THE EIGHTH BITE: PARADISE FOUND AT MOVENPICK HOTEL CEBU

          I've mentioned a few times that I've lived in Cebu during my "Growing Up" years, so it's no question that I see the "Queen City of the South" as my second home. Fortunately, my family and I had very easy access to the beach so I was at the beach practically every weekend. 

      Despite being accustomed to the Sun, Sea and the Sand, there still a few places that never fails to take my breath away. One of them is Movenpick Hotel in Mactan Cebu. This is one view that you can never get used to, no matter how many times you see it. 

    Last May, together with some of my blogger friends, I visited Cebu via Air Asia, for the opening of the first branch of Vikings Luxury Buffet, located at SM Cebu. For the duration of our stay, we were billeted at Movenpick Hotel in Cebu, where we were treated as their VIP guests, and was able to enjoy the beach life in Cebu! 

THE SEVENTH BITE: THE VIKINGS ARE COMING TO SM CITY CEBU!

        Some of my blogger friends and I were flown to Cebu via Air Asia for a taste test of some of the amazing dishes that Vikings Luxury has to offer the hungry Cebuanos..

       And It's pretty awesome! 

A CHURRASCO FEAST AT IBIZA BEACH CLUB, MOVENPICK RESORT CEBU

               Once again, this is the story of the world's most notorious introvert. In case you're new to my blog, something you should know about me is that I rarely go out at night, unless it`s to eat or watch a movie. Other than that, my friends often wonder if I secretly am afflicted with Agoraphobia. Initially, the lure of Cebu`s most happening places, "Ibiza Beach Club" over at Movenpick Resort did not faze me. I did want to see the place because it looked absolutely stunning in Photographs, but I never imagined actually hanging out there till the wee hours of the evening. 

           That was until, our host, the lovely Laurie of Movenpick said two words that completely changed the game for me.. 

        "Brazilian Churrasco".

CEBU'S BEST KEPT SECRET REVEALED.. TEAM BROWNIE!

         If there's anything that I promised myself that I will not allow Rain to do, is follow my attitude towards school. I admit, I was never really a good student. I had decent grades in English but I was, and still am, horrible at math. But overall, I was plain and simply, lazy. 

        Which is why I am always impressed when I meet young people who go the extra mile to achieve, not just in school, but in every aspect of their life. I couldn't imagine starting a business when I was in College. It would have gotten in the way with all my video game playing (I still am was addicted to the game X-COM Ufo Defense). 

         Among the many blessings blogging has bestowed upon me, meeting Justinne, aka Babe For Food is one of the ones that I hold dear to my heart. I stumbled on to her site in 2012, while browsing blogs for new places to eat at in Cebu. Among the other sites I had read, I found Babe For Food to be incredibly engaging, and her taste seemed to be along the lines of what I was looking for in a place to eat. I sent her a comment for suggestions to reply.. she gave me a WHOLE LIST.. and from there, the rest is history. 

        Last December, during my trip to Movenpick in Cebu with my fellow Manila based food bloggers, I finally got to meet the lovely Justinne in person. She spent the last two days of our stay with the group, and as a parting gift, gave us a few goodies from her business. 

       Now I want to share with you.. Cebu's best kept secret is about to be revealed.. This is Team Brownie. 

PICKIEST EATER GIVEAWAY 2014 #5 MOVENPICK Hotel Cebu

What do I have in my hands, my dear readers?

A Brochure for Movenpick Hotel, Cebu? WRONG. 

What I have in my hands, in the prize for the Biggest Giveaway I've ever held in the history of the Pickiest Eater In The World.

You ready, guys?

CEBU'S FINEST: MOVENPICK HOTEL CEBU

             People are often surprised when I tell them that I grew up in the beautiful city of Cebu. Their reaction is usually, "Sa Cebu ka lumaki?" (You grew up in Cebu?). I always reply with "Sa Cebu ako HINDI lumaki" (Cebu is where I didn't grow). 

