The Diner To Go To

CEBU, Philippines — Debating on where to dine out is a common scene among a group of friends. Choosing a place to eat out at, amid the array or restaurants serving different cuisines, can be confusing and exhausting.

With the idea of gathering food choices in one place, accommodating varied food preferences, a homegrown Cebuano restaurant is born. Couple Neil and Lovely Labrador relied on their own love for food in putting up the one-stop diner, Portos Diner and Grille. The fast casual restaurant serves various Cebuano favorites in one sitting – hot and fresh. The diner’s meticulously planned menu offers select dishes from different cuisines catering to everyone’s tastes – either Mexican, American or Asian.

Portos is meant to be the better option for those who’re tired of similar – if not the same – stuff served everywhere else. When asked of their edge over the other restaurants around, the Labrador couple says, “People have the right to choose. We [try] to make ours better.” Neil believes that the formula of good quality and reasonable price – with excellent service, of course – is unbeatable.

Indeed, Portos Diner and Grille has been quite a success since it first opened in 2012 along Escario Street. Recently, the owners decided to move their restaurant to SM Seaside in order to cater to a wider market.

The restaurant resident chef is Chef Lovely herself, who learned culinary arts at the International Culinary Arts Academy. Chef Lovely first wanted to work in a hotel abroad but her husband suggested that they build their own restaurant instead.

Portos’ house specialty includes oh-so-tender Baby Back Ribs, Waka-waka, its own version of the Korean Bulgogi and Baka Roti (open-faced roti with beef chunks). The diner also serves Italian dishes, from the thin crust of their pizzas to their pasta sauces.

Portos is a Spanish word for “place to go to.” And it certainly is the place to be for those who want good food at a friendly price.  (FREEMAN)