10 Exciting Cebu Food Places

Food is an essential part of travel, probably why travel blogs are almost always bundled as food blogs. While I was in Cebu City, Philippines to visit my sister last week, I had plenty time to waste looking for good restaurants to eat at. Fortunately for me, there were plenty of choices and I've narrowed it down to these ten:

Casa Verde - Cebu I.T Park, Lahug

Casa Verde - Cebu I.T Park

 A lot of my friends have been telling me to try out the place. The last time I was in Cebu (May 2013), we only stayed a few hours and weren't able to go anywhere besides SM. If I knew how awesome this place would be, I would have insisted we go to I.T Park immediately. I love this place! TripAdvisor is wrong to give it 4/5 stars! I'll give it six if it were mine to give! They have an awesome menu, cute décor, familiar ambiance and nice staff! I recommend the Big Bang Burger and their Baby Back Ribs.

Boosog - Escario

Boosog - Escario

This place can be a little harder to find than Casa Verde since it is nestled on a private lane on uptown Escario but the search is definitely worth it. Boosog offers guests a cute Filipino theme, classy yet homey feel, conciliatory wait staff and well-prepared familiar food. Sure, the portions are a bit small for a 'for two' but they don't compromise the flavors. You're sure to love the Monggo & Seafood soup, Sweet & Sour entrée and Boosog fried rice.

Tsiboom - JCenter Mall, Mandaue City

Tsiboom - J Center

It's near Chewy Jr. in the back part of the Mall. They serve Filipino cuisine with big portions that you can share with your family, friend or special someone. They're clean and you get your money's worth. (Preparing your dish can take some time though so I hope you bring your tab / phone)

Ngohiong Express - All over Metro Cebu

Ngohiong Express - Cebu

When you ask about Cebu food, people will always tell you to try  Otap, Lechon and Ngohiong. Ngohiong is Cebu's quintessential street food (while Cagayan de Oro has Proven). The place isn't much (but heck, Ngohiong isn't exactly a place for the Bourgeois) but it's the best place to try Ngohiong. Just be wary of flies getting in your food, sit on the upper stools to shake them off.

Kombini - Escario

Kombini - Escario

They've got nice food here and is very near to where my sister lives. Koreans frequent the place (it can get pretty loud at night because this is pretty much their hangout place). They've got meals, coffee, desserts, Korean ice cream and Korean food (Kimchi, Bimbap if you're in to those).

QBay Restaurant - Cebu I.T Park, Lahug

QBay - Cebu I.T Park

If I remember correctly, this is on the G/F of Sky Rise #4. The ambiance and the design attracted me in the first place (the picture I posted doesn't do it justice). Yuppies frequent the place, along with gourmets and even gourmands who enjoy authentic Japanese. QBay is an izakaya (kind of place that Japanese people go after work to eat and drink) owned by Chef Fujioka.

Irie Gastropubliko - Cebu I.T Park, Lahug

Irie Gatropubliko - Cebu I.T Park

When I first laid eyes on Irie (also at the G/F of Sky Rise #4), I thought it was a pub. Lo and behold, it is a pub (not Irish as I thought lol) and more. They serve liquor but also great food (like their Fat Bastard and Angus Rib Eye Steak) They're open 24 hours a day except Sundays. Their motto? Always irie at Irie! (For those of you who don't know what irie and are too lazy to Google, it means 'alright' in Jamaican and simply means no worries or hakunah matata - yes, a Lion King reference not Swahili, everybody)

Politics - Esacario Central

Politics - Escario Central

See that crowd? It's 9pm on a Thursday (and I swear I'm trying not to sing Piano Man) and that's the crowd. They're having a Trivia Night and never in my history of Trivia Nights have I seen a crowd as wild and engaging as this. The crowd should tell you why this place is on this list.

Sprockets Cafe - J Block, Escario / Talamban

Sprockets - Escario / Talamban

This place is possibly the best Milk Tea place in Metro Cebu. Their lighting is perfect for selfies as well. Students and young professionals frequent both branches for their Milk Tea, Cakes and yummy meals. People fill in quickly and stay for awhile to catch up or just enjoy each others' company. Btw, their Escario branch's WiFi is just a pocket so don't expect their connection to even remotely be fast (we couldn't connect the whole time we were there).

  

CMYK Dessert House - Lahug (near Waterfront Hotel)

CMYK - Lahug

CMYK is actually Chocolate Makes You Kiss (but it doesn't because kissing my sister would be awkward. and weird). I gladly recommend their Mug Cake (because plates are too mainstream). Watch out for my detailed review on Sprockets and CMYK in the coming days :)