“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius 

When people go on a trip to the northern part of Cebu, they normally have a specific destination in mind. But there are a lot of things you can see and do in the towns of northern Cebu. This list contains six more places you can visit if you want to go on a road trip to the north of Cebu.

Sogod

The next town we will visit is Sogod. The name of this northern town comes from the Visayan word “sinugdanan,” which means beginning.  The name was based on a natural phenomenon where the white sand starts in the beach located in Barangay Bawo. It starts in the area and extends to the northern part of the island and connects to the dark sand in the southern part. 

​You may want to stop by the St. James the Apostle Parish Church, which was built in 1842. In addition, the town is also home to the Binaliw Spring, which supplies water to the Sogod Waterworks System. The water from the spring is also believed to heal different illnesses.  You may also want to stop by the Sogod Bay, which is abundant in natural resources. Scuba divers can also visit the vibrant coral reefs at the bay of the town.

Borbon

After Sogod, you will find yourself in the municipality of Borbon. While there is not much hype about the tourist attractions in this northern town, it actually has a number of interesting places you can consider visiting. One of these places is the Silmogi River, which is believed to be enchanted. It is also interesting to note that the name of the annual festival of the town was named after its river. The Silmogi Festival is held every January 20 and is celebrated in honor of the patron saint of the town, St. Sebastian Martyr. Silmugi is also the old name of the town.

​Another interesting place to visit in Borbon is the Nonoc Cave. The cave was supposedly an important campsite for Japanese soldiers during World War 2. You may even get to see some Japanese characters on the walls of the cave. The mountain barangay of Bongdo also features a cave system where guerillas used to hide while resisting the Japanese occupation of the island. If you are adventurous enough, you may also want to try the takyong, which is a bush snail endemic to the town. But if you want to play it safe, you can try the other delicacies offered in the town such as the budbud pilit and cassava cake.

Tabogon

Our next stop is at the Municipality of Tabogon. The name of the town is based on an old Visayan word “tabog,” which means busy. It refers to the busy farms that used to occupy a significant part of the town, which meant the place was a place where people were busy at work.

​Tabogon is home to a number of beach resorts where you can rest your aching muscles after driving for hours to the north. These beach resorts include the Sea Turtle Lagoon Resort and Bunzie’s Cove. In addition, the town is also home to the Guiwanon Cold Spring, which is an ideal destination for the summer.

Bogo

The City of Bogo is the next place to visit in our trip to the north. It is the last major city in the northern part of the island of Cebu and the gateway to Malapascua and Bantayan Islands. Historians say the name of the city came from the single bogo tree standing along the shore. This was where the natives would meet with traders from other places. The Bogo wharf now stands on the site where the tree was situated. The City of Bogo can be considered as a transition town where travelers can buy supplies for their trip to the Bantayan and Malapascua islands as well as San Remigio.

​One major tourist attraction in this northern city is the Shrine of the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which overlooks the city since it is situated on top of a hill. You may also be interested in visiting Capitancillo, which is a small coral island featuring a lighthouse and three dive sites.  Legends say the island was supposedly named after Captain Basillo who insulted Bugtopasan, a local datu. The datu placed a curse on the captain that transformed the Spanish galleon into the island. You can also try the local delicacy of the city, the pintos, which are made of grounded young corn that is sweetened with sugar.

Medellin

The northern town Medellin was once one of the barangays of the town of Daanbantayan. It became a town in 1881 and was named after a city in the Bajadoz province in Spain. The town is known as the sugar bowl of Cebu and is gradually building a reputation of being one of the fun destinations in the island of Cebu. Medellin was the first to offer a sky bicycle ride where visitors use an actual bicycle to go through a 125-meter trail in the air. In addition, you can also try to conquer any fear of heights on the zipline and Tarzan jump of the place. You can try your hand in these extreme activities at the eco-adventure park owned by the municipal government.

