Triple V (Kamayan, Dads, Saisaki)

Triple V-Saisaki is by far, the best casual Japanese restaurant I've tasted in my life. This restaurant lets you sample several seafood and meat products the way it should be, Japanese style. They have a sushi bar with ample choices of raw fish sliced just right, a separate section for frying meat and grilling things and last but not the least, another section for noodle and soup based bowls.

We dined there twice, the first time was when we were headed to Hong Kong and the second one, on our way back to Cebu. Seafood lovers will be pleased to know that they can get as many slices of salmon and tuna and eel that they want as well as take advantage of the restaurant's assortment of cold cuts. Food presentation is exceptional, as well as abrupt service. And if anyone likes European and Filipino dishes, connected to the restaurant are two long buffet areas, Dads and Kamayan

To make up for the packed place and to complete their ambiance, the dining facility has a roving troupe of musicians that will sing songs upon request. They sing local favorites from the oldies to the recent ones like Lady Gaga. Not to mention a wide variety of desserts like cakes, pastries, ice cream, tarts and halo halo.

Overall, I really recommend this place for its food. Just make sure to come super early or make a reservation. Not to mention, if you don't mind huge crowds.

Triple V (Kamayan, Dads, Saisaki)
Glorietta 3

Verdict:

A: 4.7/5

Kublai Khan

When this restaurant first opened a few years ago at the ground floor of Ayala center, it became our favorite place to eat since we can choose what ingredients to put in and what sauces to top them with. However, as time passed by, the selections dwindled and the quality sucked until the novelty faded and it wasn't worth it anymore.

Six or so years later I'm back in Cebu and wanted to check out if KK improved since my last visit. They moved their location to The Terraces where all the happening is and they changed the look to some sort of cafeteria like ambience.

The choices were not exemplary and I wouldn't really want to go back here even if they paid me. They chop the meat and tofu to invisible bits like they were spring onion garnish and my dish looked like mixed ground sawdust when it came out. Ok yeah, the taste was ok, after all I chose all the sauces that went with it, but the presentation could be better. Well what can I expect, when their motto is "don't blame the cook, he just put fire". Maybe the minced cuts were done for a reason - so that they would cook fast, but it didn't look very appealing.

Oh well, I gave them another chance, it was a major fail!

Kublai Khan
The Terraces
Ayala Center Cebu

Verdict:

N: 2/5

AA's BBQ

Our dinner last night was supposed to be sautéed cabbage but when I was chopping the ingredients, there was a power shortage for an hour or less. So, cursing this unfortunate event, my sister and I decided to eat out before she heads off to work, at a restaurant we rarely visit now. AA BBQ is popular for its grilled items; seafood, meat, chicken. They even have roast beef and are known to serve soup based and sizzling dishes too.
We, on the other hand, sampled their roast beef, pork ribs, broiled white marlin and sticks of chicken liver, gizzard and spicy sausages. There were a lot of people here, and noticeably quite a number of Koreans. Our wait time was short, and immediately we tried the food that we ordered. The tender beef calf was presented with a special sweet sauce. Soup arrived, and so did the rest of our orders. It was delicious. The way they cook their meat is splendid, and I can tell that over the years of serving grilled dishes, they were able to master how to cook tender and juicy meat that's well done and soft. I highly suggest this restaurant for those people who love grilled food.

AA BBQ
In front of USP Lahug, within walking distance to IT park


Verdict:
A = 3.7/5

Ric's BBQ

Ric's Barbecue is your typical hang-out place when you're working at IT park especially after work, during weekends, or after a grueling overtime. Anyway, this place is located just within The Walk, an area of dining and drinking restaurants with ample parking spaces in one space of land. Known for its special barbecue, many office workers head there to sample their traditional secret blend and recipe.

Nonetheless, we ordered a bowl of pork sinigang, a tamarind based soup, their special pork barbecue and a sizzling scrumptious hot plate of sisig, finely chopped pork ears topped with pork rind. I like the ambiance, in fact, I like what they did for the restaurant with such a small space. I'm also surprised that the facility doesn't have any smoke. They have a built in smoke vent which routs any smoke directly out of the place. I could see the food being cooked at the kitchen, given the transparent glass on the side.

