a bite of brownie

 Still situated within the vicinity of Velez College, Jo's Inato has been one of the frequented restaurants here in Cebu from even back when we transferred. We could remember it had several branches in different areas that rivaled Chikaan, a local favorite of the Cebuanos.

It still has the same mascot brand with several of the favorite delicacies like Pochero, baked scallops, kinilaw na tanigue, and of course, their chicken that made them famous.

We visited the place one sunny afternoon in an attempt to hide from the blazing heat. Having had very little to eat in the morning, we took the liberty of sampling several of their best orders.

The orders were short, and sooner than we expected, the food arrived on our table. We had a plate of fried chicken skin, a large bowl of Pochero,  eight pieces of baked scallops, a serving of kinilaw na tanigue, tinumok na isda, and two servings of chicken inasal. 

Upon the arrival of the steaming soup beef, we divided it amongst ourselves to get it dished out for our convenience (since there were more food coming at our table). I had to give up my share of the scallops because I've found them too creamy (and far too sinful and unforgiving to my diet regime). The fish kinilaw had several slices of local lemon and chilies to go with it, as well as a generous heap of onions and tomatoes-what constitutes as "lamas" in local dialect.

Of course, the tinumok na isda, a new addition to their menu, was served with the fish wrapped and steamed with leeks and lemongrass. It tasted a little dry, but a little seasoning to go with it would make it a perfect dish.

Of course, last but not the least, the chicken inasal was a spectacular blend of sauce and spice, both of which have penetrated the inner portion of the meat. This is rare, because most of the chicken dishes sold nowadays only have flavors on the skin.

And of course, to stave of the summer heat, we ordered two servings of Buko Halo Halo, complete with real young coconut shell as a bowl of sorts.

 It was great.

Jo's Chicken Inato

Ramos, Cebu City

Verdict:

A: 4.5/5

The place was a downgrade from its old branch. But at least it still had their signature taste.