​You can also visit the Funtastic Island in Gibitngil Island.  The island is a renowned resort featuring colorful cottages built on top of black rocks and corals. Other places to visit in the town are the Dayhaganon Canal and the Dagusungan River. Since you will likely want to stay a while in the town, there are a number of accommodations you can choose from, including the Seahorse Tourist Inn, Palms Seaside Inn and Resort, and Lea’s Sunset View Beach Resort, among others.

Daanbantayan

Our last stop to the northern part of the island of Cebu is the town of Daanbantayan. The name of the town comes from two Cebuano words, “daan,” which means old and “bantayan,” which means lookout station. The town is also home to one of the biggest fishing grounds in the country and is a major supplier of dried fish.

​Daanbantayan is also your jump-off point if you want to go to Carnaza Island, a hidden paradise in the north, and Malapascua Island. Another place you may be interested in visiting while in the town is Gato Cave and Islet, which is home to flying foxes and nesting seabirds. If you are planning to stay in Daanbantayan, you may want to consider the Kandaya Resort. The resort offers a number of luxury suites and villas for its discriminating guests.

​These are just some of the places you can visit if you are planning on a road trip through the northeastern part of the island of Cebu. We’ll give you a heads up on the places you can visit on the northwestern part of the island in future posts.

​Are you planning a road trip to the north of Cebu? Tell us about your plan on the comments section below.

“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” - Danny Kaye

There are times when the stress of city life can become too much for anyone. During these times, a good road trip may be the best treatment you can have. So, we listed a number of places you can visit if you intend to go on a road trip to the northern part of the island of Cebu.

Liloan

Our journey starts in the town of Liloan. The name of the town came from the whirlpools created due to the ebbs and flows of water at the bay. The term liloan means “a place where a lilo is present.” The town is home to a number of landmarks including the lighthouse at Bagacay Point and the San Fernando Rey Parish Church. If you love extreme adventure activities, you stop by Papa Kit’s Marina & Fishing Lagoon and go wakeboarding. You can also try their zipline or go horseback riding.

​Aside from these places, you can also drop by Titay’s Rosquillos and try the rosquillos and other delicacies available in the town. Dropping by the plaza can become a food bonanza where you can try delectable treats like lechon, seafood, rice cakes, and, of course, the masi of Liloan. 

Compostela

The next town on the list is Compostela. The town was named after the hometown of a Spanish friar. It has a number of impressive resorts where you can spend the night. While it may be relatively unknown among tourists, the town is actually home to the Mulao River, which is gradually becoming popular among river trekkers. The residents of the town also celebrate the Queseo Festival or the Cheese Festival since the town offers a cheese that come from carabao milk.

​If you want to take a break from the city, you have the option to stay at some of the resorts in the town, including the Stakili Garden Beach Resort or Estaca Bay, Green Lagoon Park, or Boardwalk Beach Resort, among others. You should also not leave the town of Compostela unless you get the chance to taste the queseo, which is cheese made from carabao milk.

Danao

Danao City will be our next stop in our road trip to the north of Cebu. The city of Danao once served as the northern end of the Cebu railroad that ran down to the town of Argao. While much of the beaches in Danao are not as impressive as a number of other places on the island, the city is home to an eco adventure park where you can try your hand in some extreme sports. One famous adventure park in the city of Danao is the Danasan Eco Adventure Park.

​Danao is also known for its sugar industry. In fact, one resort in the city is named after the old method of milling sugar cane, which is called “intosan.” The old railroad used to move sugar cane from Danao to the port of Cebu. Since you are already in Danao, you can also try some of their local delicacies, the tinap-anan, kiseo and kasahos. The Tinap-anan is smoked fish cooked in ginger and vinegar before it is grilled. The Kiseo is also cheese made from carabao milk while the Kasahos is carabeef jerky.

Carmen

The town of Carmen was originally called Bugho, but miscommunication between a resident and a Spanish chronicler changed the name to Carmen. According to stories, the Spaniard asked a woman for the name of the place. The woman thought the Spaniard was asking for the name of the necklace she was wearing and answered Birhen sa Carmen.  The most famous tourist attraction of Carmen is the Durano Eco Farm & Spring Resort. The place features natural spring pools ideal for people who are sensitive to chlorine.

