Here are five choices to satisfy your insatiable appetites in Cebu City.

Café Laguna

Café Laguna is simply the Via Mare of the South.  In short, it is a safe pick for merienda.  We love their Suman, Mangga at Tsokolate (P115) and Bibingka (P85).  Two-thumbs up too for the main dishes, Halabos na Hipon (P255) and Embotido (P185).

I prefer the cozy ambiance in the Ayala Center Cebu branch.  The SM outlet has an atmosphere of a fast-food outlet.

Other top-notch Filipino food restaurants in Cebu include Lighthouse (located at Gaisano Countrymall in Banilad with telephone number 032-2312478) and Hukad (there is one in SM Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu).

 

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Café Laguna
Ayala Center Cebu
(032) 231-0922
http://cafelaguna.com/

 

Tajimaya Yakiniku

Fond of eat-all-you-can at Yakimix and Sambo Kojin, there is a similar concept in Cebu on a modest scale with a different twist.  The restaurant uses charcoal grill instead of the usual LPG burner at Yakimix and Sambo Kojin.  And when Tajimaya said smokeless, it was really smokeless as the grill had an exhaust system that took care of the smoke.

For P300 (excludes drinks), we got unlimited servings of U.S. Prime Beef, Pork Belly, Chicken Thigh, Sausage and Fish Balls.  Just add P60 for single-serve rice.  I did not mind the limited choices since it cost half the price at which I pay for multiple viands  in Yakimix and Sambo Kojin.

Kids ate at half the price.  I was able to negotiate with the server to waive the fee for my 5-year-old kid since she does not eat much anyway.

The lowdown?  They did not voluntarily give me an official receipt (OR).  When will they ever learn that they are obligated to issue an OR even if the customers do not say so?

 

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Tajimaya Yakiniku
Crossroads Mall
Banilad, Cebu City
(032) 232-0533
http://tajimaya.ph/

 

Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria

This place was the surprise among all the restos I ate in.  My Cebuana friend recommended Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria to me located at the Asiatown IT Park (where almost all the BPOs are found ala Eastwood City Libis).  It is walking distance from the Waterfront Hotel.

Their tagline was, “Home of the Biggest Pizza in the World” and they were not kidding.  I did not dare order the 40-inch wide pizza for obvious reasons.

You should try Mamma Mia pizza, which was made up of tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, ham, ground beef, salami, onions and bell pepper.  The family size was a huge 15 inches at an affordable price of P375.  No, this is not a typo error.

In case the family size is not enough for the whole gang, an 11-inch regular size Pepperoni is not such a bad deal at P199.  It is simply light on the pocket.

The lowdown?  Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria does not accept credit card.  Who carries much cash nowdays?  In addition, they only gave me a sales invoice instead of an OR.  What crap!

For those who prefer wood-fired pizza, the best in town is still Giuseppe hands down.  It is located on Maria Luisa Road, Banilad, Cebu City with telephone number (032) 343-9901.

 

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Mamma Maria’s Pizzeria
G/F Skyrise 1
Asiatown IT Park,
Lahug, Cebu City
(032) 511-4145, 412-8300

 

Japengo

Want some decent Japanese food that is not heavy on the pocket?  Try Japengo.

The Buta Kakuni Don (P169), which is grilled pork belly, was pleasantly crunchy and filling.

The lowdown?  The branch at Robinsons Cybergate is near the seedy area along Fuente Osmena (diagonal to Cebu Midtown Hotel).  Translation: expect service workers to roam around the mall looking for Causasian “meat.”

 

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Japengo
G/F Robinsons Cybergate
Fuente Osmena, Cebu City
(032) 505-9410

 

Ding Qua Qua Dimsum

Lunch or dinner buffet for P198?  That is the raison d’etre of Ding Qua Qua at JY Square in Lahug (this is near Asiatown IT Park).  No matter how you slice and dice it, it is a unique selling proposition.

I did not partake of the smorgasbord since I was still full from the gastronomic breakfast buffet at Marco Polo, so I cannot make a judgement on Ding Qua Qua.  The selection was broad with more than ten viands to choose from, which more than justifies the P198 cover charge.  Any idea on the food taste?

The lowdown?  Do not expect ambiance and clean facilities, but at least it has aircon.  You get what you pay for.

 

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Ding Qua Qua
2/F JY Square
Lahug, Cebu City
(032) 231-2397, 231-0111

Disclosure:  CardiacDelight is in no way related or affiliated with all the restaurants mentioned in this blog.  We paid for our bill until the last centavo in the places we ate.