Curiosity Got The Chef

Chef Sharwin’s Cebu Adventures Part 2

  Before I got to Cebu, I made sure to ask around for good food places to visit. I asked my chef friends, foodie friends and my twitter followers and I got all the answers I needed and more. I made sure to try as many of these hyped places as possible and here I tried as much as I could.

Sunburst Chicken

   I heard Sunburst a few years ago, and there was a lot of debate on how good it really was. One of my twitter followers suggested it, and while on the lookout for pasalubong in SM City Cebu, I happened across a branch. I initially ordered a one piece meal (ribkeel) and it came with rice, coleslaw and some fries. The chicken was pretty good. Fried well, the skin was very crispy and the meat was nicely-cooked without being too oily. Paired with the catsup and worcestershire sauce, it was as Filipino as fried chicken could get. What I really wanted but couldn’t finish was there chicken skin and chips. Then, like the angels that they were, Sabrina (of Sabrina’s Kitchen) together with Marielle Benitez of the Malditas, Sir Andrei of Myx, Ms. Tippy of Lifestyle Network, Ms. Jojo of Balls joined me. Sabrina took charge and ordered the “forbidden” dish. Now this was fabulous or as Sabrina usually says, “absolutely delicious.” Skin was fried perfectly and dipped in spicy vinegar, there are no words. You know they fry in perfect temperature because the skin while crispy is not oily.

Zubuchon

Everyone knows Zubuchon now, thanks to food bloggers and of course Anthony Bourdain, who dubbed it “the best pig ever.” It just seemed like a sin not to try, so I joined the lovely ladies (and Rex!) of the Abs Cbn marketing team just before they left for Manila. We had the lechon with truffle oil, slow-cooked adobo, five pork fried rice and the zubuchorizo. We also ordered the famed kamias shake. The lechon was indeed well done. The skin was thin and perfectly crisp, a combination no mortal man or woman can or should resist. The puncturing of the skin helped keep it thin and crispy no doubt. The truffle oil, honestly, didn’t do much and I think the meat, flavorful and tender would be given more justice when ordered as it is. The adobo was well-made, but nothing to write home about, but the rice was excellent. A mixture of five different pork dishes and green mango, the rice had a nice “bagoong rice” feel and the mangoes helped keep the rice balance and fresh. The real revelation for me was the zubuchorizo. Home made with no additives and color, the sausage was meaty, garlicky and slightly sweet. Served sizzling on a platter, I can imagine hours of drinking fun with that sizzling platter as pulutan. In fact I bought some home. I can imagine this chorizo can be enjoyed grilled or mixed into rice or even pasta. I wouldn’t mind zubuchon sending me some “samples” so I can do some “recipe testing,” if you know what I mean.

Tablea/Didang’s Masa Real

My friend Spanky from Istituto Culinario knows his stuff, especially food stuff and among the things he said were must trys were Tablea and Didang’s Masa Real. Being the intelligent person that I am, I followed his advice. Getting a ride from Cebuana celebrity Blinky de Leon, I proceeded to Tablea in Ayala Center. I was pretty unsure on what to get, and the guy at Tablea was very helpful, setting me up with a cup of the Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate. Spicy and bold, I could detect a lot of cinammon and a nice spiciness that I always enjoy with chocolate. I’m not even a fan of cinammon but this cup was rich and comforting, but spicy and different enough to be not boring. That cup, a nice book and a comfy chair would be dynamite. I

I got Didang’s Masa Real from SM supermarket as pasalubong, but I made sure to get one for myself as well. Made from peanuts, milk, sugar and flour, the cake was awesome. Crumbly goodness, I think of it as “chocnut without the choc.” It’s not as sweet, but it’s very nutty and quite a light treat if you just had a big dinner. It’s highly perishable, but I imagine we should probably have some in Manila. We can’t keep going to Cebu for Masa Real, right? Right?

Oftentimes, I find that establishments find it hard to surprise/satisfy people when food blogs hype them up to biblical proportions, so when establishments like these to rise up to the challenge, I think it’s a testament to the crews’ hard work and we should reward them by eating. Well, we get rewarded too.

Chef Sharwin’s Cebu Adventures Part 2

  Before I got to Cebu, I made sure to ask around for good food places to visit. I asked my chef friends, foodie friends and my twitter followers and I got all the answers I needed and more. I made sure to try as many of these hyped places as possible and here I tried as much as I could.

Sunburst Chicken

   I heard Sunburst a few years ago, and there was a lot of debate on how good it really was. One of my twitter followers suggested it, and while on the lookout for pasalubong in SM City Cebu, I happened across a branch. I initially ordered a one piece meal (ribkeel) and it came with rice, coleslaw and some fries. The chicken was pretty good. Fried well, the skin was very crispy and the meat was nicely-cooked without being too oily. Paired with the catsup and worcestershire sauce, it was as Filipino as fried chicken could get. What I really wanted but couldn’t finish was there chicken skin and chips. Then, like the angels that they were, Sabrina (of Sabrina’s Kitchen) together with Marielle Benitez of the Malditas, Sir Andrei of Myx, Ms. Tippy of Lifestyle Network, Ms. Jojo of Balls joined me. Sabrina took charge and ordered the “forbidden” dish. Now this was fabulous or as Sabrina usually says, “absolutely delicious.” Skin was fried perfectly and dipped in spicy vinegar, there are no words. You know they fry in perfect temperature because the skin while crispy is not oily.

