Café Elysa: A Culinary Gem

CEBU, Philippines - This culinary gem is stationed in the midst of the historical enclave that is Parian. Who would have thought that a cozy, pocket diner will emerge in this portion of the metro’s downtown area where rows of ancestral houses and the Heritage of Cebu sculpture tableaux are found? It’s definitely not a carenderia!

Café Elysa is a hole-in-the-wall that occupies only the first floor of the owner’s maternal abode, Elysa Sanson-Aznar. It’s a refurbished edifice that gives room for the café (on the first floor) and the boarding space on the second and third floors. The signage though is your only clue as the building bears a residential look. The wooden door leads you to a 32-seater café that offers local travel-inspired cuisine, owned and managed by sommelier and culinary expert Stephen Aznar.         

Stephen who has a solid background in culinary arts brings another flavor in the vibrant local dining scene with the birth of Café Elysa that spells affordably priced good food. The ever-changing menu written on the chalkboards highlights the weekly special of either local or travel-inspired fares, the set menu (a complete meal with appetizer/soup, entrée and dessert), wine choices, mixed drinks and juices.

With a strong foothold on tradition, it offers recipes of Señora Elysa with which her children grew up in. The signature dish Humba and Pancit Parian are two of the specialties that are to die for. Balikbayans are lucky enough if they happen to swing by there with the Pinakbet, Chicken Adobo, Binagoongang Baboy and Calderetang Kanding on the menu.

Parian is an unlikely address yet Stephen has preferred to open his first culinary venture in this what-he-believes an ideal setting to gather families, friends, tourists and balikbayans for a scrumptious meal. While there are efforts to revive the glory days of this historical landmark, Café Elysa is meant to be part of that goal.

Here are a few of their offerings:

Pinoy Lumpia Prito. Brimming with veggies and meat, this native fried lumpia is a balikbayan pleaser.  

Salted Squid – regular-sized squid cooked perfectly in ginger butter sauce served in a bed of bokchoy. 

Popcorn Shrimp. Unlike the usual popcorn shrimp coated in a batter mixture, this seafood appetizer is enveloped with lumpia wrapper.

Elysa Spring Roll with fried noodles. This, I may say, is a creative fusion of the Vietnamese spring roll.

Chicken Liver Pate with Sautéed Apple and Triple Sec. One of specialties of the late former president Cory Aquino is the chicken liver pate. In one of the issues of a daily broadsheet, her secret was revealed: she used red wine and cinnamon. In Elysa, they prefer the orange-flavored liqueur Triple Sec and sautéed apples as main ingredients, and what they have there is a top seller!  

Spicy Beef & Eggplant Cake with Red Curry. If you’re not much of an eggplant eater, then this entry is a good choice. It tastes like a regular beef patty sans the burger bun. Each serving has three cakes; each placed atop a slice of cucumber, and topped with a cilantro, mint or holy basil leaf.

Pasta Bolognese. This classic Italian dish is perfect for the pasta fan. It’s seasoned with basil leaves and Grana Padano cheese.

Elysa Fried Rice. This Asian breakfast buddy is surprisingly neither too salty nor oily at all, just the right taste with loads of other ingredients such as eggs, pork bits, shrimps and select vegetables. 

Apple Banana Fritters with Lemon Sauce. This is a healthy dessert to fall in love with.    

Café Elysa is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11AM to 3PM for lunch and 6PM to 10PM for dinner. It’s along Zamora St., across the Parian Brgy. Hall. (THE FREEMAN)