Who says Cebuano food is just ‘sinugba’?
May 12, 2005 | 12:00am
Think Cebuano food and what invariably comes to mind is sinugba (grilled food). But there’s really more that makes Cebuano cooking sizzle, as we found out to our utter delight at "Celebrate Cebu!" ongoing until May 22 at the New World Renaissance Hotel as part of the Filipino Heritage Festival, a joint project of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, the Department of Tourism, and the private sector represented by Filipino Heritage Festival Inc.
On a scorching hot summer day, the cold appetizers and cold salads on the lunch/dinner buffet are a refreshing come-on. The Queen City of the South spreads out a feast fit for a king (or those with king-size appetites). Served in a revolving menu schedule are such cold appetizers as pritong danggit na may suka at sili, kinilaw na tuna at sinugba na baboy, kilawing tanguingue sa bat-wang at gata, sinugba no kus (pusit to us Tagalogs), halabos na ipon, kinilaw na ipon na may iba (kamias). The hot items at the cold salad station include ginataan na langka at dilis, lato salad na may sibuyas at kamatis, puso ng saging salad, mangga salad na may ginamos (bagoong), ensaladang ubod ng lubi (niyog), ensaladang baboy at dabong (bamboo shoots).
If it’s vegetables you want, it’s veggies galore you’re gonna get, cooked the good old Cebuano way, like par-ok-taro leaves in coconut milk and salted fish, ginataan na langka ng uwang (prawn), adobong kangkong at tokwa, and taw-oy steamed mixed vegetables.
Take your time – go around the different food stations and feast your eyes on the many gustatory offerings before taking your pick. Of course, there’s the inihaw station for those assorted fresh seafood, cooked and eaten inihaw you want.
"The Cebuanos like to eat with suka or toyo with sili on the side," says Monique Toda of New World.
Truth of the matter is, suka is an indispensable item on the Cebuano dining table. Why, they even eat their lechon with suka!
"Or with ketchup," an amused Monique adds. "It’s like eating pork chop."
Yes, have you ever tried dipping your lechon in suka with sili or slathering ketchup over your lechon?
"I was really amazed!" Monique admits. "I guess they use vinegar so they don’t get too sated with the lechon’s fatty richness ... A group of Cebuanos came and and asked for ketchup for their lechon."
These Cebuanos have probably never met Mang Tomas (liver sauce).
A lot of guests head straight for the lechon carving station. The lechon is a favorite because of its very crispy skin you can hear the crackling in your mouth. It’s also quite flavorful as it’s cooked in tanglad (lemongrass).
Meat lovers will find the menu quite, uh, meaty. There are pork dishes: adobong bisaya, paklay na baboy (pork cooked with pineapple, balimbing, and kamias), inon-unan pork (pork knuckles cooked in garlic, soya, and vinegar), ginamar (pork with vegetables in tomato sauce). There are the beef dishes: kalderetang kambing, bindang-go-og bat-wang (boiled beef with vegetables), balbakwa (boiled ox feet with peanut sauce). And of course, there are the chicken dishes: manok sa luyang dilaw og gata, ampolayang manok (chicken with blood stew, like pork dinuguan), binakol (chicken stew), and celang (sauteed chicken and shrimp with bean sprout and glass noodles).
But if you don’t want to pig out, try something light on the tummy like the fish dishes. Our favorite is the fresh danggit – yes, fresh, not dried – that’s simply broiled and eaten with toyo with a bit of sili labuyo. Truly yummy!
Or you can try the sinugba na panga ng tuna (a certified best-seller, too), tinurnuan kasag (crab in coconut milk), sinanglay na isda (fish wrapped in petchay leaves cooked in coconut milk), inihaw na bariles (broiled barracuda), and adobong uwang (prawn adobo).
"Our food supply comes in fresh daily from a local supplier who has contacts in Cebu," says Monique. "And the food is cooked by our chefs in the coffee shop, some of whom are Cebuanos."
As a final stop in your Cebuano food itinerary, don’t forget to pass by the dessert station, where fresh Cebu mangoes (some are so small but oh-so-sweet), mango Napoleon, mango cheesecake, and other mango-inspired desserts beckon the taste buds.
Of course, the mangoes are from Cebu, home to the sweetest mangoes in the world.
While the flavors of Cebu are the focus of "Celebrate Cebu!" New World has beefed up its lunch/dinner buffet to include international dishes too. "We have sushi, roast beef and salads for foreigners," says Monique. "And we’ve even added a halo-halo station."
More, diners get a chance to win a holiday for two to Cebu courtesy of Philippine Airlines with two-night, three-day accommodation at Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
Indeed, "Celebrate Cebu!" is one gargantuan sensory celebration.
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