CHEF Kurt Famador has surmised that undoubtedly “Most Cebuanos really love meat.” Having spent most of his life in the city of lechon and ginabot, then later trained and exposed in its local dining establishments, he strongly attests to that observation and even envisioned a restaurant centering on it.
Together with business partner and fellow chef, Barbra Sia, he crafted a dining concept that teases and tickles the taste buds of Cebuanos, with an array of meat dishes ranging from beef, chicken, pork and lamb, coming in different cuts and slices, and done in different flavors and cooking techniques.
Quite straightforwardly, Kurt and Barbra have called it Carnivore, which in the animal kingdom basically means “meat eater.” The restaurant was opened last October.
Although the name implies having only meat dishes in its roster, Carnivore also has desserts, pastas and believe it or not, a few salads that are just as mouthwatering. It keeps its menu short so as not to overwhelm or confuse diners on what to get; the highlight being its meat dishes, an assortment of sandwiches and steaks, oftentimes served with the succulent bone marrow.
The thing about Carnivore is that it doesn’t have a permanent dish lineup, and Barbra said that they change the menu every two weeks because they base it on the fresh ingredients available. They proudly support local sourcing whenever possible, and always state in the menu where they get it, be it greens from organic farms in Liloan, pork from farms in Asturias, and wagyu beef from Kitayama Farms in Bukidnon.
There’s no particular specialty dish to speak of in Carnivore because simply put, meat—in all forms and flavors—is its specialty.
One of its unique features is the practice of the sous vide method in most of its dishes. Sous vide, Barbra explained, is a way of preparing the meat by sealing it in plastic bags and placing it in a temperature-controlled steamer, and leaving it there for hours or even days—the lamb shanks, for example, simmered to perfection for a good two days. The method preserves the moisture in the meat to make it tender, while keeping it whole and intact, and sealing in its natural flavor.
Kurt shared that the sous vide is one of the things he learned and mastered in his stint in an upscale Italian steakhouse in Canada. He was abroad for three years, and it was also there where he met Barbra who was with another dining chain at that time.
Both said that the planning for Carnivore pretty much started there—brought about by Kurt’s exposure to meat preparation and Barbra’s love for tinkering with pastas and desserts. With that kind of passion as key ingredient, together they now prepare a feast that carnivores, and even those who claim otherwise, would heartily and happily devour.
Carnivore is located at Unit 6, The Gallery in Juna Luna Ave., Kasambagan, Cebu City. It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.