​Another tourist spot locals and visitors can look forward to in the town of Carmen is the Cebu Safari, which is expected to be opened by October or November 2017.  The 100-hectare development is owned by Michel J. Lhuillier and will be the biggest zoo in the entire archipelago. The zoo will feature a number of animals including zebras, white tigers, horses, giraffes, flamingos, and vultures, among others.

Catmon

Your next stop in your trip to the north of Cebu is the town of Catmon. The town got its name from the katmon trees that are abundant in the area. It is also home to the second highest peak in the island of Cebu, Mount Capayas or Mount Kapayas. You may want to stay a while at the town of Catmon since the place has a number of beaches that can bring out the beach-lover in you.  Aside from the beaches, you can also find a number of waterfalls and hot springs at the town.

​You can also stop at the Duko-Duko Eatery in Barangay Macaas and try the specialties of the house, their pochero and native chicken. The place is actually one of the preferred stops of people driving up north since they serve great-tasting dishes at a reasonable price. You should also not leave the town until you get to taste the budbod kabog or the suman of the town of Catmon.

​These are just the first five places you can visit if you are planning to have a road trip to the north of Cebu. While you normally breeze through these places since you would already have a specific destination to go to up north, it may be worthwhile for you to stop and stay a while. 

​Are you planning a road trip to the north of Cebu? Tell us about your plan on the comments section below.

​Judging from the number of burgers stands in and around the city, burgers are already a major part of the life of Cebuanos. While these sandwiches are more of snack items that people normally eat in the afternoon, some burgers offer a full meal in itself. Paired with fries and a drink, burgers are now a part of the diet of many residents of the Queen City of the South.

Backyard Burgers

Even as Cebu has a number of home-grown burger companies, there are some burger companies that have brought their brand of burgers to the Queen City of the South. One of these companies is Backyard Burgers. Backyard Burgers is a Davao-based burger joint that first landed on the shores of Cebu in 2015. During this time, they only rented a small stall for the Sinulog Festival. 

​The response of Cebuanos and visitors to the burgers offered by Backyard Burgers was so overwhelming that they decided to return to the Queen City of the South the following year. Fast-forward to 2017, Backyard Burgers finally found a permanent home at the corner of Archbishop Reyes Ave and Tojong Street, which is a stone’s throw away from Ayala Center Cebu.

Burgers of Backyard Burgers

Backyard Burgers offers different types of burgers that can tickle the taste buds of just about anyone. These include the Japanese Oishi Burger, Cheesy Bacon Burger, and their Signature Burger. People who love to have lots of cheese on their burgers can try the Extra Cheesy Burger and those who simply love burgers can try their BB Triple X Burger. 

​While the prices are not as cheap as your neighborhood Buy 1 Take 1 burger stand, you can be assured that they offer premium ingredients for their burgers. They also use pure imported beef patties for their burgers, which makes you want to come back for more.

Price, Business Hours, and Location

The burgers are priced between PHP125 for the BB Yard Burger and PHP400 for the Triple X Burger. Backyard Burgers is open from 11:30 AMO to 11:30 PM every day. The store is located just beside Islands Stay Hotel at the corner of Archbishop Reyes Ave and Tojong Street.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

If food can cure all illnesses, then you will always be in the pink of health when you visit the Queen City of the South. Metro Cebu is home to many restaurants offering different types of food. A number of these restaurants offer eat-all-you-can promotions for people who really love food. The following are some of these restaurants offering eat-all-you-can promotions to both locals and visitors to Cebu.

Burrow 

​The Burrow can be considered as paradise for chicken wing lovers. The restaurant offers guests all the chicken wings they can eat for only PHP199. Located on the ground floor of the Tsai Hotel along Wilson Street, Lahug, the place is normally filled with diners for lunch and dinner. The success of the place allowed them to open a second branch at Parkmall in the North Reclamation Area, Mandaue City.

