A tasteful adventure in Cebu

Every time we visit Cebu, we go on a gustatory adventure. We were there for the highly successful Cebu Business Month Tourism Forum, chaired by Mila Espina, and fully supported by both the private and government sectors of the province.

At the Shangri-La Mactan Resort , we had the pleasure of having lunch specially prepared for us by French Chef Luca, at the hotel’s outlet facing the sea, Acqua. We put ourselves entirely in his creative hands and what came out was about the best lunch one can ever have. A trio of appetizers – marinated salmon in orange sauce, rolled Parma ham and eggplant with ricotta cheese and basil emulsion and thinly sliced beef with parmesan cheese – started our meal. Then came ravioli with cepes mushrooms in gorgonzola cheese and black olive tagliatelle with prawns and cherry tomatoes. The piece de resistance was a duo of sautéd fillet of Chilean seabass with zucchini and saffron sauce and a medallion of US beef on a bed of arugula leaves with cepes mushrooms and parmesan cheese. Not one of us could resist the dessert – tiramisu of mascarpone cheese cream with chocolate, espresso and lady finger biscuits. Truly a fine dining event.

Still in Mactan, dinner was at one of the outlets of popular chain Krua Thai, where we enjoyed crispy fish and mango salad, the phad thai enveloped in scrambled eggs, and fish fillet with flavored sauce.

Then we crossed Mandawe and got to the city proper, checking in at the Marco Polo hotel, where we always feel like we are at home. Marissa of SM treated us to dinner at Blu, a sky top restaurant that has just been opened. Blu is in fact a blue room, the color giving the place a cool ambiance, most conducive to a relaxing evening. Marco Polo’s Executive Chef (also responsible for the ‘best buffet breakfast in town’ at the Coffee Shop, as many guests enthused),  is Luke Gagnon while the Blu chef is Juanito Abangan. A most refreshing soup of guava and ginger primed us for the different main courses we selected from the extensive menu – seared scallops with mushroom flan, fried leeks, herbs and prosciutto emulsion, perfectly grilled Australian lamb chops with mashed potatoes and the incomparable US Angus beef ribs. Perfect!

In the course of our four-day stay we managed to visit two supermarkets – Metro Gaisano and SM, where we were given a tour of the group’s new North Wing, a massive structure as all SMs are. Comparing prices with those in Metro Manila, we found not much difference, although some seafood is more expensive. Meat (pork and beef – Monterey and Bonus ) ranges from P182 to P372 a kilo with Magnolia chicken at P99 a kilo. The wing also has various food outlets – Bread Talk, Pizza Hut, among them. We were told Café Laguna will open soon.

Metro Gaisano in the Ayala Mall is loaded with items used for special cooking – bulgur at P175.75 a pack, sun-dried tomatoes from Brazil for P161.50, rolled oats, canned veggies and sauces, the French Bonne Maman brand of fruit sauces at P249.50 per. Here pork steak is priced at P180 a kilo, beef rib eye at P380 and ground beef at P220. Rustan’s is in the course of putting the final touches to their supermarket for its upcoming opening.

In the wet markets like the old reliable Carbon in downtown Cebu, pork starts at P130 while beef is sold from P160. Of course there are the usual danggit, longganiza and pasalubong items. Along the roads are still the barbecue tiendas, the bangko-bangko (benches) where a variety of grilled and cooked food is served. We wanted to buy those Belgian chocolate cookies from Don Merto’s but we were told they have closed shop.     

When what you have in your basket seems not enough for pasalubong, the Mactan airport is a good place to buy some, like the pastille de crema, which is only available there.

One will not go hungry in Cebu. Neither will one miss what are available in Manila. Cebu is a big city with equally massive offerings, from food to clothes to furniture, to hotels and restaurants.

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