Now on its 10th year, SunStar’s Best of Cebu is back with a vengeance.
Local businesses are slowly returning to form, allowing the Best of Cebu team to add more categories under lifestyle and travel, beauty and wellness and shopping. From 78 awardees in 2021, SunStar’s Best of Cebu lists 118 winners for 2022.
From Jan. 23 to 29, SunStar’s Best of Cebu 2022 winners will be featured in the Lifestyle section of SunStar Cebu.
These winners went through a stringent selection and judging process conducted by the Best of Cebu committee and an esteemed panel of judges. If there’s one thing we learned going through this batch of awardees, it’s that anyone can have what it takes to win Best of Cebu.
Here are some of the winners:
Best Chinese Restaurant: Luy’s Classic Tea House
Luy’s Classic Tea House offers authentic dim sum cuisine with flavors that will take you to the streets of Guangdong. It serves quality Chinese dishes, while showcasing its traditionally adorned interior design that completes that perfect fine dining experience.
Best Food Court: 1Nito Food Lounge
Located on Archbishop Reyes Ave., Lahug, 1Nito Food Lounge is Cebu’s office basement food lounge under 1Nito Tower. With around 14 brands in its food court, 1Nito Food Lounge serves dishes with foreign influences coming from India, Thailand, Korea, Japan and even China. 1Nito Food Lounge is open every day from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Best Japanese Restaurant: Soba Kamakura
Soba Kamakura is a Japanese restaurant that has remained consistent in providing us with the best Japanese food over the years. It is a reservation-only restaurant with a week-long waiting list. Meals at Soba Kamakura ensure satisfaction for even the most discerning palate. This Japanese restaurant is located at E.C. Bldg., Greenhills Road, Casuntingan, Mandaue City.
Best Seafood Restaurant: Marina Seaview Restaurant
When you’re going for al fresco dining, what could be more splendid than basking in the sun with salt in your hair and a picturesque view of the sea? Dining in Marina Seaview Restaurant gives you a majestic view of crystalline waters while providing a delectable seafood selection. Marina Seaview Restaurant is located at Mepz 1, right beside Cebu Yacht Club.
Best Vegetarian Restaurant: Persian Palate
It’s quite a difficult feat for vegetarians to look for authentic plant-based food to enjoy, especially in a food culture such as ours. Persian Palate changes the game with its wide array of tasty vegetarian menu items. Its hearty meals are freshly prepared with organic ingredients that easily entice non-vegetarians to practice a plant-based diet. Persian Palate is located at Ayala Center Cebu and Mango Square on Juana Osmeña St.
Best Chicken Skin: Sunburst Chick N’ Crackers
Seasoned to perfection and crisp in every mouthful, Sunburst Chick N’ Crackers has been a crowd favorite for the longest time. It gives you that flavorful, crunchy chicken skin that’s perfect for either a light snack or a full meal. Sunburst has several branches in Cebu City.
Best Grilled Tuna Panga: Paolito’s
Paolito’s takes home the Best Grilled Tuna Panga category. With three branches located in SM Seaside City Cebu, SM City Cebu and on Climaco St., Paolito’s delights its patrons with its grilled tuna panga — a classic Filipino favorite.
Best Local Chorizo: Cebu Chorizo
Sweet with a little bit of a kick, Cebu Chorizo embodies the true Chorizo de Cebu taste. Heaven in every bite, Cebu Chorizo comes in regular and spicy with skin and skinless options.
Best Pochero: Kusina Clasica
According to classical composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, “only the pure of heart can make good soup” and that is something that Kusina Clasica on the second floor of the GND Building on F. Cabahug St. has mastered. Kusina Clasica’s rich and flavorful pochero is a hearty dish that soothes hangovers, fills stomachs and warms spirits.
Best Siopao: Manila Foodshoppe
Manila Foodshoppe offers its customers exquisite siopao dumplings shaped by hand. These contain a handsome amount of minced pork meat that are flavored to fit the Filipino palate’s preference for balanced combinations of sweet, savory and sour.
Best Delivery App: Lalamove
Lalamove offers affordable on-demand services with its clear pricing system and convenient discounts. It has widened its reach to include most of Cebu Province, solidifying its position as the Best Delivery App in Cebu.
Best Food Delivery App: Foodpanda
Foodpanda has made ordering food online extremely convenient. Its app is user-friendly and it provides occasional discounts for its customers, especially pandapro members. Its customer service is reliable and quick to respond and its payment options are secure and highly convenient.
Best Movie Theater: SM Seaside City Cebu
The cinemas at SM Seaside City Cebu have huge screens that enhance viewer experience that are accompanied by an all-surround sound system. With four 2D digital cinemas, two cinemas at Director’s Club that can accommodate 3D films and two large-screen format cinemas at Centerstage, there’s no shortage of cinema choices when you’re at SM Seaside.
Hotel of the Year: bai Hotel
Strategically standing 23 stories above the vibrant cities of Mandaue and Cebu, bai Hotel has not fallen short of a world-class experience. With welcoming contemporary light fixtures that evoke a sense of home away from home, it excels at reflecting a fuss-free modern and stylish hotel scene. A luxurious living space with plush furniture and a high-rolling atmosphere that are detail-oriented sets the standard for what should be in a luxurious hotel. The hotel epitomizes elegance without sacrificing two important factors: comfort and quality.
Mall of the Year: SM Seaside City Cebu
Shop until you drop at SM Seaside City Cebu, the largest mall in Cebu and the fourth largest mall in the Philippines. With the vastness of this Super Mall visitors can enjoy everything they need in a mall and more. Complete your grocery and holiday shopping as your children enjoy the many arcades and specialty hobby stores. You leave the mall satisfied, relaxed and with more than you expected. Having also won Best Pet-Friendly Hangout and Best Cinema, SM Seaside City Cebu is without a doubt 2022’s Mall of the Year.
Restaurant of the Year: The Pig & Palm
To eat for the sake of enjoyment or for sustenance is different from experiencing the flavors and how the ingredients interact with each other. The Pig & Palm offers the latter with every dish it prepares. Enjoy its fusion of cultures through its menu, which was designed and created by Michelin-Starred chef Jason Atherton who wants to share his love for culinary arts with Cebu.
Resort of the Year: Tambuli Seaside Resort and Spa
Tambuli Seaside Resort and Spa is a luxurious escape located on Buyong Road, Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, that’s far away enough from the city for peace and quiet, but close enough for you to explore Mactan’s highly coveted tourist destinations. Tambuli was designed with respect for nature in mind; not a single tree was cut down. Instead, facilities were shaped to fit the contours of the raw earth. Each guest room was tailored to provide relaxation after playing in the warmth of the sun. From gardening to swimming to dining, Tambuli has mastered the importance of connecting with nature as a means of inducing relaxation and pure bliss.
Grand Slam - Italian Restaurant: Trattoria da Gianni
Getting a grand slam win, Trattoria da Gianni has consistently been the home for great food and authentic wines hailing from the different regions of Italy. It’s not every day that you find a place in Cebu offering authentic Italian cuisine, so Trattoria da Gianni is, without a doubt, a rare gem. Trattoria da Gianni is located at lifestyle arcade Crossroads in Cebu City.
Congratulations to all the winners. Follow SunStar Cebu and SunStar Best of Cebu on social media for news and updates.