The Best Cebu Food
Indeed, it is always a pleasure to have the chance to eat good food. This provides the opportunity to bond with friends and family members as they eat and share meals together. The good food is a perfect match to the moment when people can talk about anything, and where the food is much more enjoyed. It is a good time to break away from the usual tedious routines and schedules and instead just enjoy the good food and the company of friends and families.
With the so many food cuisines and cooking styles that we are aware of, it is indeed hard for one to stand out and make us recall it easy. We have different standards and taste preferences, and most often, how we view food seems to be subjective.
"saging" a Cebuano term for banana
It is, however, inspiring to know that Cebu food is one of those that has stood out and most preferred over the hard years. Cebu has maintained the elegance and the class with the kinds of foods that it offers. Cebu has indeed a lot in line for those who are in the mood for a food trip, with the several delicacies and food styles and cuisines. True, Cebuano food stands out from the rest, perhaps because of its ingenuity and distinctiveness. The Cebu food is perfect and apt for everyone – regardless of whether one favours the sweet, sour, salty or hot and chilli. Cebu has a lot to offer, and it is sure that there is for every taste preference. Perhaps, it is also true that Cebu food is one thing that attract and lures local and foreign tourists to come to the islands and keep on coming back. The food is undeniably delicious and it is surely tempting never to miss it once one has a chance to try it.
On that note, we are bringing you a comprehensive and detailed discussion of Cebu food, from the sweets and delicacies to refreshments to snacks to street food and everything. We are sure that you are going to enjoy what the site has provided for food lovers and food enthusiasts like you, especially with such an interesting subject like Cebu Food. Together, we will discover the reasons why Cebuano food and cuisine remains to be one undisputed favourite among Filipinos and even foreigners. Nevertheless, it is best that you try them for yourselves and see what fits your taste buds best and what pleases you the most.
"buwad" a Cebuano term for dried fish
Not as famous as French, Indian, or Chinese, but Cebuano food / cuisine holds its own against the great culinary cultures of the world. The style is distinctive and the flavors are subtle. Like other cuisines common in humid climes, Cebu's dishes tend to be wet - soups and sauteed dishes prevail. This may take some getting used to at first, especially for Europeans. But the effort to adapt and learn is definitely worth your time.
There are crucial elements of Cebuano cuisine which pop up in numerous dishes. One is the local chilli and the other one is native vinegar.
The Cebuano chilli are tiny. Few specimens are longer than an inch. The sili is in fact the hottest chilli on this planet. It is impossible to eat a sili. The way it is usually used is in a sauce used for flavoring where it is squished to release the juices into the surrounding sauce.
Native vinegar is made from the sap of coconut trees. It has rich, inimical flavor and develops out of an alcoholic drink called tuba. It's used to flavor just about all dishes.
Filed Under Cebu Food-trip Adventures
Cebu is famous for its white sand beaches, pristine waters, tropical climate, warm, friendly people and delightful cuisine that not only fills starved stomachs, but warms the heart as well. Cebu welcomes hundreds of thousands or even millions of tourists, both local and foreign, year after year. With several of them visiting the place multiple times a year, truly it has been considered a second home to some. With cheaper airfares being promoted online, one can find direct or connecting flights to Cebu wherever you are in the world. You can also find thousands of hotels and resorts listed on the Web or even travel agents specialising in Cebu tours for first time visitors. Hotels and resorts range from dirt cheap pension houses to luxury hotels and resorts. Cebu beaches are the best place to go to in this island. You can find the best resorts not too far from the city, so you can still be able to enjoy the city life while staying here. There are posh resorts located just a few minutes away from airport, while others are located in the southern and northern tips.
On the other hand, city life in Cebu may not be too far out from other major cities in Asia like Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Kuala Lumpur because one can find a wide array of clubs, restaurants and entertainment facilities like karaoke bars, which is pretty famous in Cebu among locals and tourists alike. However, the best to do when visiting Cebu is to have a taste of its local delicacies where you feel completely full and satisfied. If you like seafood, there is a place near its international airport where one can find the most amazing array from lobsters to giant crabs.
