Top 10 Best Cebu Blogs of 2009

The badge of epic win

There is supposed to be a food review here but I would like to step back from normal programming because I would like to sincerely thank you all for the support that I got from this blog. Time flies so fast that I did not even notice that Hungit Cebu already turned 1 since the launch last December 17, 2008.

And after a year of making reviews, HungitCebu.blogspot.com placed 2nd in the Top 10 Best Cebu Blogs of 2009!

The news caught me by surprise since I did not know I was nominated. So this is still a complete shock for me and I am sorry for not opening my e-mails. Do not worry, it will be on the top 10 of my New Year's Resolution list. Thank you to Mark Monta of www.bugits.com and the judges for giving this humble blog a chance. To see all winners, click here.

Allow me to also thank Xavier Flordeliza and Kitt Miko Perez for keeping me company in almost all reviews, Raphael Garces, Patrick Polloso, John and Dorothy Castañares, Jessie and Marie Mar Bolaron, Clyde and Gretta Nuez, Helena Juinio-Lao, Debie Grace Bersabal, Katrina Villarosa, Marc Gorospe, Reynan, Alexis and Gaylord Clapano, Errol Abarquez, the great people of Cebu Bloggers Society, Wave 14 of Convergys Comcast-Cable, Rose Buenconsejo of Tweetitow, Joligs and Vanessa Ann Balleras for making some sense out of all the chaos, Concepcion clan, Buhia and Maghanoy family and most especially, to each one of you who stumbles upon this blog a little too often, thank you!

Come 2010, join me as I work harder and blog hardest in promoting Cebu with every bite.

Have a smashing new year's eve guys. Hope you all have a great night and an amazing start to the year. See you in a couple of days! *thrust*

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Siopao King

Siopao

I married Angel Locsin last 2002.

You may not believe me on that one. It's okay, I won't hold it against you. But believe me when I say that after a thousand siopaos I have eaten since the dawn of time, only one stands out from the rest. Siopao is a chinese meat bun that has won the hearts of Filipinos over the years. Before, I usually eat siopao at the so called "aunthentic" chinese restaurants around Cebu. I thought that was it, I was eating the best siopao already.

Everything (except for my charm) that I used to believe was proven wrong when I entered college. In the busy street of Leon Kilat, there stand a shop called, Siopao King. They serve nothing but siopao and since it is friendly to a student's budget, I went in and ordered their siopao.

Like the famous overused quote, the rest is history.

The siopao in Siopao King is what a siopao should taste like. If you choose authenticity over how food should be served, well, Siopao King is only operated by a Chinese couple that can barely speak the dialect. Heck, they only even watch a certain chinese channel. I asked where they ordered their buns, the chinese husband said that he personally make the buns.

Bola-Bola Pao

The taste of the bun is really fresh that it gives you the homey feeling. Not just that, the bun is brutally soft, it's like celebrity breast implants in your hands. Their Bola-Bola Pao's (meatball) meat might be minimal with the ingredients compared to the top chinese restaurants in Cebu but the taste is way much better. All meat, no fillers.

Asado Pao

The awesomeness of their siopao does not end with the bola-bola. Their Asado Pao is crazy! The sauce and the meat of their asado is exceptional. Sweet and a little spice with a pinch of pepper on it is all that you need. It is equivalent to Prada or whatever the number 1 brand in the bag industry is.

For only 25.00Php, you can enjoy the heavenly siopao (flavor of choice) and a bottle of Maja Salvador's scripted favorite softdrink.

Siopao-dom

Believe me when I say that Siopao King lives up to its name, it is the king and the ruler of Siopao-dom. Believe me when I tell you that there is no paper at the bottom of their siopao. Believe me when I tell you that it is worth the money that you spend on a siopao because my reputation is all over this blog.

Now that I have told you the tale of the Siopao King, would you believe me if I tell you that Angel Locsin and Ruffa Gutierrez have something in common they may not realize?

Six years ago, they both wanted me.

Siopao King can be found along the furniture and cellphone shops in Leon Kilat St., Cebu City (beside Cebu Colesium).