The food was ok, but most of their servings are small. Not that I'm complaining, but for groups of three or more, prepare to burn money.

Ric's BBQ
IT Park

Verdict:
A: 3/5

Casa Verde

With its main branch located between F. Ramos Street and Jones Avenue, Casa Verde has gained enough popularity and demand that it was able to expand its territory up to Ayala Cebu. Amidst the long line of well known eateries beside it, this restaurant thrives mainly because of the mouth watering ribs and ample slices of steak that they serve.

We passed by there, a few days ago to meet up with my sister's college friend. After watching a movie, we strolled around The Terraces for a bit, then came into agreement that we all should take an early dinner.

There was a receiving area for guests to sit down to just in case the restaurant has had its seating arranged. But then again, we wouldn't need it, mainly because he were seated promptly for convenience. Upon arrival inside, our group was steered to a booth by the window and ordered our meal; an order of ribs and steak with a serving of oil based pasta on the side. The only thing I don't like about this restaurant is the service. It took us around 10 minutes to get ourselves noticed for ordering and another 30 minutes for our food.

Nonetheless, our wait was not in vain for the interiors were fabulously designed and organized, not to mention clean. They even had one of those science objects where electricity follow your fingertips when you touch the glass. At last, when the orders arrived, we wolfed down the meat on our plates. We were somewhat satisfied, and just for the record, aside from their sought after Death by Chocolate, Lara's Lava, hot fudgy cake with vanilla ice cream coated with chocolate coating and syrup, tastes heavenly too.


Casa Verde - The Terraces Ayala

Stall 304, 3rd level, The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu


Verdict:
A: 3/5

Pier One: Located at The Walk I.T Park

Last Wednesday night my sister and I went to I.T. Park to check out restos. We ended up in a resto-bar called Pier One. I have heard many good things about this place from ads and food write ups a few years ago. And now its time for me to check it out.

At the entrance, you will be greeted by a standing guard who checks your belongings for safety purposes. I don't know about you guys but all I want is to eat in that establishment and not to harass or be harassed by other people, so why put a guard to check a patron's laptop bag? Funny thing is, I think it was my first time to encounter a "bag check up" in a dining restaurant. Anyway, after the "security check" we were guided to a table outside, to the resto's balcony. Upon seating, A waiter with a sailor cap approached us to give us the menu and to take our orders. Since I was feeling a little feverish and needed a bowl of soup so we decided to get "Bulalo na Baka" which is beef soup with vegetables, "Tokwa't Baboy" a dish made up of fried tofu and some thin slices of pork and onions topped with soy sauce. And of course, steamed rice. For drinks, I got a glass of " Calamsi Juice" and water ( I really need plenty of liquids because my feverish state is slowly becoming a nuisance cold and fever). After taking the orders, our waiter hurried away to the counter to place our requests. A few seconds later the same waiter placed the spoon and fork together with the plates in front of us minus the place mats. He hen proceeded to get condiments and arranged them in one side of the table.


Around 10 minutes or so later our orders begin to arrive, first were our drinks and then the food. My calamansi juice came which I expect to taste sour like the fruit that it should be ended up tasting like a sugared sweet lemonade. A premonition just occurred to me that this could be a a disastrous evening for me. A few seconds past then a big bowl of heated beef soup (bulalo na baka), towa't baboy, and rice arrived. Te beef soup is a mediocre attempt to imitate a "pochero" or a nilagang baka". The dish itself taste more like a boiled beef cube soup with a mini slap of beef with a bone and some cabbages for posterity. The tokwa't baboy is good. Fried tofu cut into cubes, wit strips of thinl sliced onions and pork. As the orders came I was quiet and observing the people and surroundings inside and outside the venue. Though, a lot of customers eat here. It dawned upon me that this place must be good for people who come together and drink their hearts out not for people who wants to enjoy simple Filipino dishes.