Ilaputi

They all say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That is correct and it is good that that statement exist because it is the final solution to the debate of "who is prettier?" when it comes to Anne Curtis and Cristine Reyes. But when it involves a person's look, it is never smart to tell your opinions directly to the person or to the other half. Simply because people are always bias when it comes to that part. Telling your friend that her boyfriend looks like a World Wildlife Fund promotional poster for neglected horses, even if it's true, the eye of the beholder statement is not acceptable. Chances are, you will lose a friend and if you are lucky, an eye too.

When it comes to food, we don't just look only for beauty, but also the taste. Truth is, no matter how many steroids he takes or how handsome your boyfriend is, a cheesecake is always tastier. Ilaputi restaurant knows too well about this that it fused beauty and taste better than Science. Ilaputi is one of the popular Asian and fusion restaurants in Cebu and is truly on top of the list. With an impressive original menu from the owner itself, this self-taught chef surely leaves an impression better than your trophy boyfriend.

Phoenix Mandarin Salad

Ilaputi's salads are the type that you don't see in most restaurants. Their salads are the real deal and have strong and mixed flavors. Just the way we want it. Their Phoenix Mandarin Salad is perfect. With a bowl that consists of grilled rosemary chicken breast fillet, apples, almonds and red onion on a bed of organic romaine lettuce and sealed with honey-citrus vinaigrette, you will surely calm your stomach in preparation for the main dish. I love how the salad have the tingle of sweetness and at the same time a very mild sourness on it. I like the almonds in the mix as it gives that extra crunch. The honey-citrus vinaigrette is a really smart choice as it holds together the flavors of each component. For people who have a salty tongue, the natural salty flavor of the Beef Mediterranean Salad is harder to spell than to eat. Packed with organic greens, tomatoes, onions, black olives, feta cheese and thinly sliced beef with Italian vinaigrette, this will surely put moist in your mouth. I love how this salad makes an explosion on the tongue.

Citrus Sunburst and Strawberry-Kiwi Slush

Ilaputi also have an amazing 22 signature drinks. Their Strawberry-Kiwi Slush have a taste of a tender feeling. The strawberry with a hint of kiwi blends gracefully, it is like a ghostly galleon tossed upon in cloudy seas. Ilaputi's Citrus Sunburst on the other hand is like your raging girlfriend defending your looks with the rabid tenacity of a 16 year old trying to defend the literary qualities of Twilight, it gives your tongue a blast and is guaranteed to wake your senses up. With orange, lemon and a touch of grenadine in one glass, goosebumps is expected.

Buffalo Chicken Fingers

Also good for starters is the Buffalo Chicken Fingers. Consisting of panko-crusted chicken fingers with teriyaki sauce, vegetable sticks and blue cheese dip, it has the core of Ilaputi's menu which is quality, quantity and awesome presentation. The chicken fingers are crunchy and at the same time, tender. The chicken and the vegetable sticks works very well with the blue cheese dip.

Dragon Chop

New on the menu is the Dragon Chop. This is simply one of my favorites. The flavors are so extraordinary that I can't believe it is real because fiction is the only place where flavors like this dish exists. This dish is composed of an overnight marinated thick-cut grilled garlic pork chop, flashed with garlic-cilantro yoghurt, spicy mango chutney dip and served with raisin butter rice. Aside from its generous size that can feed Leyte, the flavor that sips into the tender meat is amazing. Along with the garlic-cilantro yoghurt and the spicy mango dip, it is a tornado blasting its way through your tongue. Pair it with raisin butter rice for that additional creamy, sweet taste, this is simply fusion 101.

The Stroganov

What will you get when Ilaputi put together tenderloin tips with mushrooms and rich sour cream sauce? Sure as hell not Kris Aquino but the restaurant's bestseller, The Stroganov. This Ilaputi dish is as popular as the prom queen that you will never date. But unlike the prom queen, this actually can be yours. The tenderloin's natural flavor came out perfectly and in typical over-the-top fashion, smothered with the lip-smacking flavor of its rich sour cream sauce. I love the stroganov's genuine taste with a minimal drama of the spices. With flavor and rich taste like the stroganov, its status as the bestseller is never to be questioned.

As amazing as the dishes at Ilaputi, the presentation of each dish is very well done. It is very pleasant that it makes you feel like a judge in the Iron Chef show. The beauty of the dish and the real taste of the food makes you feel special.

