a bite of brownie

As if we needed another buffet (well, if you’ve read my last post, we kinda do), here’s another one: Hong’s Family Restaurant in Lahug, Cebu City. ReiMart and I went here after watching Sinulog and I think that’s a good excuse already. Since we did a lot walking and we missed breakfast!

Hong’s is like an old house transformed to a restaurant, at least that’s the vibe I got from it. They had basic chairs and tables, small crew, and a guard outside. The menu was provided right away and we were informed that both of us should pay for the same unlimited dishes if we wanted to get those. You could also ask for the combo, a mix of Chaldobaki (beef) and Sam Gyeop Sal (pork) cuts, instead of ordering each. Unfortunately, they did not have the combo *sadness* so we were forced to get the Unli Sam Gyeop Sal. And of course, we ordered Bibimbap! Just because.

Like typical Korean restaurants, they served the sides first. They had bean sprouts, potato strips, and kimchi to name a few. You can also ask for refills but you have to call and tell them every time by using the buzzer haha! The sam gyeop sal arrived and I thought to myself, these are like huge, fat strips of bacon. Really, huge cutsof pork belly, as in 8in pork belly cuts. ReiMart had to cut them to smaller, bite-size pieces so they would cook faster. There was a stove in the middle of the table, but for some reason, we didn’t use that. They provided us with a portable stove instead. So ReiMart, being the chef between the two of us, did all the cooking and I just hunted for the cooked cuts haha! 

The Bibimbap had better chances of raising the rating for Hong’s. Although it lacked the finesse of an authentic Korean bowl of bibimbap, the flavor was spot on. The rice at the bottom had crisped up and they put enough spice that it didn’t overwhelm the dish.

Verdict: 2/5
I’ve been to Korean restaurants before and this is my first time seeing a cut like that. It was just too thick and we spent some time trying to cut them to smaller and thinner strips. The side dishes were ok, we liked the bean sprouts and kimchi and had multiple refills of those. The bibimbap was very good. Maybe go here if you’re really hungry and hope that they have everything on their menu.

First of all, a warm welcome to 2018! And what’s the best way to celebrate it and crush any diet resolutions? Going in buffets of course! So, our 1st victim (or is really the other way around?) is Wakamatsu Yakiniku of Cebu. Flew all the way there to attend my 1st ever Sinulog Festival. Uh-huh, don’t judge. Wakamatsu is a Japanese eat-all-you-can restaurant, a la carte style.

After work, ReiMart, another friend, and myself met at the restaurant with no reservations at all. We’re brave souls, I tell you (but really, please call ahead and get one). We found ourselves waiting for around 15mins for a table to free up and when we got it, well, it wasn’t really a very private one. We shared the section with a Japanese group (or was that Korean, yeah maybe Korean). I just pointed out at some items I wanted to eat, like the beef and pork slices, shrimp for grilling, kimchi, and tuna sashimi. ReiMart just said 1 of each and the server went away. Amazing.

Disappointingly, the service was quite slow. Perhaps because there was a group pf 20 people that came in before us that ransacked the kitchen leaving us with just bits and pieces of the grand-looking dinner I had in mind. The ala carte dishes came in so slow and one by one, that we’re left with nothing else to cook or eat. Even the service water was hard to come by. Maybe if one of us dropped dead they’d notice they hadn’t given us any water, or still, maybe not. The ones that came, tongue, duck, some pork, and chicken slices, were sliced hastily but I’d say just about right with the thickness/thinness. But they all appeared just once. So yeah, so much for eat all you can. The sashimi were all sad looking, like they were standing on the counter for a while. And the maki were so poorly rolled out. Kimchi was ok but that’s not what we came at the restaurant for.


Verdict: 1/5
Sigh. This must be the worst review I had ever done and I’m thinking of scoring it lower, if possible. There was a variety of meats from their menu but sadly, just a few came out of their kitchens. The service was terrible. The ventilation wasn’t working properly, leaving us (or at least me) teary eyed from all the smoke (oh and yes we all smelled like barbecue afterwards). Both my companions said it was better during lunch time, but I don’t know if it’s worth another visit after this. Also, this was the 1st buffet I tried that didn’t make me full, at all, not even 1 bit.

Last pitstop for ReiMart’s special day (looks like a week to me now), is Feria. A restaurant in Radisson Blu hotel serving international cuisine (more on Asian and Mediterranean) to their patrons, they have a promo during Tuesdays, for 800Php/head. Perfect for celebrations like this one! We were joined by Gladys, Kuya Nik, and Teresa.

We immediately went to the sushi section and were greeted with sashimi slices and maki rolls. I had a plateful of sashimi for the first round. I had lots of salmon sashimi, some tuna sashimi, and an unidentified maki. The salmon sashimi had some hard parts when I ate them, not bones, maybe just a little frozen than it should be. None of that melt in your mouth goodness, times like this I miss being in Vancouver.

