Cebu Secret Chows: Happy Rooster and Fudge

          T'was to be a special night... And a special night indeed. The babe was on a dinner date and the lucky man (hahaha) offered a choice of steak or Sumo Sam. I asked where the steak was and since it was Carlito's Way, I chose this because it's on my Cebu Secret Chows list. The man knows where to take me. ;)

         Carlito's Way is at Persimmon, Mabolo. When we arrived at Persimmon, we noticed a cute home decor shop and as we looked closer, it was also a cafe! As much as I wanted to try the steak at Carlito's (Sorry, I shall visit you some other time. Promise!), this was too intriguing to pass up on. So, we entered it and it was  just enchanting. Such a unique concept! The tiny kitchen was the first thing we noticed - studio type, like more open than an open kitchen (gasp!). I was squealing with delight at everything I saw. It was reminiscent of Simply J's but with a different vibe. It was more intimate considering it could only accommodate less than 15 people. 

        The menu selections were very limited though everything was interesting and priced very reasonably. They offered appetizers, sandwiches, pasta and Handuraw pizza. I also noticed that the menu was of healthier components than most other menus. Like, they used whole wheat pita for sandwiches and whole wheat pasta. The appetizers were all calling to my taste buds but we chose to have Tomato and Basil pasta and Pizza Cebuana (like we're carbo loading for a marathon). For our beverage, Luis had Coke (pffft. that's him) and I had their Happy Rooster Fruit Punch.

       We were encouraged to explore the shop while awaiting our food. And we gladly did. So, basically, everything in the shop was for sale and it was well displayed. There was a queen size bed (which would have been nice to eat on a la dinner in bed. hahaha.), books organized on shelves set up like a library, and anything else you would most likely wanna have in your home. They even had artificial food and drinks made of rubber/plastic on the tables! They seriously looked so realistic, I was nearly fooled! Haha.

bottomless drink... cuz it never runs out! :))

bottoms up! :D

real or not? :))

feeling at home :D

the library

dinner in bed? Haha.

our table

the chef/owner cooking our food 

       Our food was served after 20 mins. which is not bad at all considering the size of the kitchen and the volume of customers (We were the only customers for the night.). I found out that the owner was the chef and that she also came from the culinary school I went to - International Culinary Arts Academy Cebu (ICAAC). 

Tomato Basil Pasta    P 120
olive oil, whole wheat spaghetti, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, slice whole wheat pita

My first time to have whole wheat pasta in a resto. :D 

The serving was satisfactory for the price though we found it pretty bland so we asked for parmesan cheese. But still not bad. I liked that it was  served with a slice of whole wheat pita on the side. It was also perfectly al dente. I've tasted something similar at Cafe Elysa though and I can still say Cafe Elysa's was better. There's something about those fresh tomatoes that seduce my palette. But for healthier pasta, I'd definitely come here. 

hot sauce, chili flakes, parmesan cheese :D

Pizza Cebuana     P 389 (not sure, forgot to take note of the price of this)

Chorizo de Cebu, house blend tomato sauce, kesong puti, mozarella, herbs, dash of cayenne pepper

This was reeeaallyy good. I love kesong puti (white cheese)! And cayenne pepper! The sweetness of the chorizo melded perfectly with the mild heat. It's a thin crust pizza and was crisp and chewy. This was good for 3-4 people. Or 2 if you're guys. :D

Happy Rooster Fruit Punch      P 40

sweet mango, green tea, basil, lemon slices

I loved this drink! It was so refreshing and tickled my palette with satisfaction. Perfect drink for me. I wouldn't mind having this every day! :D

      The service was good. The waitress was more than willing to answer any queries (and we had a lot, interesting the place was) we had. We definitely enjoyed the food, ambience and service. And the best part was, it was all spontaneous! This place was just full of pleasant surprises. Even the service water was cucumber-infused! How unique and refreshing! 

       We moved on to Fudge for dessert. I've been hearing about this little pastry shop cafe since last year but never got the chance to visit it for fear that it might be beyond my budget. Luis knew which places on my list I still didn't get to visit and I really appreciate that he refers to it (my list). It wasn't his first time here. 

      We ordered their specialty - chocolate lava cakes @ P 120, which required 25 mins. to be served. It was quite inconvenient though because as our orders were served, they were about to close so we were rushed to consume our sweets.  

        
            With the circumstance, I didn't get to enjoy my dessert so much. I wasn't even able to finish it with the given time because it was so rich. But it was really good; the best lava cake aside from hotels (because the best I've tasted so far was from Blu Bar at Marco Polo Hotel). It had that trademark marriage of heat from the cake and coolness from the ice cream with a rich chocolate fudge sauce. Oh, so lustful. Definitely one to go back for. They also serve Filipino-Mediterranean/Western fusion sandwiches, pasta and main courses. I'm intrigued by their aligue pasta and cheesy clubhouse sandwich. I hope to go back and try these sometime. 


Happy Rooster Home Decor Cafe
The Persimmon Plus, M.J. Cuenco St., Mabolo, Cebu City
(032) 505-9419

Operating Hours: Mon to Sat   4:00 - 10:00 p.m. 
Price Range: P 85 - P 400

Fudge
A.S. Fortuna St., Mandaue, Cebu City
(032) 416 1727

Operating hours: Sun to Thurs   10 am - 10 pm
                         Fri & Sat         10 am - 12 mn

How to get there:

Happy Rooster

Fudge

To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D

xoxo,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)