August Rush 2nd of 3 parts

CEBU, Philippines - Our food trip continues with this new set of new offerings that’ll answer your food craving for anything new and sumptuous.

Fried Rice

The newest nightlife destination notable for its San Francisco pub ambiance that doesn’t only pride itself in being a well-known waterhole address but also capitalizes on offering sumptuous meals is here in Cebu. From Manila to the Queen City of the South, Cable Car is located at Paseo Saturnino, Ma. Luisa entrance road, Banilad. It brings a signature dining/nightlife experience. And in the past 21 years, the brand has developed food specialties that have impressed the palates of discriminating foodies. Aside from the nachos, which everybody raved about during the opening last week, the Cable Car Fried Rice – stir-fried rice with the goodness of chicken adobo bits topped with scrambled eggs – also tops! Open daily from  6 p.m.  onwards, for now, but will soon serve lunch.

8 Tinumis

One of Cebu Food Market’s well-loved homemade specialties is available every Saturday only at Banilad Town Centre. Kusina ni Nita’s scrumptious  Tinumis, Nueva Ecija’s version of  Dinuguan  that uses pork instead of innards. Nita Chiongbian’s recipe is a culinary family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. She’s sharing this  Tinumis  of chopped pork belly cooked in pork blood to Cebuanos and also developed another version for the less adventurous eaters, which has no blood in it. One serving of Kusina Ni Nita’s Tinumis costs P175 while the Tinumis rice bowl is only P85. Shelf life is up to one month when stored in the fridge.

9 Chewy Cookies

I’ve been following Janeen Almendras Quisumbing’s pastry journey via Instagram and have been drooling over her creations ever since. As an aspiring cookie baker, I’ve been dying to taste her line up of Butterfinger, Reese’s and Maltesers cookies under the Sweet Surprises brand (which also carries the decadent cupcakes with cookie butter frosting and other pastries) to get a dose of my cookie craving. On my visit to BTC’s Cebu Food Market, I found my kind of chewy cookies – the Oreo Kitkat (from two of my favorite sweet treats)! A perfect coffee match, this variation just has the right sweetness. While waiting for the opening of her pastry venture along Banilad, Janeen accepts orders via Instagram. Follow her at @sweetsurprisescebu or @jan_quisumbing.     

10 Cheese Cake

Available only this month in all food outlets of Marco Polo Plaza Hotel is the Baked Apple Cheese Cake – layers of crunchy sweet dough with green apple with cheddar cheese. This is something a cheesecake fan should tick off his/her list of exciting, tasty cheesecake variations to try.

Chicken Wings

With the opening of the newest Dong Juan outlet at Calyx in IT Park, Salinas Drive, Lahug also comes the launch of the new menu  addition—Deep-fried Chicken Wings in Chili Paste and Grape seed oil. This is an appetizing dish of six crunchy chicken wings with a little spicy kick, not too overpowering, and a balance of flavors of sweet, spicy and salty, sprinkled with sesame seeds. Available in all Dong Juan outlets for P179. (FREEMAN)