13 Food Items True-Blue Cebuano Foodies Have Tried

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are.” - Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

While Filipino food does not share the prominence as some of its Southeast Asian neighbors, it does offer a distinctive taste that can rival the best in Asia, if not, the world. The same is true with Cebuano food, which offers a flavor unique to the island itself. There are a number of well-known food items made by Cebuanos and loved by Cebuanos all around the world. If you tried all 13 items on the following list, you can consider yourself as a true-blue Cebuano foodie.

SuTuKil 

SuTuKil – image source: living.cebunetwork.com

Seafood has always held a special place in the heart of Cebuanos. This is evident in the number of different ways they prepare seafood: Sugba or grilling, Tuwa or stewing and Kilaw or mixing with vinegar. These three ways of preparing seafood resulted to the emergence of SuTuKil restaurants in the island. In the past, one would have to go to Mactan to have a taste of SuTuKil. These days, a number of restaurants around Metro Cebu started to include SuTuKil dishes in their respective menu. One of these restaurants is the Parr't EBelle, which is located just across SM City Cebu.

Parr't EBelle – image source: coffeeandpen.com

Bibingka sa Mandaue 

Bibingka Sa Mandaue – image source: pinterest.com

While Mandaue City is considered as the industrial capital of the province of Cebu, it does offer one of the best Bibingka in the planet. The Bibingka is a native delicacy popular among residents and visitors of Cebu. It is the Filipino version of the moshi of Japan. It is available in places typically visited by tourists. The unique taste of the Bibingka sa Mandaue comes from a key ingredient that ensures its freshness before the addition of the other ingredients, the manually-pounded rice. It is available in places where typically visited by tourists.

Carcar Chicharon 

Chicharon from Carcar – image source: Peter Parcon

​This sinfully scrumptious delicacy comes from the City of Carcar. The chicharon-making industry started during the American period after a couple found out that pork boiled in hot oil tasted good. The Carcar chicharon has one very unique feature, the meat found on each piece. In fact, some people even eat this delicacy with rice as a meal.  Since it is made from pork and cooked in hot oil, it is advisable to eat it in moderation. 

Torta sa Argao 

Torta sa Argao – image source: tenminutes.ph

Another southern delicacy that has tickled the taste buds of Cebuanos is the Torta sa Argao.  While some people said it is similar to the ensaymada, this sweet and tangy pastry from the south has one key ingredient that gives it its unique flavor, the tuba or fermented coconut. It is also cooked in a hot clay furnace, which enhances it distinctive taste. The Torta sa Argao is best paired with hot sikwate. While the Torta sa Argao is available in supermarkets, the best place to buy it is at the source itself, the heritage town of Argao.

Peanut Browas

Peanut Browas – image source: peanutbrowas.com

The Peanut Browas is another true-blue Cebuano delicacy that is a proud product of the heritage town of Argao. It is Cebu’s version of the Lady Fingers and is individually-made through the same traditional methods used by Lola Pureza years ago. Residents and visitors of Cebu bring with them a taste of old Cebu whenever they take this peanut-shaped delicacy home. You can buy the Peanut Browas in supermarkets and pasalubong centers around the city.

Peanut Browas – image source: Peanut Browas Facebook Page

Siomai sa Tisa 

Siomai sa Tisa – image source: flicker.com

The Siomai sa Tisa reflects the extensive Chinese influence in the food culture of Cebu. This Chinese-inspired food item started out as a small business of Julie and Elmer Parba. It quickly gained prominence among food-loving Cebuanos who would flock to the southern barangay of Tisa just to eat this simple yet tasty Chinese pork dumpling.  It is best paired with puso or hanging rice and dipped in a special sauce made of chili pepper, garlic and cooking oil. To make sure you are buying the original Siomai sa Tisa, simply look for a stall marked “D’ Original Siomai sa Tisa.”

D’ Original Siomai sa Tisa – image source: istorya.net

Ngohiong 

Cebu Ngohiong – image source: online-instagram.com

​The ngohiong is the Cebuano version of the Chinese spring rolls. It may seem to be a simple lumpia, but it has a distinctive Cebuano touch. It is typically made of ubod, singkamas, onions, garlic, seasoning and a Chinese five-spice powder.  Similar to the Siomai sa Tisa, the ngohiong is best paired with the puso and dipped in either spicy or sweet and sour sauce. The best ngohiong place in the Queen City of the South is Doming’s, which is located inside the Fairlane subdivision in Barangay Guadalupe.

