How Was Cebu 2015? (4 out of 4 series): Cebu Food, Food and More Food

 I've always felt that vacations are meant to be the time when you say goodbye to most restrictions, cut yourself loose from the pressures of society and find your inner peace.

For this edition of The Mediocre Wanderer, I bring you 5 such places in Cebu that made me do all the aforementioned things and embrace my Foodieness:

I sould have used a DLSR to take a better pic, but I was in such a hurry to serve it to my hungry brood that a nearby phone cam had to suffice

1. Tatang's Boneless Lechon : 5 words summed up my thoughts on this food stop - CRISPY.BONELESS.SPICY.CEBU.LECHON (followed by the non word  "nomnomnom"at the end of that statement).  This has got to be, hands down, the best Cebu lechon experience of my life! It's flavorful, it's different, it's OMG good!!!

lechon wraps

If you're stopping by one of their restaurants and not just the take out kiosks do try the lechon wraps as well. Think tender morsels of lechon, add a stick of cucumber and singkamas (Philippine Turnip) and wrap this up in some pita bread of sorts and dip it in a peanut-garlic (ala fresh lumpia) dip, and you are going to break into a foodie chorus!

take out kiosks sell the flakes frozen. To reheat, cook in a wok with a little oil. Stir to prevent sticking to the bottom, Serve when desired crunchiness is reached

The lechon flakes are also TDF (to die for)!! Check out their Facebook Page for more info: TATANG's. Good news for Manila residents, Tatang's has several branches in the Metro. If I'm not mistaken, there's one in Gilmore, in VMall at Greenhills and one at Mindanao Ave.

frozen mochi, warm brownie cup and a chocolate mousse

2. La Marea Pastry Shop: Famous for being the home of the original Warm Brownie Cup in Cebu, La Marea does desserts REAL well. Coming in like 10 minutes after a visit to Tatang's, I was dead set against dessert. Well,  I was...until I saw what was on display.

We tried the branch at The Walk, along Abad Street.

The Walk - a strip of trendy bars and restaurants in downtown Cebu

For more on La Marea, visit their Facebook page here.

3. Sunburst Chicken: One of our travel companions from Manila had some serious fond memories of the chicken at Sunburst. I found out why when most of what was ordered from the menu were various chicken parts - fried chicken breast, thighs, legs, wings, chicken skin and isol (fried chicken butts).

chicken butts

Sampling Sunburst chicken at AS Fortuna was a lesson on what a good fried chicken is. This is how fried chicken should be. The breading, light yet crispy and tasty. The chicken, tender, juicy and flavorful! There are several branches of Sunburst Chicken in Cebu and other places down south. Google to know which one is the nearest to you.

crispy pata

For a look at their menu, please click this link: Sunburst Chicken Menu

4. Oyster Bay: White sand and a koi pond while you dine al fresco...

looking forward to some  good grub in a casual setting

white sand in a restaurant that's in downtown Cebu

there used to be sharks in this mini lagoon. Now it's only koi and other fishes left

Not feeling the outdoor vibe? They've got an air conditioned restaurant too. The food we ate was, as expected, fresh seafood cooked perfectly. That and some great Pinoy treats :)

Here's a look at what our group at:

bicol express  - uber innovative of presenting this spicy dish

clam soup

fresh raw oysters on a half shell

lato (seaweed) salad

diwal - probably the best shellfish I've ever tasted!

tuna salad (think cat food with fried wonton wrappers - not a fan)

sisig packages (YUM!!)

bagoong rice

lechon kawali

For more info, visit their Facebook page at this link: Oyster Bay Seafood Restaurant

5. Mat-Mat's Carcar Chicharon: Passing through Carcar, as we came from our Whale Shark interaction, was quite inevitable. The chicharon/crispy pork rinds that this town is known for makes for some good snacking. Our driver/tour guide introduced us to this little roadside store that sells freshly cooked chicharon, warm and crunchy - the way nature intended it to be (lol). The pork rinds retail for 600 pesos/kilo and 10 pesos a pack for the chicharon bits (crushed crispy pork fat).

ampao/ puffed rice / pop rice

6. Borussia German Restaurant and Bakery: Straight from our overnight stay at Bantayan Island, we stopped over at the beautiful hideaway that is Borussia.

restaurant, bakery and deli at your service

I also heard that they o have a room (more like a bungalow really) for those who want to stay the night at this delightful place. The landscaping is just too charming for words!

Were we not rushing to meet our dinner reservations, I would have loved to stay and sample the cuisine of this establishment. Instead, we contented ourselves with their uber yummy baked goodie - the almond bow.

Well, that and buying some items from their yard sale.

almond bows - laminar pastry dough rich in almond extra flavoring, lightly coated with dainty almond slices and dipped with what could just be dark Belgian chocolate. Seriously delish. Apparently, flavors change according to the season at Borussia. Same products, but with slight flavor variations to celebrate a particular holiday.

For details on Borussia, please check out their Facebook page at this link: Borussia German Restaurant and Bakery

So there you have it. Places to go, people to see and food to eat. Btw, should you ever find yourself staying in Bantayan Island, ask about the local seafood. Our Cebuano friends managed to arrange local delicacies (scallops, fresh oysters and local shellfish) to be served alongside Anika resort's restaurant staples.

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!!!