Filed Under Cebu Food-trip Adventures
The kitchen is a sacred place for people who love food and has the passion for cooking mouth-watering food for loved ones and for their own families. The kitchen is where they pour their hearts out to create masterpieces for every single member of the family to gorge in. That is why they will need some neat kitchen equipment and a revamp of the entire area to be more inspired to do so. Kitchen remodelling should start with a complete makeover of its cabinets. People will need a place to store all their ingredients. Otherwise, their fancy stoves, ovens and large fridge will not have much use to them. This is where usability should come before aesthetics. If they have a lot of pots and pans, then they will also need to install hanging racks. The home owner can then choose to have a counter in the middle or a clear cooking space.
Once the storage area has been taken care of, the home owners can then move to neat kitchen equipment like stove and oven. They can opt for professional ranges that will have up to eight burners. They can then choose an oven model that is easier to control the temperature as this can be better when baking cakes and other pastries. One of the most important things in a kitchen is a dependable fridge to store all food items. The home owners should choose a fridge of high quality to ensure that no food will be spoiled.
Filed Under Cebu Food-trip Adventures
Cebu is quite a small island in the southern part of the Philippines. This small city has been dubbed as the “Queen City of the South.” This is because Cebu is the centre of trade and economic activity in this region. As a matter of fact, its metropolis is surrounded by posh shopping malls that can definitely compete with other similar facilities found in major Asian countries. Mall owners have made it a point to construct these malls to aesthetically imply luxury and style.
In shopping malls, one can find all sorts of things like clothes, footwear, jewellery, crafts, hardware supplies, and of course, food. There are plenty of shops in these malls that offer all sorts of food from street food items to gourmet food for the elite. Supermarkets are packed with virtually all your needs, from food items to toiletries. Then there are road shops that sell food items as well as clothes, toys, shoes, etc. Moreover, during festivities like the Sinulog, which is the celebration of the feast of their patron saint, Senor Santo Nino, one will find all sorts of food stalls lined up on the streets to cater to people witnessing the Mardi gras. In this festivity, you will also find the longest line of barbecue vendors where food is served at dirt cheap prices. This event is held every year during Sinulog, to take a shot at being the longest barbecue grill in the world, where food lovers gather to celebrate the festival, the food and life in general.
Filed Under Cebu Food-trip Adventures
The Philippines is well-known for its delectable food all over its various regions, while the Filipino people are famous for their love for food. Cebu, in particular is famous for several local delicacies that people keep coming back for. This includes the “lechon,” which is a whole pig, stuffed with all sorts of herbs and spices and roasted to perfection. Although there are other regions in the country that cooks “lechon,” the one in Cebu, is the most flavourful of them all. One can find lechon being served in homes during fiestas along with other sumptuous viands that are definitely mouth-watering as well.
Aside from lechon, Cebu is famous for its salty dried fish, which is more commonly called “buwad.” You can it “buwad” with plain rice and vinegar with some chilli. Then, there is the famous barbecue, Cebu-style. One can even find a place where several barbecue vendors converge to sell all sorts of grilled food. For people who want affordable food, there is the “siomai,” which one can buy for only six pesos (Philippine currency) only and match it with hanging rice, commonly known as “puso.” Among the Cebuano delicacies that people can bring home to friends and loved ones, are the “chicharon” (crispy pork skin that have been boiled, dried and dip fried), “otap” (a local biscuit), “rosquillos” (a round, flat biscuit with a whole in the middle), “ampao” (dried, sweetened rice), “baraquillos” (long, stick-looking thin crackers) , dried mangoes and mango purée. All of those food items are locally made and are sold almost everywhere in the metropolis and even in the airport and port terminals.
Filed Under Cebu Food-trip Adventures
If you decide to buy some of the aforementioned Cebuano sweet delicacies, it is your option where you can buy those. Aside from the branches and display centres of these specialty bakeshops and manufacturers, their products are widely available mostly in grocery stores and supermarkets usually found in malls. These products can be located in a section that is intended solely for these kinds of products, such as pasalubongs or take-home items.
The malls of Cebu are really perfect shopping destinations, as they provide you with an endless variety of options, choices and stores you can choose from. They include in their establishments everything that you might need.