​The Burrow offers five flavors of their chicken wings, namely Classic, Asian BBQ, Chili, Mild Teriyaki, and Garlic Parmesan.  They are served in platters of 15 pieces each. You can actually mix it up with three pieces of each flavor so you have the chance of tasting each type. The Mild Teriyaki is the most popular flavor and if you are not early, you may not be able to taste it since it’s the first flavor to run out at the restaurant. They also offer an unlimited supply of rice to pair off with your chicken wings. Bottomless iced tea is also available for an additional PHP40 while the dips cost PHP20. 

The Burrow is located at the ground floor of the Tsai Hotel along Wilson Street. It is a few meters away from JYSquare Discovery Mall. They are open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day. The second branch of the restaurant is located at the second floor or Parkmall, Tipolo, Mandaue City and is open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. 

The Original Pino Restaurant

​The Original Pino Restaurant is known for offering good food at a reasonable price. In addition to the ala carte menu items, the restaurant also offers an eat-all-you-can fare consisting of Filipino dishes. The place touts itself as the “home of the best value buffets in town,” and many of its customers agree to this.

​The lunch buffet with crispy pata at the Original Pino Restaurant is priced at PHP299 from Monday to Thursday and PHP399 from Friday to Saturday. Their dinner buffet with lechon Cebu is priced at PHP429 from Monday to Sunday. Customers can also have their eat-all-you-can chicken wings with unlimited rice at the Plaza Pino for PHP199. They have five flavors of their chicken wings: Butter Lemon, Chili, Parmesan, Naked Calamansi, and Teriyaki.

Aside from the lunch and dinner buffet, and unli chicken wings of the Original Pino Restaurant, the place also started offering its own Pizza, Pasta, Chicken Wings, and Shrimps Buffet at its Boulangerie and Wine Cellar for PHP269. While the promo is on a limited run, it may be possible for the restaurant to continue it if it is successful.  The new buffet is available from 5:00 PM to 11:30 PM.  

AAA Diamond Tongs

​Aside from the Original Pino Restaurant, there is another eat-all-you-can restaurant serving Filipino dishes. AAA Diamond Tongs, or simply Tongs, is located along F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo, Cebu City. The buffet of the restaurant offers mouth-watering Filipino dishes, such as the lechon Cebu, chicken pandan, and Calamares, among others.

​But, the main come-on of the place is their baked oysters. Some customers even go to the place just for the oysters and nothing else. In addition to the baked oysters, people also love the baked scallops, steamed fish, and other seafood offerings of AAA Diamond Tongs.

The lunch buffet of AAA Diamond Tongs is priced at PHP285 while their dinner buffet is priced at PHP315. The restaurant is open from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM for the lunch buffet and 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM for the dinner buffet from Monday to Sunday. It is located right across the Sarrosa Hotel in Mabolo. 

Sugbufe

​Sugbufe is a new buffet restaurant located in Subangdaku, Mandaue City. The restaurant aims to bring Filipino cuisine to new levels and encourage Filipinos to become more knowledgeable about the food, culture and heritage of the Philippines. Aside from offering great-tasting Filipino food, the restaurant also supports advocacies. One of its advocacies is to support Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and a number of the employees in the company are PWDs.

​Aside from the usual lunch and dinner buffets, the restaurant also has a Merienda Cena where Filipino snack items are served, including the binignit, fresh lumpia, biko, dinuguan at puto, and turon, among others. The lunch and dinner buffet consists of well-loved Filipino food, like the pork barbecue, pancit, and lechon Cebu, among others. Guests of the restaurant agree that the place offer great-tasting food at a reasonable price.

​The lunch buffet of Sugbufe is from priced at PHP348 while the dinner buffet is priced at PHP448. The Merienda Cena of the restaurant is priced at PHP210. Customers can look forward to the lunch buffet from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the merienda cena from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM, and the dinner buffet from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Sugbufe is open from Monday to Saturday. Sugbufe is located along M. Logarta Street, Subangdaku, Mandaue City. It is situated close to the Cebu North Bus Terminal.