          Perhaps the main perk of living in Cebu (apart from the wonderful, affordable food), is the beach just being around 30 mins away, MAX. I should know. I don't know if I've ever mentioned this, but my family's business in Cebu, was a beach resort. As you can imagine, it was pretty awesome having a beach to go to at a moment's notice, whenever your heart desires. As wonderful as it was, this meant that throughout my entire life, I wasn't really able to explore the other resorts and hotels of Cebu. 

        So when I got the opportunity to visit Movenpick Resort and Spa, in Cebu, I jumped at the chance! Better late than never, right?

WHEN IN CEBU: BRUNCH AT A CAFE !

     During my trip to Cebu a few months back, I did a little bit of research of the new places for me to try. I asked a few friends, and even reached out to the Cebu based blogger, "Babe for Food" for some suggestions. Little did I know, all I need to do was ask my brother's best friend since childhood, Shem, for the best places to eat at. 

      He asked me where I had eaten already, and rattled off some names of places at a rapid pace and their specialty dishes without batting an eyelash. I was just listening to the places and dishes he was saying, but then I heard him say something that made me yell out "STOP!". 

      "Go back to that one again, please?", I asked. "Oh that one's my all time favorite.", Shem explained. "You can't leave Cebu without trying the Biscuits with Gravy of A Cafe." 

       That next morning, Rina, my brother Ryan and I were on our way to pick up Shem for Brunch at A Cafe.

WHEN IN CEBU: KRUA THAI AUTHENTIC THAI CUISINE

        My family means everything to me, so you can imagine how my trip to Cebu last May was perhaps one of the most amazing vacations I've ever had in my life. We haven't gone on a vacation all together in years, and this was our first trip for Rina and I as parents. 

     Even before we left for Cebu, I already planned the restaurants that I wanted to check out. So during the evening, I asked my dad's permission to leave Portofino Resort, where we were staying, and go out for dinner. 

     My dad was quick to reply, "No need, I'm taking you all out for dinner." I told him that was great, and I had a whole list of places that I wanted to suggest, but all he could say, "Sorry, your mom already chose where we're going to eat.. Krua Thai".

     I've argued with my mother many times, and I've come to accept that there was no winning an arguement with her when she has her heart set on something. So I decided that I would use that list for another day, and prepared for our family dinner at Krua Thai. 

WHEN IN CEBU: FUDGE RESTAURANT!!

       Cebu has undoubtedly bloomed into a full blown metropolis. Gone are the days when Cebu would be considered a city in the province. Give or take a few things, there aren't very many things in Manila that you can't get in Cebu. 

      However, when I took Rina out to a late night out on the town, I found it rather odd that a lot of establishments closed by around 9pm.. Just like the used to in the good old' days. 

      By no means am I a night owl. I don't drink, smoke or dance, so I totally feel out of place at bars and clubs. But I do, sometimes, get attacked by the late night munchies (no drugs involved), and it was a little bit disappointing that there weren't very many restaurants opened at the "ungodly" hour of 9pm. 

        As we were heading back to Portofino Beach Resort, we came across a  cafe called, "Fudge". I remembered seeing it in some blog posts, and my brother, who had joined us, told me that he tried something quite interesting there.. "The Sweet Potato Cake". 

     More importantly, It was open!

WHEN IN CEBU: SPICE FUSION

Spice Fusion-ing like a boss

           Before I left for Cebu, I got in touch with the Cebu based food blogger known as the "Babe For Food", to ask for suggestions of places that I should check out when I get to Cebu. She gave me a concise and extremely thorough list, that included some very interesting suggestions. Something that she strongly recommended, was the restaurant "Spice Fusion". I kept it under my radar, because I'm a big fan of South East Asian Fusion, which is something that Spice Fusion boasts. But with the short amount of time I was there, I wasn't certain what places I'd be able to visit.

      I was at Cebu for a day, when my mom's good friend asked me where I planned on going. Naturally I said the usual staples, Harbor City, Zubuchon, and Sunburst. 