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NL Cafe

I received an e-mail from Mr. Florentino Baliad, owner of NL Cafe. He wrote,

"We as the proprietor of NL Cafe would like to inform the public to know that we have changed address as from April 2010. NL Cafe is now located at 2nd street, Reclamation Area, Cebu Port Center (opposite SM, back of Sungold). Thank you once again."

Best Balbacua Ever

Just when you thought that Camp Lapu-Lapu in Lahug is not worth visiting, you better think again.

Not so long ago, every time we have visitors from other cities, we fill their stomachs with lechon and balbacua. The weird thing is, my father always went out of his way to buy the balbacua. Balbacua is a dish that is served anywhere. But the taste of the balbacua that he always buy is like no other.

After years of sleepless nights thinking about the best balbacua ever made, I finally asked him where to find it. Then I started my search and found NL Cafe and then I knew why my dad travels all the way from Talisay to Lahug just for the balbacua.

NL Cafe is a simple place where you can eat with your friends and family. Not too lavish in style, but they make up for their food. From their kinilaw to their pochero, it is made purely with science. But the superstar in the line up is their balbacua. Their balbacua dominates every aspect of the meal.

Balbacua is like kare-kare minus the peanut butter and vegetables. It may be a relative to kare-kare but balbacua is stronger and you don't need bagoong just to make it taste better. The strong taste of the meat, the spices in its soup and the little pinch of the ginger gives me thrills. It may look dull but like the autobots, it is more than meets the eye. NL Cafe's balbacua is so soft and tender, it make pillows feel like cement. The wonder of it is that, how can a thing get so soft without breaking the meat into pieces? It is served as a whole meat and when you take a piece of it, the meat would gently slide down from the bone. Watching the meat slide is like watching Eva Longoria's strap slide down to her shoulders. Orgasmic, yes.

NL Cafe

Even celebrities from Manila visited NL Cafe because of the food they serve. It gives you the feeling of eating at a simple eatery with food that is served at par with the best restaurants in town. You know, we celebrities like the fact that we are at a simple place, being a simple person.

For 120Php per serving, their balbacua is all worth the sweat.

Now I know what Camp Lapu-Lapu and its soldiers are guarding. The best balbacua ever.


. Prices range from 60Php to 210Php. Servings are good for 2 stomachs.

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S&A Food Hauz

Sizzling Shawarma

Shawarma, yes, we all know this popular middle eastern sandwich has been romancing our appetite for a while now. If the west have burgers, the east have shawarmas. In the middle east, it is a selection of lamb, beef, goat or turkey. But since us Filipinos have fused it with our own, most commonly used meat is beef.

Pita Bread

We may have a different mixture of spices and meat used in making shawarma, but there is only one way to eat it and it is to wrap it with pita bread. If you find a shawarma shop that does not serve it wrapped and ready to eat, then you are at S&A Food Hauz.

You see, the boys at S&A Food Hauz serves a new breed of shawarma, the sizzling shawarma. I bet my 16 Gmail accounts that S&A Food Hauz is the only place in Cebu where we can find this type of shawarma. The combination of middle east and Filipino is topped with egg and just like sisig, you will have to mix it all up. Sizzling shawarma is served with, of course, pita bread.


Do you notice the first time you had your shawarma and you just can't get enough of the mysterious sauce in it? Worry not because the best part of this sizzling shawarma is that, you get to make your own little shawarmas and you will get to have your own sauce! Oh, and did I mention that the sauce is unlimited? Man, I'd donate my kidneys for this one.

One might say, this is crazy. Well it gets crazier because if you buy 2 orders of sizzling shawarma, you'll get 1 order free! For an approximate price of 100.00 Php per serving (pita bread excluded), you sure will get your hard earned cash worth.

