I've already posted about the food festival at Mactan Shrine but there was an adventure on the way there the first time that is yet to be told. You see, as soon as I read about the food festival from a facebook status, I just couldn't wait to check it out. Fortunately, I had a good friend who was willing to spare some time for me to join in the adventure.
My good friend, Luis Quibranza III, is actually a more legit writer than I am (babe for food who?). He works as a senior writer and on-call editor for Sunstar, the leading local newspaper. And he also has a band with his brothers called Bethany, of which he's the lead vocals and guitarist. They have released their first album of entirely original songs last year. I do get self-conscious when this writer/editor/songwriter reads my blog. :p
So anyhoo, like I mentioned in the Mactan Food Festival post, I missed to clarify the time schedule of the event so I thought I could have lunch there (since I try to avoid a heavy dinner). We were running late for lunch (my fault) though this was really exciting because it was to be a first time for both of us to commute to Mactan. I've always wanted to try something like this -- a real food adventure! :D
We met up at Ayala 12:30 p.m. and Luis suggested we take a v-hire van to get to Gaisano Mactan. It's like riding an air-conditioned enclosed jeepney -- cramped up minus the sweating and the smell of gasoline from the road. :))
From there, we took a jeepney to Punta Engano where the Mactan Shrine is. We arrived 1:30 p.m. It was a scorching hot day! Then we found out that the food festival is only at night! Great. Hahaha. So we decided to eat at the STK (sutukil - sugba, tula, kilaw) instead, our poor stomachs growling.
Mactan Shrine is the heart of STK restaurants and it can be quite confusing to make a selection but I remember which one I dined at last year so I decided to just stick to this -- Fredz Sutukil. First of all, Sutukil is the local acronym for grill (SUgba), stew (TUla) and ceviche (KILaw). These are three cooking methods applied to selected fish variety. The set-up of these STK resto's is having aquariums for live fish and seafood and a variety of fish, shellfish and crustaceans displayed on a counter top.
*Sorry, I wasn't able to take much photos because we were very hungry and quite pressed for time.
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| A bridge they made inside the resto. Maybe a photo op spot? |
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the table setting
(quite barren because we were having a really late lunch. hehe.) |
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| the view from our table: mangrove trees and the shore |
How to eat STK:
- choose your fish for STK and other appetizers or dishes you might want, like buttered scallops or steamed crabs/shrimps, etc.; you can also choose from their menu board if you can't make up your mind
- make sure to review your orders and the cooking methods to be applied
- get a table with a nice view
- sit and relax while waiting for your order to be cooked
We chose mol-mol (parrot fish) for our fish and we also had fresh seaweed salad, 1/2 kg buttered scallops and a platter of plain rice, of course. This was a really late lunch. Our food was served past 2 p.m. but the ambience and the great fresh seafood was well worth the trip and the wait. :D
Excuse me for the rude photos. Again, we were very hungry and dived right into our food as soon as it was served. Hehe. :3
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| seaweed salad (guso) P80 |
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| tinola |
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| kinilaw... or what's left of it. teehee. |
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| grilled fish! my fave! :D |
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| buttered scallops -- another all-time fave of mine :D |
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| soy sauce with calamansi, green tomatoes and red onion -- staple condiment |
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fresh buko juice P60
This can double as your refreshment and dessert! Just request for them to halve it open when you've finished all the juice. We shared this. :D |
BURP! That was so much food for just two people. But the STK and scallops we definitely finished; such fresh seafood and relaxing ambience, a perfect getaway from the bustling city life. The title of this post is so, because we felt like tourists in our own island. We came so far just for lunch. Haha. It was a nice adventure though. I enjoyed everything; from the commuting to the dining and the summer atmosphere. And for only P90 roundtrip to get there, this would be a nice monthly or weekly adventure (whichever you can afford).
Cost:
food + cooking charge - P745 (ouch! expensive adventure. haha.) ---> Watch out for the cooking charge, it cost us nearly the same as the total of our food alone.
V-hire from Ayala to Gaisano Mactan - P35
Jeepney from Gaisano to Mactan Shrine - P10
Who says STK is only for tourists? It's a great dining experience both for locals and tourists alike. At the Mactan Shrine, you get the island atmosphere, fresh seafood cooked to order, and even live music from local harpists. This is one destination you can't miss for the summer.
So, here are photos of the supposed food festival we were hoping for lunch; tables and chairs set up at the park and stalls still closed. We left at 4 p.m., just 2 hours before the festival would start. :(
Since we were already here, we took a walk around the park for a bit, feeling like tourists in our own island. Might as well savor and enjoy the accidental adventure from the lack of information. Haha.
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| Hello, Lapu-Lapu! :D |
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| tourists for a day :D |
Thanks, Luis! Looking forward to more food adventures with you. ;)
To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D
xoxo,
Babe for Food
- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)