Zubuchon

Everyone knows Zubuchon now, thanks to food bloggers and of course Anthony Bourdain, who dubbed it “the best pig ever.” It just seemed like a sin not to try, so I joined the lovely ladies (and Rex!) of the Abs Cbn marketing team just before they left for Manila. We had the lechon with truffle oil, slow-cooked adobo, five pork fried rice and the zubuchorizo. We also ordered the famed kamias shake. The lechon was indeed well done. The skin was thin and perfectly crisp, a combination no mortal man or woman can or should resist. The puncturing of the skin helped keep it thin and crispy no doubt. The truffle oil, honestly, didn’t do much and I think the meat, flavorful and tender would be given more justice when ordered as it is. The adobo was well-made, but nothing to write home about, but the rice was excellent. A mixture of five different pork dishes and green mango, the rice had a nice “bagoong rice” feel and the mangoes helped keep the rice balance and fresh. The real revelation for me was the zubuchorizo. Home made with no additives and color, the sausage was meaty, garlicky and slightly sweet. Served sizzling on a platter, I can imagine hours of drinking fun with that sizzling platter as pulutan. In fact I bought some home. I can imagine this chorizo can be enjoyed grilled or mixed into rice or even pasta. I wouldn’t mind zubuchon sending me some “samples” so I can do some “recipe testing,” if you know what I mean.

Tablea/Didang’s Masa Real

My friend Spanky from Istituto Culinario knows his stuff, especially food stuff and among the things he said were must trys were Tablea and Didang’s Masa Real. Being the intelligent person that I am, I followed his advice. Getting a ride from Cebuana celebrity Blinky de Leon, I proceeded to Tablea in Ayala Center. I was pretty unsure on what to get, and the guy at Tablea was very helpful, setting me up with a cup of the Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate. Spicy and bold, I could detect a lot of cinammon and a nice spiciness that I always enjoy with chocolate. I’m not even a fan of cinammon but this cup was rich and comforting, but spicy and different enough to be not boring. That cup, a nice book and a comfy chair would be dynamite. I

I got Didang’s Masa Real from SM supermarket as pasalubong, but I made sure to get one for myself as well. Made from peanuts, milk, sugar and flour, the cake was awesome. Crumbly goodness, I think of it as “chocnut without the choc.” It’s not as sweet, but it’s very nutty and quite a light treat if you just had a big dinner. It’s highly perishable, but I imagine we should probably have some in Manila. We can’t keep going to Cebu for Masa Real, right? Right?

Oftentimes, I find that establishments find it hard to surprise/satisfy people when food blogs hype them up to biblical proportions, so when establishments like these to rise up to the challenge, I think it’s a testament to the crews’ hard work and we should reward them by eating. Well, we get rewarded too.

Chef Sharwin’s Cebu Adventures Part 1

  I was thrilled to have played “Chefs vs Cebu City” with cable operators across the country, along with Sabrina Artadi, but I also went out of my way to try out some of the best places to eat in the Queen City of the South. It was certainly worth it. Here’s the first of (hopefully) three accounts of these adventures.

      Thanks to my writer friend, Mina Esguerra, I was introduced to the bubbly Jude Bacalso, Cebuano celebrity, travel and food expert and walking encyclopedia. Together with our gracious host, Waterfront Resident Manager Carlo Sainz, we set off to try Kusina ni Nasing, a place even Cebuanos hardly heard of. From the outside, the place looked like your typical roast liempo and chicken place, but I quickly found out that Jude brings people to where only few can go. We went to the back room, which contained only one table and there we began our food journey.

     Here is what we had: Roast Liempo, Grilled Tuna Collar, Eggplant and Tomato Salad, Baked Bangus and Purple Rice. None of these may immediately pop out to you, but much like its appearance on the outside, it was genius going incognito. The Roast Liempo was very flavorful, obviously meticulously seasoned and certainly didn’t need a sauce. The meat was tender and the skin crispy. Goodness all around. The Grilled Tuna Collar astonished me. There was no fishy taste at all and even when I put my nose right next to it, I couldn’t smell anything but the combination of the basting marinade and slightly-charred meat. The meat was still juicy and once again, very flavorful. The Eggplant and Tomato Salad was dressed simply in spicy vinegar, where Nanay makes her own blend of coconut vinegar, chilies and black pepper. The eggplants cooked well, the tomatoes were fresh and once again perfectly-seasoned. Carlo silently kept grabbing more of it as dinner went along. I suspect our young friendship prevented him from lifting the plate and chugging the entire thing into his mouth. The Baked Bangus was a late addition to the table, added at the urging of Nanay and I’m glad we gave in. The bangus was tender and nicely-cooked, flavored with a sweet soy sauce, garlic and spring onions which were cut into big pieces. The onions actually tasted great, very savory and definitely added a nice flavor to the fish which was baked in banana leaves. Another winner. The purple rice, as it turned out, was the same rice used to make Puto Maya. While it didn’t add much in the way of flavor, it did start a number of interesting conversations.

      When Jude asked me if I enjoyed dinner, I insufficiently answered with, “Yes, everything was delicious.” I couldn’t give him a better one at that moment becuase I couldn’t quite put my finger on the reason I was blown away with such a simple meal. Then, when Nanay began relating her thoughts on some of the food, it dawned on me. We were in the kitchen of a modernist chef. Whether she knew it or not, she was. She seasoned all elements of each dish, not counting on a sauce to make everything right later on. She employs only the techniques needed to enhance the freshness of her ingredients. She thinks of using basil soon. She asks if quail is being served in Manila. She doesn’t change the way she cooks in an effort to impress a visiting chef. Culinary students and aspiring chefs can learn a lot from this. Sometimes, the best chefs are armed with tsinelas, duster, an open mind and a real love and uinderstanding of food.

      Next time I’m in Cebu, I’m going back. This time, I’m bringing my notebook.