For my second plate, I took a more diverse route, getting paella, lechon slices, pork menudo (ikr?), pizza, and made my own Mexican chicken shawarma. I should cut down on carbs, I know, but it’s a buffet! Haha

Third plate, I’m pretty much getting ready for dessert, I got some elusive xiao long bao’s (yay!) and some more of that chicken shawarma hehe. Paired it with a very refershing basil infused cucumber lemonade! Waaa I should have taken more of this drink, if I only knew!

I think I got the prettiest dessert plate, and I mean just look at that beauty! 2 scoops of chocolate ice cream topped with rice crisps and chocolate drizzle, meringue, macarons, and chocolate coated marshmallows! Whaaaaat??

Verdict: 2/5
When I go to buffets, I usually just concentrate on one section, but here, I found myself circling about. Looking for other stuff to try, there’s not a lot of choices, maybe they toned it down for the promo, but they do have a nice desserts section. Bottomline, I’ve had better.

Still on our special day bingeing, ReiMart and I met with Sandy at Kayu for another round of dessert (yes we had dessert back at ICAAC but so what?!). The restaurant is located inside a subdivision so it’s tucked away from the usual hustle and bustle of the metro.

Seated on a booth while waiting for our party, the a/c was directed at us or maybe it’s just because I was so full from the previous meal not an hour ago. We looked at the menu, found nothing light we could try consuming, so I asked for the desserts menu. We asked the server which is the bestsellers and we ordered those.


I got the Sizzling Caramel Bar and it did not disappoint with the sizzling part. The waiter had to call our attention before he poured the caramel onto the sizzling plate. We watched it with awe as it produced that crackling sound and the caramel hugged the ice cream, bananas, and the pudding. It’s a dessert channelling the sisig plate that we all so love. After that, dissecting the dish, I found it a little underwhelming. Because that’s that, pudding with ice cream on top and banana slices around the plate. But among the 3 (yes, 3) dishes we had, this was the first to go. Am I just too technical about this dish? LOL


Drei got the Chocolate Fix for his dessert. It’s got chocolate n-ways! Crunch, crémeux, gelée, and the non-chocolate stuff in there, vanilla ice cream and milk crumbs. Well, if you ask me, this is more complicated than my dish. It's also better looking! But I don’t know, maybe you get more than a fix with the amount of chocolate there, and I can’t believe I’m saying that because I am such a sweet tooth, but Drei had to finish his plate alone haha!

Sandy got a Nutella Cheesecake, the only best seller left that’s not on our table. So this is the hazelnut galore dish, from Nutella truffle, candied hazelnuts, and hazelnut flavored granola crumbs, the works! We also had a hard time finishing this one because of the sweetness level haha!

Oh, Sandy and I got the Strawberry Lemongrass mocktail because I’m the designated driver! And well, I haven’t been exactly putting down crates and barrels of liquor haha so yeah mocktail it is!

Verdict: 2/5
Just went here for desserts, I heard they have this tapas menu you can order and a few tables around a fire pit. Would have been nice to dine there, when you’re cold, but it wasn’t available when we arrived.

Since my last visit to Cebu, ReiMart enrolled at this culinary school, International Culinary Arts Academy Cebu, aka ICAAC. And once in a while, when he’s not assigned as dishwasher (yeah, because apparently they take rotations on every station so they get to experience everything) or in any other stations, he get to dine in the restaurant! And as part of our bingeing for his special day, we had a meal in the restaurant to try the dishes prepared by his fellow classmates.

For appetizers, I had the Seafood Chowder and it was the bomb (saying that may trigger a funny memory for poeticnook haha)! I had chunks of every bit of seafood in there and it was such a joy to eat. The soup was thick and very flavorful. ReiMart got the (stacked) Onion Rings as tall as a 12in ruler. Perfectly crispy and light with a nice dipping sauce. And yep, you guessed it, we finished both plates haha!

Our entrees came and the serving size is huge! I really think they put 2 servings in my Blackened Seafood Pasta. The fresh pasta was was blackened with squid ink and it’s sitting on a seafood broth (yes, broth! I was a little surprised when ReiMart told me about it before my plate came) with clams and shrimp. I thought the pasta was al dente but unfortunately needed more flavor. With a broth, I’m not sure how to do that, haha! I finished all the seafood in it but had to leave behind some pasta (I know, the Pasta Gods are frowning down at me!). ReiMart had the Lamb Chop Risotto and if I felt my dish was huge, his plate was so enormous I had to take another second look and even uttered a “good luck” to him. Surprisingly, he managed to eat all of it!