Photo by Ed of soloflighted.com
(got too drunk to take a pic of the store)

Once you pass by Mabolo, be sure to check it out and don't get tricked with the simplicity of the place because S&A Food Hauz is one of Cebu's best kept secrets. One will surely fall in love with this shawarma just like how Claudine Barretto fell in love with Mark Anthony Fernandez. (Old school huh)

S&A Food Hauz also serves Shawarma Pizza, Siomai and Siopao. It is located at Juan Luna St., Mabolo (beside Leona's Bakeshop, in front of San Carlos Seminary)

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Abuhan Restaurant

Abuhan Dos

Native Filipino restaurants are all over Cebu. We have an A-Team when it comes to native restaurants and every one of them specialize on something. One of the elite Filipino restaurants in Cebu is the legendary Abuhan Restaurant. Their old Filipino cooking style has been mesmerizing the Cebuanos for 25 years already and they strive to continue by opening more branches.


Abuhan is the home of the best Pochero (Beef Shank) in Cebu. My girlfriend from Manila says it is Bulalo, not Pochero. But for Cebuanos, it is Pochero and this is the only way to cook Pochero. And since it's my treat, I win.

Classic Pochero

Abuhan gives you 2 choices on how your Pochero will be served. The first one is the classic Pochero. Classic style Pochero consist of cabbage, baguio beans, corn, bamboo shoots and beef. Don't get fooled by the minimal ingredients though, Abuhan's pochero is so eatable. The meat is well prepared that you can pull the bone off from the meat by just picking it up. Like sweat from Angel Locsin's cleavage, the meat just slides down as you pull the bone. Now that's sexy. This classic Pochero is devastatingly delicious.

Sizzling Pochero (photo by Melo Villareal)

The second choice is their unique, Sizzling Pochero. The Sizzling Pochero is all meat, no fillers; it is like Megan Fox wearing white shirt and denims. This heavenly thing gives me orgasms the first time I tasted it. The taste of the gravy does not fight with the flavor of the meat. Believe me when I tell you (at least in this food blog), the level of greatness is off the charts with this dish.


Another thing with Abuhan's Pochero is that, it doesn't come in small sizes. You can have their medium size or large size of the Pochero. Being confident enough that we can annihilate the famous pochero, Bans and I ordered the large one.

And then we failed.

Please put a note on yourself that Abuhan's large size pochero is good for 3-4 persons. But if you really are into gluttony, you can have the large one and in case you just can't shove any more meat in your mouth, the waiters are always willing to wrap it up for you so you can bring the pochero home.

Abuhan does not only offer pochero though. Their other specialties are Calderetang Kambing, Kare-kare, Crispy Pata, and Sizzling Squid.

If you get addicted to their Pochero, you know who to blame.

And I am sure it is not the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol.

Abuhan Restaurant is located at F. Ramos Street, Cebu (Main branch is in front of Velez Hospital and Abuhan Dos is located at the back of Robinson's.) Abuhan Tres is located at I2 Asia Town, I.T. Park, Lahug, Cebu City.

For reservations and info, call 253-1151 thru 57.


*Pochero prices are 350.00+ pesos and other dishes vary from 160+

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Dessert Factory

After every full meal, we always look for something to remove the edible taste in our tongue. And I am not talking about lip service. Good restaurants don't always have good desserts to finish you up and that's a fact. This is where Dessert Factory comes in. With a crew sporting a wizard-ish hat, they will be your tooth faeries for your visit to their factory of epic win.

Turtle Brownie Ala Mode

They have a good set of Ala Modes to choose from. Turtle Brownie Ala Mode is one of my favorites (there are no animals hurt or used in this Ala Mode). It is a slice of brownie topped with ice cream (of choice), toasted nuts, caramel syrup and the love of the chocolate syrup. This Ala Mode's taste really explodes in your mouth. With all the stuff getting mixed up, nothing could go wrong with this turtle.

Rocky Road Brownie Ala Mode

Another Ala Mode that hypnotized me was the Rocky Road Brownie Ala Mode. Again, it is a slice of brownie topped with ice cream (of choice, of course), toasted peanuts and marshmallows to go. I say, it is like the Rocky Road cake but with enhancements from the syrups and the ice cream, this is one heck of a Rocky Road.