Stuffed crabs in Ayala mall foodcourt
For Cebu sweet delicacies, you can find them in groceries and supermarkets, and usually, malls always have at least one. SM City Cebu, for example, has its own SM Supermarket, which provides classy and quality yet affordable products. If you are thinking of buying those delicacies, the store provides you with a separate aisle or section that puts together all the Cebuano delicacies that are patronized and that you might buy. You can also find your favourite brands and manufacturers in this store. Aside from the supermarket found in the lower ground floor of the mall, you can also visit the Snack Exchange section of the SM Department Store, where it showcases the same delights and delicacies. This section is intended for those who are interested with foods alone and those may not have the time to line up in the queues in supermarkets.Ayala Center Cebu, meanwhile, also provides you the same convenience by having its own supermarkets. One is the Metro Supermarket and the other is the Rustan’s Supermarket (the latter is more intended for the high society). Both can provide you with the pasalubong items and the sweet delicacies of Cebu you love. The Ayala mall is a favourite of local and foreign tourists, who make sure they bring with them some delicious treats and Cebuano delicacies.
Hello…What’s your order sir?
Other malls in Cebu provide you with the same convenience and comfort by making sure they have the Cebu sweets that you want to buy. As such, E-Mall in the downtown area of Cebu City, in N. Bacalso Avenue, is also a premier shopping destination even for tourists. Aside from its various stores, it has the SaveMore Supermarket, a large store that can provide you with a wide selection of products and services. Likewise, it gives you the Cebu sweet delicacies you will surely look for. If you are near the south and find SM and Ayala a bit far, E-Mall may be the best choice you have.Other malls that also provide you with these items through their own supermarkets are the Metro Gaisano Colon, Gaisano Countrymall, JY Square Cebu, Gaisano Mactan, Super Metro Mandaue, Robinson’s Place Cebu, and many others. Branches of the manufacturers and popular brands may also be found in some malls, as in the case of Titay’s in Raintree Mall. It may also pay to note that the items you can find in the supermarkets may be a bit more expensive than the same items that you can find in the branches of the manufacturer. So if you have plans to buy in bulk, you may consider buying straight from the manufacturer through its branches and display centres, where products may be cheaper.
Filed Under Cebu Food-trip Adventures
Throughout the years, there have been several brands and companies that have established a reputation of being the pioneer in the industry. These are the trusted brands when it comes to the products that the people generally need and look for.
Today, Cebu takes pride in several of its companies and brands that are truly world-class and of export quality. Many of them started many years ago and it is both inspiring and impressive to discover how they managed to survive against all the economic and financial difficulties and struggles that came along the way. Indeed, the names of these brands have been so attached to their products such that they are the most recommended.
These brands are the trusted brands whenever we think of products we need. The good name only proves the success of each brand in capturing the hearts (and stomachs, for that matter) of the Filipinos.
Now, let us take a quick review of the most known and the most established brands of the Cebu sweet delicacies. These are the specialty bakeshops that we see in the metropolis and are offering us the sweet and yummy delights we crave for.
a. Shamrock
The Shamrock store is considered to be a pioneer in the Cebu islands when it comes to Cebuano sweets and delicacies. Nevertheless, it has been most known for or identified with otaps, for which the store first invested in. The Shamrock otap is one of the most famous for balikbayans and tourists and most recommended for pasalubongs or take-home delights.
Shamrock – where otap is the best.
The Shamrock store is already considered to be successful, as its name and image already mirrors the good reputation it has. It also has several branches already in Metro Cebu, and even exports abroad, with its world-class quality. And needless to say, the Shamrock brand is most famous for its yummy and mouth-watering otaps. On the success of its otap, the company has also ventured into several other delicacies as businesses and it proves to be equally successful. Now, the shamrock products are indeed very visible and highly patronized and marketable in supermarkets and grocery stores.You can find one Shamrock branch at the Osmeña Circle, more popularly known by the locals as the Fuente Osmeña in Osmeña Boulevard in Cebu City. Additionally, there is also another that you can find in V. Gullas Street, still in Cebu City. Shamrock is highly recommended for their quality products that are also sold at reasonable prices. You can also buy Shamrock products at your favourite or nearest supermarkets and malls.
b. Titay’s
If Shamrock had its way pioneering on otap products, this time, Titay’s became popular for being a leading manufacturer of rosquillos. The main name of the company is Titay’s Liloan Rosquillos & Delicacies, Inc., coming from a family living handed down from generations to generations in the municipality of Liloan in Cebu. Having lasted until now, more than a hundred years since the business was first established, Titay’s surely deserves nothing but admiration.
