A Fruit of My Labor

Finally! As the title suggests, a fruit of my labor! Hallelujah! 

Okay, so on Nov. 12, I was surprised and ecstatic to find a message from Stephen "Steve" Aznar, the chef/owner of Cafe Elysa, in my FB. He personally messaged me to invite me to a small cocktail party on Nov. 23 (Wednesday) at the resto to launch their 2nd floor and new paintings. Wow! This blew me away! I just couldn't believe that an owner of one of the resto's I covered would actually invite me to an exclusive party such as this. 

If you haven't read my post on Cafe Elysa, here's the link:

http://babeforfood.blogspot.com/2011/06/at-street-of-priests.html

I was very excited because it would be a first event from my blog and nervous because I didn't know much what to expect. I decided I couldn't go alone for fear of being left in the corner to rot because I knew I wouldn't know anyone aside from Steve and Joy. So, I asked for a "+1" so I could bring along my friend Ejay Williams, a video director and photographer. Fortunately, my request was granted. :)

I had class til 6 pm that day but I sneaked out a half hour earlier so I could change and get to the party on time. Heee. Yay me.

Dress code: casual chic 

Time: 6:30 p.m. -9:00 p.m.

The stairway leading to the 2nd floor was romantically laden with candle lights on each step. At that moment, it was still surreal for me to be there. If I haven't mentioned, I actually never met Steve yet til that day. He warmly welcomed me though and entertained me more than adequately. I was offered some cocktails with choices of White Sangria, Lychee Martini or White Wine. I had the White Sangria first. There still weren't much guests because according to Steve, most of the guests were coming from an earlier event at the Waterfront Hotel. 

finally met Stephen Aznar!

And I just noticed in the photos that Steve and I are wearing identical color of wardrobe! Haha. Cheers!

the first few guests when we arrived

Meeting and chatting with Steve, I found out that the resto was actually also an art gallery of which paintings by Steve's artist friends were on display for purchase. These paintings, I've noticed since my first visit here, are really lovely. So show some patriotism, support local talent and get some of these paintings. They're really something to be proud of. :)


Paintings by Vidal & Tony Alcoseba and Roy Badayos.

paintings at the ground floor

hallway to the ladies' comfort room

I have to mention, this is one of the few resto's in town that has the prettiest  restroom. I especially love this one on the 2nd floor with a wall of paintings. :) 

inside the ladies' room

A furnishing collection from one of Steve's friends is also displayed at the 2nd floor and are available for purchase for interested buyers. Like this Chinese screen:

w/ lychee martini in hand ;)

Steve and I also talked about his culinary journey, how he studied and worked in New York and came back to share his knowledge. Such a down-to-earth, warm and great man indeed. I am so honored to have finally met him. 

The name of the resto, Cafe Elysa, is actually also taken from his mother's name, Ely Sanson-Aznar. It is "the only local and travel-inspired cuisine in the heart of historical Pari-an" (Joy Uy, manager). 

me and Ms. Joy Uy, manager of Cafe Elysa

me and Ejay

When the guests started pouring in, I found that Ejay and I were definitely the youngest among all. And all the guests were elites of society (whom I certainly could not easily mingle with). It was really overwhelming just being there. Anyway, on to the food!

Menu: 

• Chicken Liver Pate Sauteed w/ Apple
• Elysa Spring Rolls w/ Chili Sauce
• Banh Mi Toast
• Beef Cake with Red Curry
• Pureed White Beans with Roasted Garlic and Basil Dip
• Eggplant Caviar

Deviled Eggs

Beef Cakes w/ Red Curry on Cucumber

These cute beef cakes were delicious! The red curry was subtle and the fresh basil leaf on top also gave a flavor boost. 

me with the dips:
Eggplant Caviar and Pureed White Beans with Basil and Roasted Garlic
served w/ focaccia cubes

These dips were so good. Both were interesting and definitely appetizing. I kept going back to these. The focaccia's herbs blended well with these, too.

Chicken Liver Pate Sauteed w/ Apple

I loved how the apple added a sweet twist to this rich, creamy pate. First time to try chicken liver pate. Two thumbs up!  

Banh Mi 

This was one of my faves on the menu for the night. Since Steve just came back from Vietnam, he was inspired to reproduce and mod this dish up for the cocktails. This is chicken breast with a sweet chili sauce over some vegetables. So good. :)

The Elysa spring rolls are also a favorite of mine but we weren't able to take a good pic of it because everyone gobbled it up as soon as it was served. :)

There was also a special guest for the night, Mayor Mike Rama, who took the honors of the toast with a speech. And of course, I just couldn't pass the opportunity to have a photo with him. :D

with my friend, Mr. Mayor ;p

His honor, Mayor Mike Rama, toasted to Pari-an as a heritage in Cebu. He said that it is the place to take your kids to if you want them to know about Cebu's heritage. He also said, "Cebu is Pari-an". Cheers to that! :D  

Stephen Aznar (chef/proprietor), this author, Joy Uy (manager) 

It was indeed an overwhelming and honorable night for me. One for my history books. Haha. Thanks to none other than Stephen Aznar, a most welcoming and warm host. Congratulations to Cafe Elysa on their 2nd floor and for the great food and cocktails that night!   

