Fine Dining in Cebu: Olio, Corner Table, Anzani, Maya

Knowing my grandfather's struggle from rags to riches and my mom's patriarchal family upbringing, I've been raised to live a frugal life. Amongst my childhood friends, they knew me as someone who's very frugal and some mistake me for being a miser. The truth is, as school kids, we were not given monetary allowances. On better days, my aunt offered to give a few bucks, ten pesos perhaps. Somehow this left a strong influence on me, trying to stretch every peso because it is never easy to earn one. Once I started earning my own paycheck, I'm constantly saving up for rainy days yet maintained to be financially independent for my own needs and wants.

I have different sets of friends from different walks of life. There are those who tries to make ends meet, hanging out with them makes you appreciate life's little pleasures. There are those who have rose from their ranks, hanging out with them makes you appreciate the fruits of your own hardwork. There are those who are born with a silver spoon, hanging out with them makes you savor life.


Amongst those who knows how to savor life, foodtripping is one of our bonding moments. Trying out Cebu's fine dining restaurants, unmindful of the bill until it lands on our table and all blurts out with a knowing laugh seeing it. Recent months has been a feast!

If you're looking for some fine dining restaurants in Cebu, here are your options:

Olio Steak and Seafood Restaurant
Crossroads, Banilad
Contact number: 2323589, 2321991, 2382931
http://www.oliocebu.com.ph/

Olio is on Philippine Tattler's Philippines' best restaurants list. They serve a good selection of oysters, scallops, steak, lobster, wine... On their anniversary, we endulged ourselves on eat all you can USDA Nebraskan Prime Rib Eye for P899++ (about P1,000 net). While one of us consumed 1.4 kgs., I consumed about 500 grams of it; although I wanted more, my heart is screaming enough. :))

Corner TableThe Gallery, Juan Luna Street, Mabolo, Cebu City
2368910

Corner Table is from the same proprietors of Ginza (Japanese Restaurant) and Academy for International Culinary Arts or A.I.C.A.. Corner Table serves spanish cuisine: tapas and paella. The menu is quite limited. I personally liked their Gambas al Ajillo, Pan con Tomate y Aceite, Arroz Tinto (paella cooked in beef stock topped with sliced steak) and a spanish meal won't be complete without some good Sangria.

Anzani
Panorama Heights, Nivel Hills, Gorordo Ave
Cebu City 6000
032 2327375
http://www.anzani.com.ph/

Anzani serves new mediterranean cuisine. Anzani has great ambience over looking a mountain; indoors it's as if you're in a log cabin somewhere in Europe or Canada. With online coupon craze, we got a deal at snagthecity.com for a four course meal.for bout P800. The verdict: other than its ambience, there's nothing much to rave about this place.

Maya

Crossroads, Banilad, Cebu City

Telephone number: 2389552, 2389618
http://www.mayacebu.com/

Maya is from the same proprietor of Abaca, a boutique hotel known for its high-end tasty Italian food in Mactan. Maya has a sophisticated yet casual ambiance for dining and has a tequila lounge on the second floor. It's mexican food is great. I personally liked the beef and fajitas and nachos with salsa, their version of cripy lechon kawali is a hit to many. The drinks are quite pricey, so it's a place to see and be seen for 30's and up young urban professionals and entrepreneurs, ergo - yuppies. They have a wide selection of good quality and rare find Tequila like the blue agave. If you're looking for some cheap tequila like Jose Cuervo, they don't serve it here. My peers liked the flaming ferrari, it's a 3 colored mixed drink set on fire while sipping it in one shot. I had the Patron tequila - it was smoooooth! and I especially like their Bacardi Mojitos. Alas, I'm starting to like something to drink and that's totally unbelievable! It was here when I first experienced how the world can spin for a second. Seems like my palate is for pricey stuff! haha

One can't get drunk here without emptying your pocket, the price of a good shot at Maya is at least P300. Another place to see and be seen in Cebu is in Vudu (for youngsters) and Formo (for yuppies)

Patron tequila by Maya (photo by Maya)

So are you ready to party and savor life in Cebu? I just did and loving it! :D

These photos aren't mine, post like this give me one good reason why I should get a new point and shoot.