Masi sa Liloan

Masi – image source: mugstoria.com

The Masi sa Liloan is another home-grown delicacy true-blue Cebuano foodies are familiar with. This bite-size treat is made from glutinous rice and has a sweet peanut filling. It has a similar texture as the mochi and has a distinctive taste due to its peanut filling. The town plaza of Liloan is the best place to find the masi. It is also sold at the Titay’s outlet in the town of Liloan.

Tuslob Buwa

Tuslob Buwa – image source: gallery.sunstar.com.ph

The Tuslob Buwa got its name from the way you eat this dish. The name literally means “to dip into bubbles.” This is an exotic food unique to Cebu. It is simple to prepare. All you need to do is to boil pig brain or liver before adding the other ingredients, consisting of onions, soy sauce, oil and other seasoning.  It became popular since customers only have to buy the puso or hanging rice and simply dip it into the boiling mixture. It gained mainstream attention after budding entrepreneurs established their own Tuslob Buwa outlets in the city.

Sizzling Burger Steak at Brutu

Sizzling Burger Steak and Fresh Fruit Shakes at Orange Brutus – image source: Facebook Page of Orange Brutus

Orange Brutus is the first home-grown hamburger chain in Cebu established in 1980. It is home to the best sizzling charbroiled burgers in the Queen City of the South. The owners opted to charbroil their burgers to maintain a low cholesterol level. Aside from its signature charbroiled burgers, Orange Brutus also offers the best fresh fruits shakes and chocolate cake in town. The store is already an institution in the food industry of Cebu and continues to hold its own against bigger fast food restaurants in the market.

Dimsum at Ding Qua Qua

Ding Qua Qua Dimsum – image source: Ding Qua Qua Dimsum Facebook Page

Another institution in the restaurant industry of Cebu is Ding Qua Qua. Ding Qua Qua is actually one of the brands under the Harbour City Dimsum House Co., Inc. Its most prominent food item is the Steamed Rice. The Steamed Rice of Ding Qua Qua comes in a variety of flavors, pork, beef and chicken. In addition to the steamed rice, the restaurant offers other dimsum items, including the Siomai, Empress Roll, Mandunggo, Chicken Feet, Crab Pincers and Spring Rolls among others. The Dimsum offerings of Ding Qua Qua is definitely among the food items true-blue Cebuano foodies recommend to visitors of the Queen City of the South.

Barbecue at Larsian

Larsian – Image Source: Peter Parcon

Larsian is not your typical food destination in Cebu since it has become somewhat of a tourist destination. It is considered as one of the stops of visitors of the Queen City of the South. Larsian is a one-stop shop of sorts for anyone wanting to eat barbecued dishes. You can find nearly all types of barbecued food items, such as pork, chicken, liver, chorizo, chicken skin, and fish, among others.

Larsian – Image Source: Peter Parcon

Lechon

Lechon – Image Source: Peter Parcon

The lechon from Cebu is not only the best in the country but the best in the world. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain cemented this status on “No Reservations," the popular travel-food show of the celebrity chef who said the lechon from Cebu is "the best pig ever." The herbs and spices used on the lechon from Cebu is the reason for its unique flavor. There are a number of places where one can get good lechon, including Talisay City and Carcar City. A lechon festival is held in Talisay City where numerous lechon are paraded on the streets of the city. On the other hand, visitors to the city of Carcar typically stop by their public market to get a taste of this delectable meat dish. The Cebu lechon can also be purchased from a number of lechon outlets in the city, including Zubuchon, CnT, and Ayers, among others.

Cebu - Image Source: Peter Parcon

These are just some of the food items true sons and daughters of Datu Lapu-Lapu would have tried at least once in their lives. These uniquely Cebuano dishes reflect the love of the residents of the Queen City of the South for great-tasting food. And taking cue from what Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said, when you eat all of the food items enumerated above, you are definitely a true-blue Cebuano foodie.

Would you have any other food items you want to include in the list? Tell us about it on the comments section below.