Photos by: Ejay Williams (http://500px.com/ej6williams) and 

               Needs & Solutions (http://www.facebook.com/NeedsAndSolutions)

    

Cebu Secret Chows: At The Street of Priests

       One of my first culinary inspirations is my Tita Issa Cusi, my dad's best friend's wife. Actually, both she and her husband (Tito Mark) have always been foodies and they both cook really well. I visited her lately and we just went on and on about food and all these places to eat in Cebu. She's been to most of the places on my "Cebu's Secret Dining Spots from A-Z" list. For someone who's not originally from Cebu, she knows a lot about the good eats in our city. Don't you envy her? Haha. 

     So since we couldn't stop talking about food, we planned to go on a food trip together soon after that. She introduced me to Cafe Elysa, one of the places on my Cebu's Secret Dining Spots list. Elysa Cafe is located at Pari-an, (thus, "street of priests") Zamora St., right around the corner of the police station. I really wasn't familiar with this place and I was really interested in what they offered considering their location.

    
       Set for lunch, we headed to Cafe Elysa on a scorching hot day but I was so hyped. Parking was just by the roadside and I couldn't wait to get out of the car and get in those doors. The facade of the cafe matched its surroundings and had an inviting aura to it. I loved the stained glass windows and the old Spanish-inspired ambience. As I stepped inside, I was greeted by a simple, clean interior. I really don't have any problem with restaurants that keep their setting simple as long as they focus on the quality of their food and service. Their walls were also adorned with beautiful local artworks! It gives an air of pride in local talent. And i love that smell. Or is it just the good food from the kitchen? Haha. :)

portrait of the owner and her direct family

i love the interior of their comfort room: warm and comforting indeed

their counter with the kitchen behind it and a huge blackboard where the daily/weekly (not sure which) specials are written on

their hand washing area

a wall of local artworks by Cebuano artist Undo Alcoseba

             
      The Aznar's are originally from Pari-an and  Elysa Cafe is an original property of the Aznar's. The owner studied culinary in New York and brought home the knowledge and skills he gained. The menu offers local classics such as Kinilaw, Kalderetang Kanding, Dinuguan to name a few and Mediterranean-Asian dishes. Browsing the menu, I was quite apalled that it was pricey and when this is the case, my expectations tend to rise so I expected quality food.

      I do admire the comfort room because it was adequately spacious, very clean and accommodating. One thing people should know about assessing a restaurant is also the set up of the restroom because it reflects the cleanliness of the restaurant. 

      By the way, my little sister tagged along on this trip because, well, she loves being with me. She's not much of a foodie though. Tita and I ordered a soup from the specials on the board. Here's a list of what we ordered:

• Potato and Mushroom Soup with Tarragon (special)
• Creamy Tomato Mint Soup
• Spaghettini with Tomato and Basil
• Elysa Spring Rolls
• Fish in Banana Leaf with Seafood Sambal and Lemon Basil 
• Banana Fritters with Local Lime and Caramel Sauce

potato and mushroom soup w/ tarragon

I loved this soup. It was taken from the specials board menu. The consistency, texture and flavor were delicately pleasant. Fresh mushrooms were used and the tarragon did not overpower the other flavors. The soup was not purely smooth either, there were fine chunks of potato which gave it a pleasing texture. 

creamy tomato mint soup

This soup had a very mild hint of mint and it was not a heavy cream soup. We actually paired it with the pasta and it worked well together. 

Elysa Spring Rolls

 These were luscious! I loved that the vermicelli/crystal noodles weren't overcooked, it was moist inside, the wrapper was not too thick and it was served crisp and hot. This dish is known to be one of Cafe Elysa's specialties.

Spaghettini with Tomato and Basil

 

Tita Issa likes her pasta simple. She loves pomodoro. This order was impressive. The serving was hefty which justified the price and we loved that this wasn't saturated with any sauce yet it wasn't dry at all. Amplified with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, this was such a palate tickler. We could also tell that they used freshly grated parmesan cheese. TWINNER!

Fish in Banana Leaf with Seafood Sambal and Lemon Basil     

The fish used for this dish was Red Snapper. We noticed that it was a fleshy meat, almost similar to crab meat but more compact. Sambal is an Asian chili-based sauce which is normally used as a condiment. This dish was not spicy at all though. It may look small but the texture quality of the fish actually makes you realize along your bites that the portion is quite heavy.

Banana Fritters with Local Lime and Caramel Sauce

 I'm particularly not a fan of breaded or fried items but Tita Issa was craving for fried bananas somehow so she ordered this for our dessert. I was expecting something like pinaypay or battered bananas so this surprised me when it was served. The breading was actually dessicated coconut and I love how they used the local lime (calamansi) as the garnish. The banana was soft and naturally sweet on the inside and the crisp coco exterior gave an interesting tropical flavor to this dish. The caramel sauce had a light consistency and had a zest to it. I'm guessing it was infused with local lime zest or rinds which gave it an interesting twist. So this dessert impressed and pleased me. And I love when desserts make the happy ending to my meal. 

my sister, Joanna :)

Joanna, Me, Tita Issa and Ms. Joy Uy (standing)

      So I recommend Elysa Cafe to gourmets who are in for an adventure beginning with the directions to the location until the actual service and quality of the food. This was a small place having a seating capacity of about 25-30 people. The menu offers common local fare but do expect quality upon service and it's worth your money. 

Price Ranges:
appetizers - 85 - 195 php
main course - 295 - 495 php
dessert - 45 - 145 php
 
Photos courtesy of Ms. Joy Uy, Tita Issa Cusi and yours truly. 

You may also like Elysa Cafe's page on facebook. click here

Thank you so much for this lunch, Tita! 

by:

Babe for Food

your new BFF in Cebu dining!