Contagious Laughter at Dong Juan

We pulled off a despedida dinner for a friend who's leaving for United Kingdom very soon at Dong Juan.  It was a reunion of friends from school and I swear the boisterous laughter was contagious as always (even if we were barely half complete).  Even if we don't see one another as often anymore, whenever we come together, there is no silent moment with this loud brood.  We talk about anything under the sun,  we ask and get asked the most outrageous personal question, unmindful of being judged.  Whoever is absent, gets the butt of all jokes and talks. We've shared too many secrets (although we know our secrets aren't safe with them).  The relationship has grown platonic as we see one another grow up; we've gotten too close for comfort that we can't even see ourselves ending up with any of them romantically! haha  As one friend-in-law remarked, "the friendship is really different when you're from co-ed school".  Many of them were in fact my classmates since first grade.  At an early age, when you find friends for life, you need not seek so many others.  That's maybe the reason why I tend to be clannish with my circle of friends.  ;)  That was another night to remember and staying out until after midnight on a weekday only proves, there's nothing quite like this company. (and I can't forgive myself for not bringing a camera)

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

-o-

Dong Juan started out as an airconditioned hole in a wall restaurant in the side streets of Guadalupe.  They occupy the very first location of Mooon Cafe.  With a great affordable menu, they're a hit!  They just opened their second branch. They are popular with their burgers, but among my favorites are: burger steak, gambas al ajillo pasta, salami pasta, and fish 'n chips; all these with an average price of P150.  This is another home grown cafe in Cebu.

For reservation contact:
Dong Juan

(63-32)2561796
Emilio Osmeña Street. Barangay Guadalupe

(63-32)2665826
The Persimmon Plus in M.J. Cuenco Avenue, Hipodromo

Yin and Yang

We've been trying to find out what exactly is the english translation for the fookien word "tsin" and "diat", cool and warm is the closest I can think of. Every so often this comes up as a table topic. Chinese commonly use these terms to describe the type of food and it's effect on the body. So I googled, apparently it's called yin and yang.

Yin and yang is a Chinese philosophy, that seeks the essence of nature, a balance commonly related to two opposite but complimentary phenomenon.

Yin (陰 or 阴 "shady place, north slope, south bank (river); cloudy, overcast") qualities are characterized as soft, slow, insubstantial[2], wet, cold, conserving, tranquil, gentle, and corresponding to the night.

Yang (陽 or 阳 "sunny place, south slope, north bank (river), sunshine") qualities are characterized as hard, fast, substantial, dry, hot, excited, aggressive, and corresponding to the day.

The Chinese believe that to achieve bodily harmony, you must balance your intake of yin (cool, bland) foods with yang (the rich and hot). Do not be fooled by simple assumptions, as these terms often have nothing to do with the taste, nor how it is cooked. They relate to deeper essences of the foods nature.

Generally, new mothers should eat yang foods like fried pigeon since it is believed that tummy becomes cold after birth, same goes with those chronically fatigued. Yin foods, on the other hand, are recommended for the irritable, to pacify your mood. You might assume that all drinks are cooling; beer is, but brandy is not.

The Chinese also classify ailments as yin (cold) or yang (hot) and believe that as the body ages, it becomes increasingly yin. Such yin diseases as anemia are treated with yang foods, and assorted yang infections (sore throats, measles, etc.) with yin foods. So to ease dry (yang)cough, you have to take yin food, it means you can have ice cream but not chocolates!

Not all Chinese agree on which foods are yin or yang, but as a general rule, they break down as follows:

Yin Foods:
All bland or boiled foods, most greens. Almonds. Apple. Asparagus. Bamboo. Banana. Barley. Bean curd. Bean sprouts. Beer. Broccoli. Cabbage. Carrots. Celery. Clams. Corn. Corn flour. Crab. Cucumber. Duck. Eels. Fish. Grapes. Honey. Ice creams. Lemons. Milk. Mushrooms. Mussels. Oranges. Oysters. Pears. Peppermint tea. Pineapple. Pork. Potatoes. Salt. Seaweed. Shrimps. Spinach. Strawberries. Soya beans. White sugar. Tomatoes. Water.

