Fire is humankind’s greatest discovery: a cosmic connection that taps into the power of the sun. It’s used for warmth, light and more importantly for the purposes of this article: cooking.
A humble eatery in Barangay Pasil in Cebu understands this primal privilege. Every day, just as dawn gives way to morning, the staff stoke fires reminiscent of the Lighting of the Beacons in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
“We believe that cooking on open fire using wood just gives our stew that distinct flavor. It’s really different when cooking with wood compared to gas. Wood gives off an aroma that makes your food more tasty and aromatic,” said Eping Garcia, the son of the original founders of Esmen Carinderia. The food place in Pasil was named after his parents. Eping is second generation — the third of eight siblings and the eldest son.
“We started, if I’m not mistaken, 1958 — the year I was born,” Eping shared. He detailed how they used to serve pawikan (sea turtle), iho (shark) or pagi (stingray). But when conservation laws prohibited it, they duly obliged and stopped serving them altogether.
“Instead, we sold tagotongan (porcupine fish), indong (eel) and others. Our most famous item here is the linarang — a hot and sour seafood stew popular in Cebu — which helped our humble eatery gain recognition as a Michelin Bib Gourmand establishment.”
Eping explained the star ingredient: “The porcupine fish (tagotongan) is really popular. The meat is succulent, and our specialized cooking process ensures it is safely prepared for the linarang stew, which is the best way to enjoy the fish.”
“It’s a huge pride not only among us siblings or relatives, but also for Barangay Pasil, its constituents, and, most of all, our customers. We owe our growth to them since they always come back for the food.”
Eping shared how the family initially missed the ceremony, aside from hesitating if they belonged in what is usually perceived as a ceremony reserved for the elite.
“The email got buried and we weren’t able to pay attention to it,” added Eping. Another recognized establishment in Cebu missed the ceremony for similar reasons.
“We received an email from the Michelin Guide and we just ignored it because we thought it was a scam. It was just in our Spam folder. We were just as shocked as everybody else that Pares Batchoy Food House was included in the Michelin Bib Gourmand list, and so we’re very thankful for that—to the Michelin Guide and to all our supporters,” said store supervisor Khrisna Kara Cabaron.
Pares Batchoy Food House is an unassuming eatery tucked into a small, busy corner on C. Rodriguez, Cebu City. Though parking is limited, it doesn’t stop patrons from finding ways to dine in this small restaurant.
While the place is known for its take on classic Filipino street fare like the beef pares from Quezon City and the famed batchoy from Iloilo City, Pares Batchoy Food House is actually a fully fledged Filipino restaurant serving menu items like sinigang and scallops — but with a twist.
“Our Crispy Sinigang is a must-try,” said store supervisor Khrisna. The menu is indeed eclectic, featuring items like stuffed scallops, scallops silog, and pares silog, among others.
“This award was so unexpected,” said Krishna. “We learned the news that night from SunStar Cebu — the post was forwarded to us by our boss in our company group chat — that Pares Batchoy Food House was part of the six restaurants in Cebu that were given the recognition as a Michelin Bib Gourmand establishment.”
The morning after the news broke, people immediately flocked to the restaurant, underscoring the powerful impact of the Michelin Guide recognition on small, local businesses.
“We just want to focus on serving our customers the best and most affordable food that they will keep coming back for,” she added.