Fish FAILlet

If you're hungry and does not want to indulge any sweet stuff yet, I suggest NOT to try their Fish Fillet. It is well fried and tender and nice but the thing is too salty. Not for me. Go try another meal on their menu.

Their Fish Fillet may fail but that's okay, they are the Dessert Factory. They specialize in desserts, not meals.

Achocolypse Now!

If Ala Modes does not rock your boat, then have a slice of their Achocolypse Now! cake. This is the cake that will end all chocolate cakes. This chocolate cake comes in layers of different kinds of chocolates. The line up consists of chocolate cheesecake, chocolate walnut ganache, chocolate extreme and chocolate pudding. Oh, and did I forget the chocolate icing and the nuts? I don't have the words to tell you how good this chocolate cake is. I'm sorry but this cake makes me speechless. This is food for the gods.

They should put on the menu:

WARNING: Awesomeness.

Dessert Factory is located at the Ayala Terraces.

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Mactan Majestic Seafood Restaurant

Pancit Canton

I happen to visit China some time back and what I miss was the food. Surprisingly, what I found in the island of Mactan is a restaurant that serves good chinese cuisine. From the restaurant's ambiance up to its scent, it was like remembering an ex-girlfriend, it reminded me a lot like the restaurant I visited in China. If you don't mind having oily lips, then make your way to Mactan Majestic Seafood Restaurant.

Bird's Nest Soup

Of course, the Bird's Nest Soup is first on the table. The texture of the soup is mild and light. Feels very good to the stomach. The soup is a great opener for one great meal. Next comes their Fried Chicken. Covered with prawn crackers, it makes the presentation of the dish unique. It is very well fried (Chinese style),with a dip that flirts with your sweet tooth, it gives a little twist on the dish.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Their Pancit Canton is marvelous. Serves good for 4 hungry stomachs, the flavors of their Pancit Canton blooms like lovely daisies on a hill. How can I forget the juice from the Pancit Canton? God, that was one of the best noodles I ever had. Please do not stop yet, their Sweet and Sour Pork is a must-have. Soft diced pork coated with the glittering sweet and sour sauce, this dish is godlike. It was the best sweet and sour pork I ever had. It blew me away like a pack of cards in a whirlwind. This is highly recommended.

Steamed Lapu-Lapu with Soy Sauce

But since Mactan Majestic Seafood Restaurant offers various seafood dishes, do not stop yourself from ordering their Steamed Lapu-Lapu with Soy Sauce. Fresher than a freshman, this dish compliments well with the dishes I had. Mactan Majestic Seafood Restaurant satisfied my hunger for Chinese style cooking. With the price range of 200 to 300 pesos, you really get your money's worth with their excessive servings.

Visit the Mactan Majestic Seafood Restaurant in Marina Mall, Lapu-Lapu City.

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Blog Update!!!

Bite me.

I would like to interrupt normal programing with this special announcement.

Recently, Hungit Cebu has been a regular on the top food blogs in the country. Every week, the number of visits in this blog is slowly getting higher and it now ranks up on the top 25 food blogs in the Philippines. I am so thankful, I think I'm gonna cook a lustful chocolate cake for you guys. =)

And no, that is not the announcement. This interruption is caused by Cruiser Magazine. Yes, it is finally out and Hungit Cebu is now on print. You will see my column every issue of Cruiser Magazine from this month on. The magazine is for free, so please do not hesitate to grab a copy. With the Cruiser gig, it means that I will be reviewing more food and more restaurants, not only in Cebu, but also in other cities.

We'll see if other places in the Philippines can make a Cebuano tastebud happy.

Love, peace and chicken grease!

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St. Francis Ocean Park

Over the years, we have heard about shark attacks all over the globe. Some unfortunately died and some survived with an arm or a leg. So I decided to travel down to the town of Naga and bite back. Located at the back of Naga's town hall is their St. Francis Ocean Park. This is where shark meat is served at its best. And this is where we get to not only bite a shark, but also eat it.

