Northward bound

THE food industry in Cebu has experienced a surge in the past decade, with many dining establishments cropping up all over the city and province.

Quintessentially Pinoy

ADOBO. Everyone's heard of it, even celebrity chef and gourmet Anthony Bourdain. If there's one thing in Filipino cuisine that's quintessentially Pinoy, adobo's has to be it.

Red-blooded favorite

ASK any red-blooded male what his favorite beef dish is, and the answer you would probably most often hear is “steak”.

Arquiza: Cebuano cuisine

AS A FOOD writer, a lot of people have asked me what best exemplifies “Cebuano” cuisine, and what restaurant serves it. After wracking my brains, I came up with an answer. It’s not what most people would expect, but it’s reasonable, in a twisted sort of way. You can’t say that barbecue is authentic Cebuano cuisine. Or even tinowa (tinola), or grilled whatevers, or even balbacua or lansiao. Other provinces have their own versions of these dishes, even using the same ingredients, but calling them something else. But this particular dish I’m talking about can be found only in Cebu.

Arquiza: Japanese food re-invented

I’VE never been fond of fusion, preferring my food unaltered as much as possible from the original, but when I heard about Sumo Sam, at the Ayala Terraces, I felt that I should have a taste of the food that a lot of people I know seem to be raving about.

Taking the Bicol express

EVERYONE'S heard of Bicol Express, and definitely, a lot of versions abound here in Cebu. Named after the train that services the Bicol-Manila route, this traditional Bicolano dish of coconut cream, chilies and sautéed pork was so called because hungry travelers who took that particular train, when stopping over at the Camalig terminal, wanted something they could eat quickly, so they would not be left by the train.

Shout “Fore!” at the Shangri-La

“Start him young,” a golfer friend of mine told me. This after I told him my four-year-old son Marty was nuts about golf. Thinking about how expensive country club shares are nowadays made me a bit apprehensive, but wanting to give my son everything he wanted gave me the resolve to find ways to indulge him in his interests. Even knowing that my son, at his age, could never finish the front nine at any golf course in the country didn’t stop me from looking for ways for Marty to pursue his interests. To my delight, I learned that Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa had mini-golf!

Auto Americana

THE Sports Car Club of Cebu recently exhibited their American-made vehicles at the ground level of the Ayala Center Cebu, in and around the Ayala activity center.

Onlookers young and old, car lover or not, were seen checking out the various car models at the exhibit area, with some owners discussing their cars with the onlookers.