At The Port, left feels right

A CAPTAIN in his right mind would do everything in his power to run a tight ship.

Proprietor Edward Hayco perhaps, has steered his restaurant calmly from the earlier waves of uncertainty, into becoming one of the city’s most recognized value-for-money buffet places today.

Not without its ups and downs, The Port located at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino ground level has endured the course and is now celebrating its 14th year in the business.

14 strong

“We try to do things better at any chance we get. With The Port, we try to make it not only a place to dine in but a place to be experienced as well,” said Edward.

The restaurant’s theme revolves around Edward and his wife Eleanor’s love for going on cruises. The couple—self-confessed travel buffs—have tried to incorporate in their restaurant through the years the feel of what it’s like to be in the middle of nowhere, on a ship with great food and company.

“Celebration,” Edward summed up. Indeed, the place has become a venue where families or groups of friends can gather around a table, with maybe a cake in hand, and simply enjoy themselves.

The Port is open for lunch, dinner and late night buffets. The menu is pretty reasonable. Plus, there’s lechon up for grabs during dinner. Children, as well, will go crazy at the thought of an entire ice cream machine devoted to giving them unlimited ice cream (the parents might have other things in mind, though). And like that’s not enough, the children get a free coloring page they can play with before or after eating.

“We get people here from all walks of life. Also in a single year, we try to introduce six seasons in the restaurant to make it more fun,” Edward said, referring to how they transform the place entirely from the decor to the staff’s uniforms every occasion from January’s Sinulog Festival to December’s Christmas.

Just like the festivities, the buffet is varied, fun and the dishes, done with good taste. They switch up their menu every three days, and cuisine-wise, they’re pretty flexible in serving customers an international theme. Besides, the couple does hope to provide what a cruise ship can for a fraction of the price.

Staying in business for 14 years has not been an easy feat. Edward attributed to commitment the business’ staying power.

“Being passionate is easy. Everyone can have passion from the start. But it’s commitment that takes it deeper. And that just goes for just about every aspect of life.”

Here’s a little trivia: The left side of the ship is called “port” in nautical terms.

That said, one may notice that the restaurant rests on the left side of the hotel.

To squeeze in a quick cliché jab, it can be said: Being on the left side never felt so right.