Yang Foods:
Broiled meats, fatty meats and fried foods, hot and spicy foods, sesame oil, shellfish, sour foods, tangerines, vinegar and wine. Beef. Black pepper. Brown sugar. Butter. Cheese. Chicken liver and fat. Chillies. Chocolate. Coffee. Eggs. Smoked fish. Garlic. Green peppers. Goose. Ham. Kidney beans. Lamb. Leeks. Mushrooms. Onions. Peanut butter. Roasted peanuts. Potato. Rabbit. Turkey. Walnuts. Whisky. Wine.

On the otherhand, Yin and Yang also is a result of different cooking methods:

Yin Qualities: Boiling. Poaching. Steaming.

Yang Qualities: Deep-frying. Roasting. Stir-frying.

Where to Buy the Best Lechon de Cebu?

Lechón (Tagalog: Litson and Cebuano: Inasal) is the Spanish word for suckling pig. In the Philippines, it connotes a whole roasted pig, lechón baboy. Chicken and beef are also popular. The process of lechón involves the whole pig/piglet, chicken, or cattle/calf being slowly roasted over charcoal.

The pig had always been the center of communal feasts in pre-Hispanic Philippines, and "Lechon" is the normal manner it is prepared.


Undeniably, Cebu's Lechon is the best in the country. It is tasty as it is, there's no need for any savory dip to go with it. Ask for Mang Tomas (liver sauce) and Cebuano's will stare at you and laugh.

Cebu's lechon baboy is whole black native (free range) pig roasted over charcoal, skewed in bamboo, stuffed with herbs and spices like lemongrass locally known as "tanglad", salt (injected into the meat), pepper corn and more, then baste with either milk or soda or coconut water to keep the skin crispy.


I once saw how it is prepared, it's never a pleasant sight. Hot water is poured onto live pig to shed its hair and the rest is history. I've entered the roasting station of CNT Lechon, it is impressive to see several lines of mechanical rotisserie. That should make the cooking even, not to mention efficient.

We normally forewarn foreign guests, other nationalities especially from the west, find it barbaric to see a whole pig served on the table. But Chinese and Filipinos just love EVERY part of it, right? I feast on the belly and the skin, most on the ribs, some even rave about the tail, the tongue, the ears, the dinuguan (pork blood stew with internal organs), and the brain!

My previous post about Cebu drawn more than the usual readers, googling for information and contact numbers for Cebu's Lechon houses, there are hundreds of lechon houses in Cebu but these are the more popular ones:
NOTE: To contact via telephone, use COUNTRY CODE 063, AREA CODE 032

Cang's Lechon
Sanson Road, Lahug # 2328899
- the original Cang's Lechon, with crispy skin and tender meat, the fat looks like it's trimmed off, it's very tender that the vertebra easily collapse.

Cary Cang's Lechon (Edna Cang)
Sanson Road, Lahug # 2358886; +639276441923
-(similar to Cang's Lechon, now operating independently) my family's personal favorite. Aside from the usual lechon, a whole chicken (add P150 each) or rice can be stuffed inside. Imagine chicken or rice that tastes exactly like lechon.

Alejo's Lechon
Labangon # 2618575

Lighthouse Restaurant
Gen. Maxilon Ave # 2332383
-famous for Lechon de Leche, a few days old piglet, so tender, they use plates to slice it. For dine-in, you can order whole or smaller portions.

CNT Lechon
Archbishop Reyes Ave # 2326146
V. Rama # 2544249; 2546641
Juan Luna Ext Ave # 2335339
(with outlets in selected malls)
-famous for their retail outlet that sells lechon per kilo*, they can pack them in a box ready for cargo. Also available in Las Vegas, USA:
1203 E Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, USA # 702-270-2500


Se Ben's Authentic Cebu Lechon
SaveMore Supermarket, Parkmall branch
Reclamation road, Cebu City
# 4129799; +639173266999; +63922-8236168; benslechon@gmail.com
-promising new addition to the lechon industry

Rico's Lechon
Talamban, (Enrico Dionson, owner) # 3440119
-rumored for being former President Erap's source of lechon

Zubuchon (as endorsed by Anthony Bourdain)
(Edrid or Beverly) # 2365264 (M-F 9am-4pm)
Sunday Market at Banilad Town Center, Sundays, 10am-1pm


- but frankly, it doesn't come close to Cebu's best lechon.  You might just wanna try it simply because it was endorsed by travel channel Anthony Bourdain's blog.

