Saturday, March 03, 2007 A cut above the rest By Jigs Arquiza
FEW things are as satisfying as a good meal, and while good meals are a dime a dozen at any of the better restaurants in Cebu City, it is very seldom that one finds a great meal in a diner. Yes, a diner.
Occupying a cozy corner of the busy strip that is Crossroads Arcade is Gourmet Café, an inviting, brightly lit restaurant offering soups, desserts and everything in-between. Belying its name, Gourmet Café is actually geared more towards casual dining than anything else, hence, a diner. While the food here is not your run of the mill fare, neither is the food so exotic or haute cuisine that only gourmands would be able to recognize and appreciate it.
International would probably be the best way to describe the selection at Gourmet Café, as they serve traditional American, Italian, English, French and Japanese dishes.
Discounts are also available on certain days. Mondays and Tuesdays are Pizza Nights at Gourmet Café, with a twenty per cent discount, while diners can enjoy ten per cent off on regular food items on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
First timers at Gourmet Café can start their meals with Gourmet Café’s Chicken Tender Fingers, crispy strips of breaded white chicken meat served with a tangy ranch dressing. More health conscious diners can opt to partake of their Fish and Chips, batter fried imported fillet of cream dory with crinkle cut French fries.
Meat lovers will have a great time at Gourmet Café, with their selection of meat dishes. While the usual selection of steaks are available, other meat dishes such as Gourmet Café’s Pork Steak with Caramelized Onions, served with a choice of peppercorn, wild mushroom or herb butter sauce, is certainly worth a try. Diners should also have a taste of Pork Ribs in Barbecue Sauce.
With the meat so fresh it practically flakes off the bone, this particular dish will absolutely be a big hit with the customers.
For people looking for something that’s definitely worth the trip, the pizzas at Gourmet Café are, without doubt, hands down the winner. Made from scratch, with ingredients as fresh as can be, whether plain cheese and garlic or loaded with all the toppings, a lot of people will certainly find these pizzas extremely satisfying. Another noteworthy thing to mention about the pizzas at Gourmet Café: they are still good to eat even when cold, something that can’t be said about just any pizza.
Diners can finish their meals with any of the various small cakes available at Gourmet Café, but for a perfect cap to a great meal, their crepes would be a great choice. Made fresh, with fresh fruit, nutella (a brown chocolaty, nutty sauce) and topped with ice cream, this will really hit the spot.
With its bright interiors and its focus on casual family dining, Gourmet Café gives Cebuano diners a great new alternative to the usual family-oriented dining places. More importantly, with the great food that they serve, Gourmet Café gives a whole new meaning to the word “diner”.