Tinolang Iho (shark soup)

Their Tinolang Iho (shark soup) was the best I had. With strong flavors that makes life a little comforting, it surely left me amazed by the taste. Boy oh boy! It sure is really good. And if you are as exotic as the rainforest in Africa, they will be happy to serve you with stingrays and ubod (ubod looks like an eel).

Kinilaw na Lamon-Lamon


Sinugbang Anduhaw (Grilled Anduhaw)

Since seafoods are their specialty, you should also have a taste of their Kinilaw na Lamon-Lamon. The meat is fresh and the spices that goes along with it dazzled my mind with ease. Also, do not forget to have their meaty Sinugbang Anduhaw (Grilled Anduhaw).

Crab Meat

But that's not all, their crab meat is a must have. With the size of Goliath's hand, it is good for 2 persons. Also make way for their Grilled Pusit. The pusit is perfectly grilled and doesn't taste like a strap from a Havaianas.

The good thing about St. Francis Ocean Park is that, they sell it cheap. With a 30.00 to 80.00 pesos price range, it won't hurt your declining wallet. So, if you are into seafoods and wants to have a meal by the sea, go to St. Francis Ocean Park (behind Naga's town hall, beside the tennis courts).

Sometimes, we just have to bite back.

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Carcar's Chicharon

As a kid, every time my father will travel to the southern part of Cebu, he always have something when he comes home. And that something is Chicharon (pork cracklings). Located at the south, the town of Carcar holds the best Chicharon in the land. It looks like ordinary Chicharon, but like the new singing sensation, Susan Boyle, don't let the looks fool you because the explosive taste of Carcar's chicharon will surely sweep you off your feet.

Crave.

Unlike any other Chicharon, Carcar makes it less salty and crispier than the rest. And no, don't start to question the freshness of the Chicharon because the Chicharon is packed right in front of you. Like a starlet in a new bold movie, it is guaranteed fresh.

Rotonda, Carcar

Make your way to the town of Carcar and go straight to Rotonda. There you'll see an army of Chicharon vendors waiting to serve you the best Chicharon in Cebu. For as low as 125.00 pesos, this hearty food will surely make your tastebuds go bonkers.

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Sunburst Fried Chicken

(pic from unlawyer.net)

Founded in 1971 at Iligan City, under the name of A & C Chicken and Pizza House, this restaurant spread like forest fire to the Visayas. The name may change but the Fried Chicken is still much the same. People in the island of Cebu just couldn't get enough of their fried chicken. If you talk about fried chicken, then you are talking about Sunburst. Their fried chicken is simply the best in town, no doubt about it. The crisp of its skin will haunt you like Lady Gaga's Poker Face and the tenderness of the fried chicken's meat is ecstatic. Very well cooked and very well prepared. Sunburst always make me howl like a wolf on a full moon.

The famous Fried Chicken

The stage is dominated by their fried chicken, but you just can't set aside their backups. Their Lumpiang Shanghai is classic. The sauce may be a little weird for a Lumpiang Shanghai, but who needs the sauce when the lumpia itself is good to go?

Lumpiang Shanghai


Fried Bangus

I tried their Fried Bangus on a hot plate. The bangus was well fried but I didn't feel the sauce for me to say it brought down the house. Also, you got to taste their Beef Ampalaya. The mild flavors in this dish along with a touch of bitterness from the ampalaya makes it worth every peso you pay. The meat is tender and the sauce is soothing. This is a must-have.

Beef Ampalaya

It is so interesting on how Sunburst makes their Fried Chicken. It is like, they know everything about chickens and the art of frying it.

Sunburst is so good, I personally think they know which came out first between the chicken and the egg.

Visit them at SM City (233-1820) or at Capitol (254-9400).

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JO'S CHICKEN INATO

V. Renudo St., Ramos Branch

Established in the beautiful city of Dumaguete, Jo's Chicken Inato has been a favorite place for Cebuanos that enjoys good food with a festive ambiance. Jo's is known for its native recipes and drinks. A must have is of course, their specialty, the heavenly Chicken Barbecue. With meat that is as tender as a mother's love and a strong flavor of the barbecue, eating grilled chicken will never be the same again. Served with rice on a banana leaf, Jo's Chicken Barbecue sure makes you feel festive. It is so darn good that even pork lovers will love it.

