CEBU, Philippines - As we bid adieu to rainy July, we look forward to more food trips next month,  despite the fickle weather. Here’s a foodie’s checklist of palate pleasers to try in August:

1    Warm Brownie Cup

Here’s a hot and cold instant dessert that is best eaten rain or shine. Blogger Justinne Lou Go of  babeforfood.blog spot.com  concocted three flavor options for her newest baby Team Brownie to suit every sweet tooth’s choice: Dark Fudge, Red Velvet and Smores (chocolate brownie with graham crackers and marshmallows!) Available for retail and wholesale orders via different social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - teambrowniecebu), mailing address   (team [email protected]) and mobile (0922882-2655), a Team Brownie must be popped in a microwave on high heat for 30 to 40 seconds,   top it with a scoop or two of Selecta Super Thick Vanilla ice cream (as per Justinne’s recommendation), drizzle with chocolate syrup or add candy sprinkles, cornflakes, marshmallows as you like it. You can save some in the fridge for two to three days and thaw it in the microwave to feed your brownie cup craving!

2     Barkada Burger

Definitely good for sharing, Golden Prince Hotel & Suites’ Barkada Burger of 400 grams pan-fried beef patty, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, four slices of quick melt cheese and caramelized onions sandwiched in a soft homemade bun is 10-inches in diameter and can feed up to five hungry stomachs. Priced at P290 nett, this juicy gourmet burger is available at the Prince Fusion Gourmet, its flagship restaurant. Photo by AN Banaynal

3     Lemon Cupcake

Young entrepreneur Phoebe Ouano of Phoebe’s CupCakery (located along Paseo Saturnino, Ma. Luisa Road in Banilad) recently added a new baby to her whimsical, tasty line-up of cupcakes – the light and buttery Lemony Snicket with whip cream, lemon zest and blueberry on top.

4     Anything Stonegrilled

This is the newest interactive dining experience in the metro where the diner cooks a meal of either steak or seafood on a heated slab of volcanic stone at the table. Alpa City Suites along F. Cabahug cor. Hernan Cortes streets offers this unique grilling method in its hotel restaurant Amo’s Café during lunch and dinner. More on this in the next issue.

5     Shrimp Tempura

Go gaga over Goku Izakaya’s iconic offering – the Goku Tendon (tempura don), two 10-inch shrimp tempuras that weigh more than half a kilo each sit atop a rice bowl. Goku recently opened its second branch at the ground floor of Gagfa building along F. Cabahug St. (beside Sykes). Photo by Reynan Villena

6     Shrimp in a Bag

Another shrimp favorite is Choobi Choobi’s, which recently opened its doors to Cebuanos in Parkmall, Shrimp in a Bag – its signature dish of succulent freshly-caught shrimps sautéed in a tasty sauce. This comes in five flavors: Choobi, wahh extra spicy, garlic, butter garlic and spicy gata, good for three to four pax. (FREEMAN)