It was in April of 1907 when Margarita Frasco, whose nickname is Titay (hence the name of the business), ventured into making a cookie that is now known as rosquillos. The secret recipe to the highly successful rosquillos of Titay’s was, as mentioned, passed on to the succeeding generations. Today, it is no wonder that Titay’s stands as a giant in the food industry, considering its several years of surviving against all odds and managing to be still successful and consistent at the top of whatever it does. Yet, Titay’s still stands proud of tracing its origins back to Liloan, Cebu where the legend all started. A simple proof to it is the attachment of the town name to its official company name.
At this time, Titay’s also has embraced several other delicacies as part of its growing business. Aside from their signature rosquillos, they also have sinudlan, hojaldres, galletas del carmen, otap, galletas de bato, caycay, and peñato.
Titay’s has a branch at the Raintree Mall in Mango Avenue, Cebu City. Its main office, however, can be located at Poblacion, Liloan, Cebu. For further information, you can visit the website at http://www.titaysliloan.com.
c. Masterline
The Masterline is an old bakeshop in Cebu that is most popular for selling and manufacturing favourite biscuits and crackers, such as the galletas and otap. Another popular product of Masterline is its pinasugbo, which are thick and sweetened banana slices with yummy soft caramel packed in paper wrappers.
The Masterline Bakeshop also has a wide array of several other products and delicacies. It also features otap, patatas, hojaldres, rosquillos, galletas, and many others. Masterline’s products are also inexpensive and sold at reasonable prices. You can check their branches, offices and display centres and discover more about their products and services in their several branches and offices found in the metropolis.
Masterline Bakeshop has an outlet or display center at 30 Don Gil Garcia St., Capitol Site, Cebu City and another at Unit #6 St. Patrick Square, Aboitiz St., Cebu City. You can also email for further information at rollie@masterlineph.com or visit the company’s website at http://www.masterlineph.com/. And like other brands, you can find its products sold at leading supermarkets nationwide.
Masterline surely holds some of the finest products ever. Its products are quality and yet affordable. The company has grown and is continuously growing, at pace with the increasing demands of the market.
d. La Fortuna
The Cebu La Fortuna Bakery is indeed one of the most popular and most successful bakeries and specialty bakeshops the Cebu islands have. With its strategic location and loyal customers, the store’s branch in the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu City has become a landmark and a constant stopover. This branch is actually a bakery / carinderia / restaurant / convenience store, so you need not look for more.
Additionally, La Fortuna is most famous for its tikoy, masi and hopia. Nevertheless, it still produces and provides several other delights and delicacies that are fit for the Filipino’s taste. Though the company had started out as a store of Chinese products, now it is obvious that it has also ventured and explored new options by providing the native delicacies that Filipinos love. You can see ampao, polvoron, and many others that are reasonably priced, too.
A hotel, restaurant and bakery
Amazingly, Cebu La Fortuna Bakery indeed is a strong and stable business, with several ventures at hand, such as catering services and a hotel aside from its bakery. Its products are not also limited to only delicacies, as it also offers several products on delicacy, beverage, short orders, cakes and pastries. It is also noteworthy that the bakery already has its own branch in the US, proving how successful it has become.Cebu La Fortuna Bakery can be found at Borromeo Street, or at the Magallanes Street (near Magellan’s Cross), or at Capitol Corner Escario Street, all in Cebu City. To know more about the company, visit its website at http://cebulafortuna.com/.
e. Others
Aside from those specialty bakeshops and brands of Cebu sweet delicacies that are previously mentioned, you can still find several others in Cebu that are emerging and increasing in number. They are those that may still be small today, may not have their own branches yet, but still, their products can already be found and highly patronized and marketable in supermarkets.
Magic Melt today is not only limited to ensaymadas and polvorons. You can already find Magic Melt otap products and some other sweet delicacies of the same brand. They have stalls found in malls, such as SM City Cebu, but most of the sweet Cebuano delicacies they offer can be found in the delicacies section of supermarkets and grocery stores.
Conching also provides items on otap and several other delicacies. Their products also prove to be highly marketable in the supermarkets. Aside from that, 7D is a known brand when it comes to dried mangoes. Their dried mangoes are indeed one of the best in the island and even in the entire country. Besides, Gene’s Salvaro de Cebu is another example. From its name, it provides favourite salvaro products and other products on galletas, biscocho, rosquillos, otap, cookies, and more.