Chicken Barbecue

Pancit Macau

As you devour over the chicken barbecue, don't forget to order their Pancit Macau. Jo's Pancit Canton is one of the best pancits I have ever tasted. The richness of the flavor on the Macau's sauce will tell you how much love Jo's put in every dish they serve.

If you are not into chickens, then you must have their Steaked Tangige. You will be able to see the freshness of the fish the moment it is served. I love how the mild flavors of the Steaked Tangige go well with the natural flavor of the fish. Like a bride on a wedding day, everything was just right. Now, if you really can't sleep if you don't have pork for a meal, try the striking Pork Barbecue. The flavor strikes back at your tastebuds like it has been marinated for years! Very tasty, very tender, very good.

Steaked Tangige

One of their popular dish is their Sinigang na Baboy. Their sinigang makes everything alive. One will surely be awaken with the flavors the dish have. Rice lovers need not to worry, selected dishes entitles you to an unlimited rice access.

For inquiries, call:

V. Renudo St., Ramos Branch (253-1862)
Salinas Drive, Lahug (234-0030)
Osmena Blvd, Capitol (255-4721)
Cor. Juan Luna, Manalili (238-5739)
Subangdaku, Mandaue (346-9805)

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ALBERTO'S PIZZA

I recieved an e-mail from Ms. Cathy Rivera, a franchisee of Alberto's Pizza a couple of days ago. She told me their side of the story and that the famous pizzeria was a victim of the system. Which I personally also believe was a sabotage. The pizzas in Alberto's are as safe as money in a bank's vault.

Pizza lovers, go ahead and throw a parade 'cause Alberto's Pizza is back!

Click here for the official news from Sun Star Cebu.

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Supremos'

Just in front of the infamous Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital, a pizza parlor is causing traffic to the busy streets of B. Rodriguez. Alberto's Pizza is the culprit. Famous for serving great tasting pizzas that doesn't hurt the budget, Alberto's Pizza is a pizza lover's cupid.

Their Supremos' pizza is mouth-watering. It has the right amount of toppings with no overplays from the pepperoni, bacon, mushroom, onions, pineapple tidbits, black olives and green bell pepper. They are at peace with the cheese.

Beef & Mushroom

After finishing the Supremos', I saunter to the counter to receive another luscious pizza. Beef & Mushroom pizza awaits. Now this pizza's name may be common but I tell you, the beef and mushroom overload just makes meat lovers go gaga. I even think the beef and the mushroom is thicker than its crust. But if you don't want to anger the diet gods, Garden Specials is the right thing for you. This pizza hates meat. I am not a big fan of meatless pizzas but this one is an exception. It is even more scrumptious when sprinkled with pepper. This pizza is so relaxing, it gives you that homey feeling.

Garden Specials

Also, make sure to try their Alberto's Full House pizza. Yes, you got that right. A pizza with a little bit of everything. This is served with an impressive arsenal of toppings that consists of ham, salami, bacon, chicken hotdog, Hungarian sausage, minced beef, minced chicken, mushroom and a lot more. This is the Royal Rumble... on a thin crust. This pizza will get you all psyched up for sure.

There is only one question left though, why are their great tasting pizzas so cheap?

Now that is love right there.

Alberto's Pizza can be found at B. Rodriguez St., JT Montesclaros Bldg. 3 P. Del Rosario and at Almendras Ext., Mabolo, Cebu City.

For deliveries, call or text:

B. Rodriguez St. (414-4798/09233753516)
JT Montesclaros Bldg. 3, P. Del Rosario (581-1727/09228443878)
Almendras Ext., Mabolo (233-4108/09228228497)


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I am now a regular contributor of Cruiser Magazine. The new lifestyle magazine will circulate next month. Some restaurants featured in Hungit Cebu will go on print every month on the magazine. I just can't believe I will now have my own section on a lifestyle mag. Epic win.

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