Halo-halo is one of the all-time favorite dessert in the country. In fact, there are numerous variations of this Filipino dessert. The Queen City of the South is home to a number of places offering the dessert and one of these places is Monbis Halo-Halo. 

Starting Out

Monbis Halo-Halo started off as a regular mini-restaurant around four years ago offering a number of dishes. Edmon Baltazar, the owner of Monbis said they started to focus on offering halo-halo after it became their best-seller around two years ago.  He added that the name Monbis is a combination of his name and the name of his wife, Bambi. The letter “s” was added mainly for effect.  Edmon takes care of production and serving the halo-halo to the guests while Bambi takes care of the cash register and the orders of customers. 

The Halo-Halo

Monbis only sells one type of halo-halo, the special kind of halo-halo. Their halo-halo had jackfruit, mango, and bananas in its ingredients along with crushed graham crackers, rice crisps and ube-flavored ice cream. Hershey’s chocolate syrup was drizzled on top of the dish and garnished with a Stick-O wafer stick. The ice used on the halo-halo of Monbis was also quite special since it featured fine granules. When the whole dish was mixed, it had an ice cream-like consistency.

Monbis Halo-Halo

The store has two branches, both of which are located in Tisa. The second branch is only around four months old and was bigger compared to the original store. The place is usually packed each night it is open. In fact, it is advisable to be there early to get the chance to taste their halo-halo since they only serve 400 customers each time.  They give out priority numbers to customers before they can make their orders. Edmon said their customers come as far south as Carcar and north from Consolacion.

The halo-halo of Monbis is priced at PHP 70. Monbis Halo-Halo is open from 7:00 PM to 12:00 midnight from Monday to Saturday. There are some instances when the place is open on Sundays whenever their customers request it.  You can call Monbis Halo-halo 

While Monbis Halo-Halo is still relatively new to the food landscape of Cebu, it is already making waves in the culinary market of Cebu. Have you already tasted the halo-halo of Monbis? Tell us about it on the comments section below.

Cebu is home to numerous hidden paradises that are gradually being discovered. Some of these hidden Edens are beaches that are bereft of any human development. There are others that have gone through some enhancements but have yet to be extensively promoted.  One of these places is Bunzie’s Cove. 

Bunzie’s Cove is located in the northeastern part of Cebu and is called the “Caribbean Cove of Cebu.” The place is actually a boutique vacation home that is gradually becoming popular among local and foreign tourists.  It offers a magnificent view of the Tabogon Bay as well as the Camotes Sea. The place has also become the destination of thrill-seekers looking for a little surge in their adrenaline level.  These thrill-seekers would go cliff-diving along the fringe edges of the rocky shoreline of the place. 

Day Use or Overnight Stay?

Bunzie’s Cove accepts day-users along with guests wanting to stay overnight at the boutique vacation home.  For guests wanting to use the facilities for the day, the entrance fee is PHP 100 while a corkage fee of PHP 500 will be required for all the food they bring. For guests wanting to stay for a night or two or even three, the place has a number of accommodations available for use.  The three types of accommodations available at Bunzie’s Cove are the Apartment, the Lookout and the Villa. While there are no restaurant facilities at the place, each accommodation does have its own kitchen where guests can cook their own meals.

Packages Offered 

The boutique vacation home has a number of packages guests can take advantage of.  The first package is priced at PHP 10,000 per day and includes the use of a Villa and guestroom that offer a wonderful view of the cove. The package is good for ten persons and is recommended for families wanting to spend the weekend away from fast-paced life in the city.  The accommodations include a living area, dining area and kitchen. The second package is also priced at PHP 10,000 per day and includes the use of the Lookout that can accommodate ten persons. The Lookout offers a great view of the swimming pool and offers a living and dining area along with a kitchen. The third package, priced at PHP 15,000, includes the use of all three types of accommodations.

Going to Bunzie’s Cove

Bunzie’s Cove is located in Tabogon, Cebu, which is around 80 kilometers from Cebu City. The best way to get to the place is to use a private vehicle. Just drive towards the north of Cebu until you reach the sign welcoming visitors to Tabogon. Bunzie’s Cove is located in Barangay Bitoon, which is around three kilometers from the welcome sign. It is situated along the right side of the road and has a red arch gate. You can also take a bus headed for the Tabogon at the North Bus Terminal. Just make sure to tell the driver or conductor to drop you off at Bunzie’s Cove.

Cebu is home to a number of hidden Edens that have yet to be discovered by tourists, both local and foreign. Bunzie’s Cove is one of these hidden paradises offering a place for anyone wanting to take a rest from the fast pace of the city. Have you visited the “Caribbean Cove of Cebu” already? Tell us about your experience on the comments section below.

The Queen City of the South is a gastronomical adventure for anyone intrepid enough to explore its culinary landscape. But, for those who want to err on the side of safety, they may want to try out some of the more familiar dishes with a Cebuano twist. Cebuanos have a close affinity to Chinese cuisine.  Just take a look at the number of fixed and mobile stores selling siomai, siopao and other Chinese food items.

One store in Tisa has caught the attention of food-loving Cebuanos for the Chinese-inspired food since the menu items it offers is comparable to the ones offered in some restaurants offering Chinese food at a lower price. Braddex Batchoy & Steamed Rice is located along Katipunan Street in Tisa. Even with the healthy competition in the area, Braddex was able to hold its own in the market.

People from nearly all walks of life flock to Braddex to get the chance to taste their version of Chinese dimsum. On any given day, you can find students and professionals bumping elbows with each other while taking a bite out the siomai or slurping in a spoonful of their batchoy or having their fill of steamed rice.

A PHP 200 budget is good enough for two people to eat steam rice, siomai and batchoy while having something left for the fare back home. Talk about budget Chinese dimsum. The items on the menu of Braddex Batchoy & Steamed Rice are spring rolls, fried wanton, steamed chicken, crab pinchers, shrimp ball, bacon roll, siopao. chicken feet, ngohiong, sweet & sour pork and the empress roll. Braddex Batchoy & Steamed Rice is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The best time to visit the place is just before the dinner rush.  You can also visit the place for a little midnight snack.

Tisa is gradually becoming a haven for foodies as the number of food establishments in the area has increased. Braddex Batchoy & Steamed Rice is just one the establishments that have filled the need of Cebuanos wanting to have good food at reasonable prices.