We may not be as stunning as the actors on TV. But it does not mean that we can't have nice things such as beautiful women, strong wine and good food. As long as there is time, there is justice for the non-appealing.

Because time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.

Ilaputi is located at i1 Bldg. Asiatown IT Park, Cebu City. You may contact them for delivery at (032) 415-8800. For prices and their complete set of menu, you may go to their website at http://ilaputi.com.ph

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All pictures are taken by Roui Faelnar. For more of his photography, you may visit his site at http://rouifaelnar.com

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WIN ILAPUTI GIFT CHECKS!

HungitCebu.com and Ilaputi is giving away 300 gift certificates to 3 lucky readers! To win, simply answer this question:

According to the latest post, what is the new dish in Ilaputi's menu?

You may e-mail the answer at hungitcebu@gmail.com. First 3 to answer will win 300 gift cards from Ilaputi!

The answer is: Dragon Chop

Winners:

Rilven Virtudazo

Kitt Miko Perez

BigBoy Flordeliza

I will contact you by e-mail for the arrangements. Thank you all for joining! Cheers!

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M and M Lechon

Building foundations of a good friendship requires time and nurturing. Any random person in the world could be your best friend, as long as you are willing to accept one's imperfections. A good way to nurture it is by spending time with your friends. A very important component to this is food. Yes, food brings people together. Either bad or good food, it still sparks the conversation in the table. Food essentially puts a positive effect most of the time, especially if the food is shared.

One of the greatest invention of man before the iPhone, lechon baboy, is one of the powerhouse in the gastronomic world. Lechon baboy is served for all purposes. You can devour it alone if you just can't get enough of the awesome fat or you can share it with family and friends. Having it alone would be incredible but as my personal take, nothing beats eating with someone.

Lechon Baboy

M and M Lechon knows about this and they know well. Serving in one of the booming districts of the south, M and M Lechon offers one of the best lechons in Cebu. M and M Lechon serves authentic Cebu lechon and makes sure that people of all types will get to enjoy it. If you are eating alone, you can still have lechon with their budget meal of 1/8 kilo of lechon, 2 puso (hanging rice) and your soda of choice for only P57.00.

Laman-loob

Aside from lechon, M and M also serve other types of food coming from the lechon. If you are into chicharon bulaklak, liver or any dish that is made from the insides of the lechon, you would be delighted that everything is only at P12.00 each! What is great is that they just did not fry the laman-loob but marinated it and cooked in adobong bisaya style. The chicharon bulaklak is a bit salty as it retrieves its natural salt from the meat. People who have incredible salty tongues would surely love it.

Dinuguan, Paksiw and Laman-loob

Like Apple not having Steve Jobs, a lechon stall is comedy if they do not serve dinuguan. The fresh blood pudding is one good partner for lechon. These two are best of friends and you can never go wrong in pairing them both. For only P15.00, you can make a meal out of it already as the meaty dinuguan will always give you that nice fullness in the stomach. Not to be neglected is M and M's lechon paksiw. I love how they shy away the taste of the oil in cooking and the way they soften the lechon meat. Mixed with strong spices and a blast of vinegar, the lechon paksiw will kick start the conversation. The aroma of the dish reminds me of how strong my relationship was before I fell out of love with my ex, Anne Curtis.

If you have not tasted the lechon coming from Talisay, you have not tasted "Cebu lechon". Yes, there are some good players in Metro Cebu but the lechon in Talisay is at a different level. The meat is very tender and the flavor of the spices are able to set aside a little, making way for the natural flavor of the pork. What is also amazing is that M and M does not serve large pigs. Because of this, the flavor and the taste is so intact and the meat is extraordinarily juicy. Everyone's favorite, the lechon skin will not make you remember your Math because it never fails. Simply put, it is as crisp as the Iron Man costume.

The lechon is so good that even Taylor Swift is writing a song about it.

Having a good, hearty meal with family and friends is one of the best moments of our lives. M and M Lechon knows about this and this is why, like us, they nurture and place a good foundation when it comes to making the best lechon.

They make sure that the flavor, together with the experience of food, remains true and authentic. Just like how we like our friends.

M and M Lechon is located at the parking lot (at the back of McDonald's) of Gaisano Fiesta Mall, Cebu South Road, Tabunok, Talisay City.

For orders, you may contact: 513-0484 (landline), 09194973698 or 09231449919 (mobile) and look for Marvin or Marite Garcia

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All pictures are taken by Roui Faelnar. For more of his photography, you may visit his site at http://rouifaelnar.com

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