​The town of Catmon in the north is well-known for a delicacy that has reached other places in the archipelago. It is made from seeds of a plant that is abundant in the area, millet grass. The seeds are cooked with sugar and coconut milk before they are wrapped in banana leaves to produce the now famous budbud kabog. 

Catmon

The town of Catmon was named after a tree that is abundant in the area. This local tree species can reach heights of 14 meters and produces flowers with white petals. A settlement was established in 1835 by Augustinian Recollect missionaries, who were accompanied by Spanish soldiers. A watchtower was built in the area to defend residents from Moro raiders. The watchtower or the Bantayan sa Hari is still standing in Barangay Catmondaan, which was the location of the first Spanish settlement in the area.

Budbud Kabog

The budbud kabog was first sold by Catmon residents at the tollbooth on the Naghalin Bridge. While people from other places in the country also make the budbud kabog, these people are supposedly the relatives of the residents of Catmon. Due to this, the delicacy actually originated from Catmon.

Budbud Kabog Festival

The budbud kabog is also the inspiration of the annual Budbud Kabog Festival of Catmon. The festival is celebrated every February 10 of each year. It was initially launched in 2006 and came about after a painstaking process that allowed the town to successfully hold the event. The process started six months prior to the celebration inside the conference of former Mayor Estrella Aribal. Mayor Aribal was joined by former Vice-Mayor Avis Monleon and the members of the municipal council as well as members of the committee tasked in organizing the festival.

​After the basic steps were finalized, a dance workshop was held to introduce the jingle to local choreographers who would teach the participants in their barangays. The Budbud Kabog festival theme was composed and arranged by Mr. Elvis Somosot of Musikinesis Recording Studio.

Basic Dance Steps

The eight basic steps for the Budbud Kabog Festival simulate the process in making this special delicacy from Catmon. The steps are as follows: 

• Step 1 – Kabhig
• Step 2 – Bugnaw
• Step 3 – Kayog or Hakot
• Step 4 – Gi-ok
• Step 5 – Asod
• Step 6 – Alig-ig
• Step 7 – Pasiko
• Step 8 – Kilikiti

​While the different contingents participating in the Budbud Kabog Dance Showdown are allowed to present any dance, they should incorporate all the eight basic dance steps in their presentation. Aside from showcasing the famous delicacy of the town, the Budbud Kabog Festival is also a venue for the residents of Catmon to give thanks to the patron saint of the town, San Guillermo de Aquitania. 

​In addition to the dance showdown, three other activities are held during the Budbud Kabog Festival: the Search for the Festival Queen, the Sadsaran or street dancing, and the Grand Patikim. The Grand Patikim gives people the chance to taste the delicacy as well as other delicacies using different methods in preparing the “kabog” grain. These preparations include the bikong kabog, the kabog valenciana, and the bibingkang kabog.

Have you witnessed the Budbud Kabog Festival already? Tell us about it on the comments section below.

​Cebuanos love chicken. Just take a look at all of the places specializing in fried, buttered or roasted chicken around the city. You can find them in nearly every neighborhood in the Queen City of the South. This does not yet include carenderias and eateries selling their own fried or buttered chicken.

While big-name fast food restaurants have already taken root in metro Cebu, there are still a number of smaller chicken places that have aroused the senses of Cebuanos. Let’s take a look at some of these small-yet-popular chicken places in Cebu.

Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal

A newcomer to the food landscape of Cebu, Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal offers authentic Bacolod chicken inasal and other delicacies to stimulate the taste buds of Cebuanos. The place only opened its doors to Cebuano market in January 2017 and is gradually making a name for itself in the local food scene. 

​Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal offers different parts of chicken roasted the Bacolod way. In addition to the roasted chicken or chicken inasal, the place also offers barbecued pork, atay (liver), and tina-e (intestines), among others. 

​The place is located at the GND Arcade along F. Cabahug Street, Mandaue City. The arcade is also where Kusina Uno is located and right across the building where Sykes is situated. The place is open from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. 