Lechoncebu.com
www.lechoncebu.com
- offers the convenience of online orders, recommended by a few bloggers who are non-Cebuanos. I haven't tried this, but the published rates are quite expensive.

Carcar Town Market- famous for having lechon juice, a seasoned clear (salty) soup.

Lorenzo's Lechon Baka
# 4162849
- specialize in roast beef/calf with sweet brown sauce. My birthday party isn't complete without them roasting a leg for my guests. :D They also serve roast turkey and goat.

The price of Lechon Baboy has increased about P300 for whole and P50/kg compared to last year. During peak season, price increase about P200-500 or they serve a smaller sized lechon. Peak season is from December, extending upto January (for Sinulog). Normal price range now should be:
P300 per kilo
P2800 good for 20-25 (whole)
P3200 good for 25-30 (whole)

Updated price for 2010:
P360 per kilo
P3500 good for 20-25 (whole) about 8-10 kilos
P4000 good for 25-30 (whole) about 10-12 kilos

Airport to airport airfreight from Cebu to Manila costs about P500, the seller usually charge additional P100 for packaging. Including freight, it is actually cheaper to buy from Cebu than in Manila.

*lechon sold per kilo tends to use bigger and older pigs, the meat may not be as tender and the skin is thicker which tends to be harder even crispy. So I still prefer to order in whole, the younger/smaller the better. Don't worry about left overs, stewed (paksiw) or sauteed, they are still worth the added cholesterol. :D Our household cook has a superb recipe, I'll try it out soon and post the receipe here.

Ever wondered how to keep the skin crispy?
- while it's steaming hot, keep it loosely covered. Don't keep it too long in the (car) trunk either. The steam tends to soften the skin.
- while waiting to be served in an airconditioned room or windy area, keep it covered.
- reheat leftover skin (if any!) in pressure cooker or toaster on high heat.

A celebration isn't complete without lechon, Christmas season ('Ber months) is coming up, I'm so eager to feast on more lechon again with hanging rice "puso" to match it.

Amici di Don Bosco

I've just learned about Amici di Don Bosco on my most recent trip to Manila. The night before my flight, I made plans to meet up with my friend L and she suggested Amici along Tomas Morato. I hinted on not having been to Trinoma, but she insists, she's not going any farther than Tomas Morato. So I agreed, not knowing anything where were heading to.



Amici di Don Bosco is an authentic Italian trattoria serving pizza, pasta, gelato and more. My friend's husband, gave me good background of the restaurant. It initially was a cafeteria along Pasong Tamo for Don Bosco Technical School. It was recently bought by the former owners of Red Ribbon. They now opened a new branch along Tomas Morato sporting a fastfood like look, much classier than their first branch's cafeteria look. We have to wait to be seated, we were sixth on the wait list. The way it is, I see it honing its way for franchising.

The Spaghetti White Vongole E Gamberetti is much more savory than what I've been cooking, it had anchovies in it. They use wood fire oven that cuts cooking time to 5 minutes; but it took them a while to serve our Shrimp and Basil Pizza. Then, there's Italian Garlic Sausage, Spinach Pasta, Strawberry Gelato and a liter of Tropicana Orange Juice, drinks are available by the liter which makes your meal much cheaper. With hungry pangs, I only got to shot what's left of our pizza:



The food is really good and the price is reasonable at P200-300 per dish. Best of all, twas my friend's treat. Thank you! :D But it's nothing fancy, I guess, us Cebuanos are spoiled by the many Italian Chef owned restaurants in the city like La Tegola, Idea Italia, Giuseppe and La Bouna Forchetta.

-0-

While having a chat with my chef cousin B, I've learned that Chef Giorgio Bucciarelli (developer of Amici menu, now no longer connected with Don Bosco) used to hold culinary class for Don Bosco Technical School. He paid about P1,500 per head for a class back then. That's not bad at all.

He was kind enough to share those recipe with me, yipee! :D I'll definitely be having an Italian feast in the next few months. :D