Initially we thought of ordering 2 desserts, but by the time we reached it, we were so full, we had to share a Blueberry Cheesecake instead haha! The cheesecake was so so and light, but what I really loved here was the lemon and blueberry gelées on top. The lemon coulee particularly had a nice sharp taste to it which cuts through the richness of the dessert. We both thought that the nuts on the plate were a little out of place.


Verdict: 2.5/5 (don’t kill me, ReiMart!)
Maybe there’s more to like with the other dishes I haven’t tried. I heard they have an Unli-Steak Night that won’t hurt the wallet. Culinary students from this school should be proud for running the kitchen that night without getting yelled at. I would have liked to see ReiMart in there, I’ll definitely send one dish back, just to throw him off. Haha! Maybe next time.

During my Cebu visit for lola’s 103rd (or is 104th?!), we went to this not so new mall, Robinsons Galleria Cebu. Not so new because it has been there for a while but in the inside, there’s still a lot of empty spaces waiting to be rented by local or foreign shops. I even remember teasing ReiMart how they have so many malls in Cebu for such a small area. And like the SM SeaSide, we decided to go around the mall and visit every floor to see what’s out there. So yeah, just a lot of empty spaces, but hey! They have this huge guitar on display on the ground floor!

 After walking around, thanks to poeticnook’s fast screening of all the restaurants there, we end up with 3 stores to check in total. Sans Rival for sylvanas, Bohol’s Bee Farm for ice cream, and Byron’s Back Ribs for dinner. Whenever I think of ribs, I remember Casa Verde, which is a local Cebuano restaurant too! And Byron's Back Ribs hail from Bacolod, so let’s see how it fares.

We ordered the Half Slab of Ribs because yes, ReiMart and I can finish anything by this time! The ribs came on a simple wooden board with 2 dipping sauces of sweet and spicy flavor. It was quite a treat because of the serving size and it’s really tasty! The meat was tender and packed with flavors but all the while I found myself wishing they had served it on the bone. It kinda takes away the ribs feel from the dish, as they served it in small bites. Maybe to make our dining experience easier? I’m not sure.

And for the side dish (not that we needed any LOL), we ordered their Pork Sisig. This is an interesting dish because they gave it a twist by adding cheese toppings! At first we were staring at the dish and asked “Is that cheese?” Trying desperately to mix it in our minds, because sisig and cheese, if you think about it, just don’t go together, right?! But when I tasted it, I flipped. The cheese won me over. Now I want cheese on my sisig every time!

Verdict: 3/5
I can’t think of anything bad to say about their serving size, taste, and price. Maybe just a little something on their presentation of the ribs. I would have wanted it served on the bone and I would have wanted to have a little battle with it taking all the meat out. I like that they didn’t drown the meat in sauce and just placed it on the sides if ever we wanted more. Definitely worth another visit.

First of all, congratulations ReiMart! Everyone, this is his 3rd degree. Graduating from UP, you get a sablay every graduation. He has 3 now. That’s why I dedicate him the song Hari ng Sablay. LOL and to celebrate this event, we drove to Marco Polo where their restaurant, Café Marco, was waiting with their buffet tables all set up.

As expected with hotels, the whole interior was lavishly lit and spacious. The chairs and tables were comfortable enough for diners to be adequately prepared for the enormous meals they were about to consume. Each station were distinct enough for anyone to be either reeled in or ignored, depending on their food preference. This night I specifically got from their sashimi, tempura, dim sum, and desserts sections.

First plate is my ebi tempura and sio mai with a slice of pizza on the side, doesn’t make sense I know! Haha! I usually go for sashimi now but this plate is more steak with some gravy and I’m not so much of a beef person, I was just intrigued with people lining up for this one and dumping gravy all over it haha! Taste was nice, but I didn’t get second servings of it. I feel like I shouldn’t really be invited in buffets because my third plate is my dessert plate already, just stating their infamous cookie and got 2 scoops of ice cream. I think my cookie’s better. Haha!

Verdict: 2.5/5
Tempura was ok, it's not great, but it’s readily available for everyone and you don’t have to squat in front of the tray to wait for it, unlike most buffets. Sashimi had nice cuts and slices, no bones. It’s a so so experience for me. It’s a little pricy at 1400 per head.

Mom and I finally visited this place after buying a new set of fans for our rooms because several of them decided to overheat and die for the summer. After depositing our purchases in the car, we proceeded to the upper ground floor where the place is situated near the vicinity of our favorite Japanese restaurant in SM Cebu.

Zark's Burger is one of the better burger joints back in manila with so many branches scattered all over the metro. And after hearing so much about it from folks, we secretly wished that the place did not disappoint. And it didn't, thank goodness.

Anyhow, the ambiance of the place is good, and service is spot on. The design on the wall was what you could expect from a burger shop; a zoom in of one of their specialty burgers with fries on the side. Their menu has an extensive list of burgers; there was a variety of catchy names like "Tombstone" and "Jawbreaker", to a bacon wrapped burger.