King of Chicken

The King of Chicken started off as a small store in Urgello St. offering deep-fried chicken. It soon became popular not only among the residents of the area but among people from other places in the city. These people essentially got to know about the place from friends who were able to taste their chicken.  In fact, a number of its customers compare the chicken offered by the King of Chicken with the chicken featuring eleven secret herbs and spices.

​The King of Chicken opened its first sit-down restaurant along Osmeña Boulevard offering chicken cooked in different ways. In addition to their well-loved chicken, the place also sells beef, fish, and vegetable dishes. The place is popular among nurses and doctors working at the nearby hospital. Medical representatives are also return customers of the place.

​While the King of Chicken offers deliveries, it is only limited to the Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital block for the moment. But they are planning to expand their delivery area in the future. The King of Chicken is located close to the Cebu Doctors’ Hospital and it open between 10:00 AM and 9:00 PM from Monday to Saturday.

Tagala Chicken Butterfly

If you are looking to get your chicken fix at a reasonable price, you can check out the Tagala Chicken Butterfly. The place has branches close to schools around the city. The place has been the go-to place for students looking for an inexpensive place to eat for lunch.

​Tagala Chicken Butterfly offers different chicken parts deep-fried to perfection. Customers of the place say the flour of the chicken is not overpowering and the taste of the chicken comes out. It is crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside.  Even without using any secret multi-herb spices, the product of the Tagala Chicken Butterfly has been consistent in offering great-tasting chicken to their customers. The place was recognized as offering the “Best Fried Chicken” on the Best of Cebu list of SunStar Weekend for 2015.

​The place has branches close to a number of the major universities in the city, including the University of San Carlos-Technological Center and Cebu Doctors’ University, among others.

Gibbs Hot Wings

Gibbs Hot Wings touts itself as having the best hot wings in this side of the archipelago. The restaurant opened its first location at the extension of the home of the owner in Holy Family 2 in Banilad, Cebu City. The restaurant is rather cozy and used to be the place where the owner and his buddies would hang out over a couple of cold ones.

​Since the place was small, it has the tendency to become full during weekends. Gibbs Hot Wings offers chicken wings in five levels of spiciness: Hot, Original, Insanely Hot, 2 Intense, and Freakin’ Hot. In addition to the hot chicken wings, the restaurant also has other menu items customers can look forward to when they visit the place, including the Gibbs’ Hot Wings Bacon & Mushroom Carbonara and the Gibbs’ Hot Wings Spag n’  Meatballs.

​Aside from offering good food, the place also gives its customers the chance to express themselves by allowing them to write on a big board positioned on the walls of the place. Due to the success of its first location, Gibbs Hot Wings opened another branch at the Streetscape Lifestyle Mall along Paseo Saturnino, Banilad, Cebu City.

Vibes 

Another hole-in-the-wall chicken place is located right behind Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital. Even as Vibes may have a small eatery feel but it offers food items made using premium ingredients. The imported herbs and spices provide the distinctive flavor for their products.  

​Most of the customers of Vibes are students, doctors, and nurses of Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital as well as employees from nearby business establishments. Their chicken menu items include the Chicken Tandoori, Garam Masala, Herbs & Spicy Chicken Fry with Rice, and Cajun Chicken Fry with Rice, among others. In addition, Vibes also offers pork meals, beef meals, and soup.

​Vibes is located behind Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital right beside 7/11. They are open between 11:30 AM and 4:00 AM from Monday to Saturday.

​These are just five of the places in the Queen City of the South where Cebuanos can satisfy their cravings for chicken. Have you visited any of these places already?

​Do you remember the time when we used to play hide and seek with the other kids in the subdivision? Hiding inside vacant houses, running up and down the streets, the whole neighborhood became our playground. 

​Do you remember the time in elementary when we used to go to a small burger stand along Mango Avenue on Fridays after classes? You used to order a cheeseburger without ketchup while I had a hamburger. There were times when we would share one bottle of Coke since that was what we could afford at that time. While Orange Brutus was only just around the corner, we used to frequent this place since their burgers tasted better.  Can you recall the name of the place? I seem to have forgotten it, probably since it has been a long time ago since we went there. 

