Going Greek At Cyma

CEBU, Philippines - Greek food, however, is a different   story. Greek cuisine is something   new for the Filipino, or specifically Cebuano palate. But  introducing your taste buds to Greek cuisine won’t be a problem because of Cyma Estiatorio at The Terraces.

Cyma, which in Greek means “to flourish,” is the only restaurant in Cebu that serves progressive Greek dishes, giving its clients a taste of a cuisine that has existed for over 3,000 years.

Executive Chef Robby Goco is the brains behind Cyma, which actually opened its first branch in Boracay in 2004. Anyone who studies the Culinary Arts dreams of opening a restaurant. But Chef Robby wanted to open a different restaurant, and when he decided to open a Greek resto, he went backpacking to Greece to study its cuisine.

“We Filipinos have something in common with the Greeks. They are very regional when it comes to their cooking because Greece is also composed of many islands. They compete on who has the best dishes. Pagalingan sila,” he said. To be able to learn authentic Greek cooking, Chef Robby did not reveal that he is a chef and instead said that he was from the media and he was doing a story about the dishes of every region in Greece.

And the result of that trip to Greece is Cyma, Greek dishes that are given a progressive twist but still with an emphasis on fresh ingredients. “The freshness of our ingredients is a priority. We do not have a commissary because I don’t believe in commissaries so our recipes are challenged everyday because of this,” he shared.

The bestsellers in Cyma are the Roka Salata, fresh Arugula with chopped Romaine lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes and candied walnuts with shaved Parmesan in traditional Greek vinaigrette; Moussaka, Greece’s national dish that has layered seasoned ground pork and beef, roasted Japanese eggplant and Greek Béchamel sauce; Spinach and Artichoke Fondue with melting cheese, sliced sun-dried tomatoes and Feta, served with warm Pita triangles and grilled garlic bread; and the famous Pastisado, a dish from the island of Corfu, which is Greek Osso Bucco braised in tomato sauce served over spaghetti. Delightful desserts include Skolatina, molten chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce (which is perfect with Cyma’s chili sauce); and Keyk Mi Banana, banana cake served with vanilla ice cream.

How do you know that you are eating authentic Greek cuisine when you are dining at Cyma? Chef Robby proudly said the Cyma menu has the stamp of approval from no less than the Greek Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency George-Chrysostomos Nicolaidis.

Now, isn’t that reason enough to try the delightful Greek dishes at Cyma?