The food arrived at a timely manner; Mom got for herself a Blue cheese burger while I got myself a Zark's ultimate burger. the staff were courteous enough to refill our glasses with water when we ran out too. The food itself is loads better than jollibee or burger king with their secret "langhap sarap" flavor (something I would prefer not to have in any of my meals due to the taste lingering hours after your meal).



Zark's burgers
SM City Cebu


Verdict: 4.5/5
A: Pretty spot on on how a burger should taste. Burgers on par with better tasting burger places like "burger joint" and "flame it!" Would definitely visit soon.

Pigafetta

People relate heavy traffic to a curse.


I do too, especially when I'm in a rush going somewhere on a strict schedule. But when you pass by a restaurant that has just opened, chances are, your opinion on traffic will be different. Situated across the church along Escario street, beside another recently opened branch of a popular coffee shop frequented by folks, the restaurant boasts its modern design and pleasant ambiance despite the construction going on in the vicinity.

We were seated to a table for three and were handed individual menus to check what they have available. We were then given freshly baked bread and home made tomato dip, much to our surprise. For appetizers, we ordered Gamberri alla Padella, a shrimp lettuce salad with two sticks of bread, Insalata dello Chef, a chef salad with lettuce, egg, olives, tomato, olive oil and bacon strips, Vongole, pasta with clams, and a serve of Puttanesca. Our entree was salmon and asparagus pizza together with organic sparkling juice. To end the meal, mom, sis and I shared a serve of Panna Cotta. With preserved cherries and balsamic vinegar.



The service was prompt; the servers were attentive to our needs and were eager to give their customers the best possible experience.

By the time we got out of the restaurant, we've had our bellies filled for the journey back home.


Pigafetta
Axis Entertainment Avenue, Escario





Verdict:
A: 3.5/5

Gamberi was somewhat a disappointment because the bottom of the bowl was soaked with oil, making the dish soggy. The Vongole was a tad bit over seasoned, with too much salt in the sauce. The Puttanesca was spot on and the chef salad, though. The salmon asparagus pizza tasted good too. The Panna Cotta could use more acidity because it is simply too sweet. The balsamic vinegar on the plate was too small and could do very little to add tartness to the dish.

Ginza is probably one of those upscale Japanese restaurants where upper class people visit with friends to socialize. This place has a few teppanyaki stations where designated chefs will go and cook an assortment of stir fry in front of you. Reservations are a must if they desire for these spaces, since many people prefer their food served right from the stove.



The ambiance of the place is pleasant, with a large sand sculpture of sorts right in front of the front door. To the far right and far left are the reservation rooms with teppanyaki stoves installed.



We were given a small saucer of appetizers, and then soon after, the food started trickling in. Out company had ordered in advance, and so their orders came first at the table. There were prawns, sashimi, and stir fry goodies which were a prelude to what's to come.


We added additional Food like uni sushi, salmon skin roll, grilled giant squid, soft shell crab, and mixed sashimi platter.


To end the delicious meal, i ended up sharing with my sister a cup of authentic green tea ice cream with just the right amount of bitterness and creaminess.




Ginza
Talamban


Verdict:
A: 4/5
This is probably one of the better places to get japanese food here in Cebu.

 I grew a particular fondness for their soft shell crab and their crispy salmon skin roll.

Their grilled giant squid was cooked perfectly too.

It's a bit pricey, so it's recommended to bring a bit of extra cash for the group.

Chop Chop

We decided to visit this place after taking notice of the shop in the far corner of the vicinity, near the washrooms. It looks neglected at a glance and the lights were dim, as if they were still closed. There was only one person stationed outside who later ushered us in once we made known ouR intent to visit their premises.

The restaurant isn't what you'd expect if you're looking for a fancy experience with your date. Instead, the place looks exactly like it was taken from Singapore's hawker stall. In fact, that's exactly what they were going for.

Eager to sink our teeth into what they offer, we ordered most of the best sellers for our dinner. A platter of sambal fried rice, chili crab meat, beef rendang, katong laksa, sambal stingray, and hainanese chicken.

The food arrived in waves in the span of ten to fifteen minutes, starting with their katong laksa. It tasted better than Ulli's although i think it needs a bit more tartness to cut through the richness of the coconut milk. Their beef rendang is perfectly seasoned thoroughly.

To end the meal, we ordered iced kachang, which is their version of the local halo halo with coconut milk and pandan extracts.




Chop Chop
The Gallery

Verdict:
A: 3/5

I think that they should ask their customers if they wanted spicy or non spicy flavors. I expected singaporean food to be spicy but we were served mildly spiced food. Most orders are expensive. I'm glad that their stingray tastes okay. I'm surprised they know their sauces well.