Do you remember the time when we used to hang out at Merry Mart on weekends? That building right across Redemptorist Church that looked like a castle complete with embrasures, merlons, and towers. You used to collect those green pieces of paper each time you picked a prize from a fish bowl after your parents bought groceries. Those green pieces of paper were our tickets to a fun afternoon riding the bump cars at the place.

​Do you remember the time in high school when we used to have lunch at the Yum-Yum Tree in Rustan’s on Saturdays? Their spaghetti with meatballs was to die for. After lunch, I would drag you to the basement so I can check out the latest comic books on display. We would also hang out at Orange Brutus watching people pass by as the sun set over the horizon. 

​Do you remember the time when you would wait for me at Mister Donut after classes? We would stay there just before the night turns dark talking about anything and everything under the sun. I miss those talks.

​Do you remember the time when you would look for me at that computer arcade behind D’ Three Brothers’ Billiard Hall on Saturday afternoons? While you were not really into video games, you would just wait for me to finish before we headed out to that disco place close to Foodarama. I cannot seem to recall the name of that place, can you still remember it?

​Do you remember the time in college when I would sit at the shed outside your school waiting for your last class to end? We would grab a bite to eat at the dimsum place in the downtown area. We would have a bowl of steamed rice each along with crab pinchers.

​Do you remember the time when we first ate the shawarma a Ric’s BBQ close to Robinson’s? It was probably the first place to offer shawarma in Cebu. These days, you can see stalls selling shawarma all over the city.

​Do you remember the time when we used to hang out at Bukid? We would hitch a ride with a friend and stay there singing, laughing and simply having the time of our lives. One time we were left behind and we had to walk all the way down to JY since there were no jeepneys passing through the area that early in the morning.

​Do you remember the time when you left for the US after you accepted the job offer in Texas? I would send you some knick-knacks and pasalubong items from time to time just to fight off your homesickness. I remember you loved the Peanut Browas, Toasted Mini Mamons, and Butterscotch of Lola Pureza. You said their products gave you a feeling of Old Cebu, which interestingly is their catchphrase. These would be on the top of my list whenever I would send something to you through a relative who was going abroad.

​Do you remember those times? I do.

​Whenever a barbecue stall opens in one place in the Queen City of the South, you can expect more to open in the following weeks. While some of these stalls may not survive the competition, there are some that continue to thrive since they offer great-tasting food people crave for. One of these places is Litang’s Barbecue and Lechon Manok.

Litang’s Barbecue and Lechon Manok  

Litang’s Barbecue and Lechon Manok is a popular barbecue place located in Pardo. They offer different types of barbecued items. The barbecue menu of the place includes pork, chicken, hotdog, pork liver, gizzard, and chorizo. In addition, Litang’s Barbecue and Lechon Manok also offers lechon manok with a distinctively juicy flavor. The meat they use at the place is of high quality and rich in flavor. 

Branches

The place was first established on June 11, 1978 in Poblacion, Pardo, Cebu City. It also has another branch in Kinasang-an, Pardo, Cebu City. The place aims to become the preferred quick service restaurant in Cebu. It also endeavors to consistently provide customers a distinctively Pinoy dining experience. 

​The place is quite popular and many of the people who visit the place are return customers. In fact, some of them even say they have been going to Litang’s Barbecue ever since they were in high school. The distinctive taste of the barbecue offered at the place is what people look for whenever they crave for barbecue. 

​Litangs Barbecue and Lechon Manok is just one of the places where residents and visitors to Cebu can look forward to great-tasting food each time they visit.

​Have you tasted the barbecue of Litang’s Barbecue and Lechon Manok already? Tell us about it on the comments section below.

​When one talks about lechon manok, the image of the white chicken with a halo normally comes to mind. But, there are actually a number of lechon manok places in the Queen City of the South offering lechon manok that is as good, if not better-tasting products compared to the one offered by the gatekeeper of heaven. 