     She had just brought us an entire from Farley's Special Lechon (which my mom likes more than Zubuchon), so I was aware that she knew a thing or two about food, So when I asked her for a suggestion, she said very emphatically, "Spice Fusion!".  


   So two people whose taste I trust when it comes to food gave a resounding recommendation to Spice Fusion, so I knew they must have something good going on.  
  
  So I left the beach, and decided to take Rina and Baby Rain out on a date to Cebu City, with our first stop.. Spice Fusion!

QUICK PICK: SUNBURST CHICKEN.. CHICK N' CRACKER'S!

    I've mentioned time and time again that I lived in Cebu during the late 80's to the early 90's.. Way before it became the blooming metropolis that it is now. Back then, TV shows were recorded from Manila, and aired one week later on local stations. 

    During that time, Cebu didn't have Jollibee.. It had "Orange Brutus". It didn't have McDonald's, it had "MacJoy". Instead of Max's Chicken, we had "Mothers Chicken"..

    And in lieu of Kentucky Fried Chicken, we had Sunburst. And I won't lie to you, Sunburst Chicken is quite good. It's juicy, crispy, and very tasty, but definitely notches below the finger licking good creations of the good Colonel. 

    However, there's one thing on their menu that KFC does not.. 

        The Chick N' Crackers.

LECHON LOVE AT CEBU'S ZUBUCHON!

 

       Something I believe I took for granted in all my years in Cebu, was their lechon. In all honesty, I didn't realize that Cebu Lechon tasted different from Lechon anywhere else, because my dad would have Cebu Lechon flown in from Cebu for family events (Trust me, it sounds "Sosyal" but its actually done quite often by Cebunanos). But then again, during my days in Cebu, Lechons were only really available as a whole.. And despite my declarations of love for the animal, there was no way I could finish an entire pig by myself, let alone afford it. Aside from that, there wasn't really a place back then where I could sit down and enjoy a kilo of Cebu Lechon at a reasonable rate. 

        According to my dad (Who spends most of his time in Cebu), two places have risen to the top of the Lechon heap in Cebu.

    One of them has the distinction of having none other than World Famous Chef Anthony Bourdain declared it "The Best Pig Ever".. 

    This is the awesomeness of Zubuchon. 

MY DAD, A KITE, AND THE ISLANDS BANCA CRUISE

      One of the perks of living in Cebu when I was a kid was the beach. Because of my family's business, we were fortunate enough to be able to go to the beach as easily as people in Manila decide to go to Mega Mall.. almost to the point of me getting sick of it when I was a kid. Sure it was fun at first, but like everything in life, (and especially when you're a kid) when something becomes a weekly routine, it gets tiresome.


      One morning, I had just gotten out of bed, my dad told me to get ready because we were going to the beach. I rolled my eyes and said I didn't want to go. My dad, you see, is a lover of anything to do with the seas, so he was a little bit shocked. He said, "Come on, we're going to go island hopping on a pump boat." Being the brat that I was, I found it funny he thought that would entice me, considering that's exactly what we would always do when we go to the beach. I said I wasn't feeling well. Then he said, "Do you know how to fly a kite? The wind looks nice out. I could teach you." Being a punk 13 year that was trying to reach the highest level of Castlevania on my Nintendo Family computer, I found his offer to fly a kite laughable. I said a simple, "No Thanks". He then looked at me and said, "Richie, believe me, one day you're going to miss the beach and going island hopping." Finally I just annoyingly said, "I have a lot of homework to do, Dad." 


     He didn't look to happy, but he obviously got the message. I know he told my mom what I said because before they left, my mom said, "I'm going to check your homework when I get back so it better be done". 


     So I got out of having to go to the beach that weekend, which for some reason I took as a form of punishment, and instead spent the day on a whole lot of video games and a little homework. 
    
     Cut to: Twenty years later. 
     


    When Rina told me that her sister, Chaikka, and her Boyfriend Don wanted to the beach for Holy Week, there was only one place I could suggest.. Cebu. I needed to get out of the concrete jungle that is Makati so we booked the flights without hesitation, and luckily enough, my friends Ted and Karen were able to join us as well! 


