Food tripping in Cebu City for non-meat eaters

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JO VALLE FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE Grilled Squid and Fried Bangus

Cebu City is famous for many things, including its food. Lechon comes to mind if you love meat or you’re like any other Pinoy whose diet largely consists of meat. For non-meat eaters who enjoy fish, seafood and veggies, take heart because there are similarly tasty and satisfying options in eateries across the Queen City of the South.

You can go to House of Lechon, for instance, and bypass its main attraction as it has many other signature dishes to choose from. The Baked Scallops should be on top of your list: tender, juicy and a lot bigger in size than usually found in Manila restos. The Kinilaw na Tanigue is a must-eat, too, without worries about its freshness.

Baked Scallops.
Squid Adobo.



If you prefer your fish cooked, you can have your tanigue as a sinigang or grilled (this option goes the same for tuna belly). You can also go for Sweet and Sour Fish, Lemon Butter Shrimp, Calamares Strips, Squid Adobo, Gambas ala Concasse and Oyster Sisig.

Bicol Express.


For veggies, you can have a salad made of langka (jackfruit) or puso ng saging (banana plant heart) and maybe go for a medley of greens sauteed in oyster sauce. There’s also an interesting version of Bicol Express (or is it Gising-Gising?), with plating that separates the green beans and gata (coconut cream).

Dessert lovers are in for a surprise as House of Lechon has a dedicated corner for Halo-Halo and other cool treats, like a creamier and richer version of Buko Pandan.

Chopsuey.
Kilawin na Tanigue



Next, discover the sutukil, or traditional preparation and cooking methods of seafood in Cebu City, which actually stands for Sugba (grilled), Tula/Tuwa (tinola, soup) and Kilaw (kilawin) — STK, for short. There are many eateries specialize in STK either along the road or within a commercial complex.


If you wish to go with your companions who can’t miss the famous Crispy Pata at Alejandro’s, you can choose from several ways of enjoying bangus (inihaw, paksiw, sizzling with or without gata). There are options in squid and shrimp, as well. Plus, veggie dishes like Tortang Talong, Chopsuey and Ginisang Munggo, which surprisingly has gata in it and the result is pleasantly good.