Lechon Manok

The lechon manok is the Philippine version of the roast chicken. It is typically filled with lemon grass and other special ingredients that enhance the taste of the chicken. One of the first places to offer lechon manok in the Queen City of the South was the old White Gold department store at the North Reclamation Area. These days, one can see lechon manok places all over the city. One of these places is Joules Lechon Manok.

Joules Lechon Manok

Joules Lechon Manok is a rather modest stall located along Governor M. Cuenco Avenue in the Talamban area. The place was named after the son of the owner and has been offering one of the best lechon manoks in the city for the past two decades. It is not surprising to see a line form in front of the stall as customers wait for their turn to buy their lechon manok.

​In fact, people who tasted Joules Lechon Manok say it can give bigger lechon manok stores a good run for their money. The place can serve up to a hundred customers on a regular day. The number can go beyond 100 orders on holidays and weekends.  The popularity of Joules Lechon Manok earned it the “Best Lechon Manok” award from SunStar Cebu in 2013. The lemongrass and secret blend of spices is attributed to its great-tasting chicken that is well-seasoned and juicy.

Finding The Store

Finding the store may be a challenge since it only has a small sign on top of the store. You can easily miss it if you are not aware of its exact location. To go to Joules Lechon Manok, you have to take a jeepney to Talamban and get off just before you reach the Barangay Talamban Gymnasium. The place is on the left side of the road and right beside a Western Union branch.  The long line of customers in front of the place will be your final clue to its exact.

​The place is open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM. You will know that they are already grilling the chicken when you see smoke coming out of their rotisserie. The lechon manok at Joules Lechon Manok is priced at PHP200. You can get in touch with them through (032) 344-7339 or 0917-933-2716. Due to the popularity of their chicken, Joules Lechon Manok opened a new branch in Consolacion in December 2016.

​The culinary landscape of the Queen City of the South is filled with a number of well-known and hole-in-the wall food places. While many of the well-known restaurants offer some of the best dishes in the city, you can expect their dishes to be quite expensive. Visiting smaller hole-in-the-wall food places, like Joules Lechon Manok, may be a more appealing option especially when these places offer products that taste better compared to the ones offered by big-name restaurants.

​Have you tasted the lechon manok of Joules Lechon Manok already? Tell us about it on the comments section below.

​The ngohiong or ngoyong is the Cebuano version of the spring roll. There are already a number of places in the Queen City of the South offering the ngohiong. Doming’s is considered as the best in the list of places where you can have a taste of this distinctively Cebuano dish. But, there are also other places in Cebu that can give Doming’s a good run for its money. One of these places is Atek’s Ngohiong Train.

Atek’s Ngohiong Train

Atek’s Ngohiong Train is located along President Roxas Street, Villa Aurora Subdivision, Mabolo, Cebu City. The place can be considered a hole-in-the-wall restaurant since a good number of people in the city are aware of it. Its location is also rather out of the way and you would have to a long walk ahead of you if you are going there by public transportation, unless you are taking a taxi or your own car.

​The place is actually popular among medical representatives since it is big enough for them to hold meetings while taking their lunch. In addition, Atek’s Ngohiong Train also offers free Wi-Fi for its diners.

Food Choices

Aside from the ngohiong, the place also offers other dishes, including the kikiam, native fried chicken, siomai and pochero, among others. Diners also have the option to have their combo hot meals. Atek’s Ngohiong Train offers a good number of combo hot meals, including the ngohiong with pancit canton and rice, shanghai lumpia with pancit canton and rice, beef stew with rice, and adobong humba with bago-ong, scrambled egg and rice.

​One thing about the ngohiong at Atek’s Ngohiong Train is that they only fry the ngohiong upon ordering. So, this means the ngohiong will be hot when it is served. The ngohiong at the place is slightly bigger than the ones offered at Doming’s and has a suitable amount of filling.

Some people may think that Atek’s Ngohiong Train offers one of the best ngohiong in Cebu, but others may disagree. But, there is one thing every true blue Cebuano would agree, that the ngohiong is definitely one dish we can be proud of.