   Given all my years living in Cebu, my group looked at me as "The Host", so naturally I was in charge of fixing the itinerary. I could easily book a pump boat for island hopping, but I wanted to give my friends an experience that they couldn't get just anywhere.. something that would be distinctly "Cebu". 


   That's when my brother told me about Islands Banca Cruises, which he had experienced with his friends a couple of months before. So I booked the cruise, and we headed off to Cebu.  

     My dad was already there, attending to the business, but welcomed us all when we arrived. He asked me if we had a set itinerary yet, and I said we had booked a few plans.


    And as proof that God has a sense of humor, I said to my dad for the first time in my entire life.. "Dad, we're going Island Hopping tomorrow. Would you like to join us?"

     My dad smiled and said, "Sure".     

BARBEQUE HEAVEN AT CEBU'S LARSIAN

 Can we be any more tourist-y?

                       Just like the Magellans Cross and the Sto. Nino Church, Larsian sa Fuente has become one of Cebu's tourist attractions that you must go to during a visit to the queen city of the South. What exacty is "Larsian", you ask? Just the home of one of the country's best BBQ, thank you very much!

                     The Larsian I grew up with looked sort of like an outdoor Wet Market or "Palengke" if you will, but filled with BBQ stands. It was absolute mayhem trying to get in, because there was smoke coming from all angles, and people (people I could barely understand, mind you) would be screaming at you to buy from their stand. You would sometimes step on something squishy.. something you could only hope was a fallen piece of longganiza. Cars would zoom past you if you got too close to the street, making it seem like you were actually risking your life for a stick of BBQ. Was it worth it though? 

                 Hell yeah!
                      

WHEN IN CEBU - GOLDEN COWRIE: HUKAD

I think, "Hukad" is Visaya for rice scooper thingy

            I consider myself an "Honorary Cebuano" because I lived there for such a long time. I started school there at Grade Three, and finished high school there. I never really did get the hang of the dialect, but I still know enough to get by. Since I was living there in the late 80's and early 90's, living in Cebu was really like you were living in the province. (When people ask me "Lumaki ka ba sa Cebu?", I answer with "Sa Cebu ako HINDI lumaki") There wasn't cable television yet back than, and there sure as hell wasn't internet. Even regular TV was one week delayed! There weren't any Malls yet either, so there were actually only two Movie Theaters in Uptown Cebu worth going to, Belvic and Century 21. When Gaisano Country Mall and SM Cebu opened in my senior year of high school, that pretty much marked the modernization of the city. Looking back at it though, I had so much fun growing up there, I never felt I was missing out on anything.

        One of my first memories of Cebu was my dad taking me to the restaurant known as "Golden Cowrie". I remember it so well because I had honestly thought it was a carenderia or something to that effect.. small holes in the wall that my dad seems to love. It wasn't air-conditioned and the flooring was made of stones laid out on the ground. Plus we had to eat in plates that sorta looked like small baskets with a banana leaf laid on top. I'm not being elitist, or anything like that - But as I child, this was my first experience of full blown Filipino dining. And it was the very first time I could actually remember eating the food that would be a huge part of my becoming the (fat) man I am today - Liempo.

        And I honestly couldn't have asked for a better experience.

THE BATTLE OF HARBOR CITY

It was in this precise moment that the chorus of Chris Daughtry's song "Home" blared in air, as tears welled up in the eyes of my wind blown face..

             My first "out of town" post!! Of course it had to fittingly be, perhaps one of my all time favorite restaurants, Habor City in the beautiful island of Cebu! Backing up a bit, Cebu is the city where i grew up.. or as I like to say, "Didn't" grow up. I lived there for almost ten years, and I have a lot of great memories there with some pretty amazing people. The funny thing is, whenever I go back, i forget to contact my friends, but I never fail to make a trip to Harbor City.

          It is simply that awesome.