Queueing at The Lasagne Que

            Pasta, specifically spaghetti, is a common staple in most restaurants and cafe's. Ironically, lasagna is a rare sighting or when available, often ends with disappointment. Is it really so hard to do justice to this mistreated charmer? 

              Just less than two weeks ago, a young lady started making lasagna her business and since she did, her orders have been queueing in nonstop everyday. Thus, her business name -- The Lasagne Que. She got this idea because it's one of her family's favorites and she noticed the scarcity of good and affordable lasagna. 

                The Lasagne Que is currently home-based and delivers to locations within the city. They offer five different sizes of pork lasagna:

• Solista (good for 1-2 person)   -   P95    (minimum order 8 pcs for delivery)
• Per Quattro (for 4 persons)       -   P350
• Per Otto (for 8-10 persons)       -   P800
• Per Diece (for 10-12 persons)  -   P1,000
• Per Setici (for 16 persons)        -   P1,500

              Only the Solista serving requires a minimum order for delivery. The rest of the serving sizes can be delivered individually. 

                I had the privilege of sampling the Solista serving. The first bite was so inviting but soon after, it was getting so rich. So then, for me, it was definitely good for two persons. And for the price, it was more than worth it. 

              The pasta sheets were cooked just right and the pasta-filling ratio was also balanced. The cheese was the main component for the richness of the dish and the taste is perfect for Filipino taste buds -- sweet yet savory. 

             Here's a photo of the Solista serving beside my phone as a size basis. 

             For orders, just contact 0922 677 8364 and like their Facebook page for updates. Orders must be made two days ahead.

Cebu Secret Chows: Fr. Landz Pizza

          Back when I lived in Guadalupe, studied culinary in ICAAC and when pizza was the food trend, I read of this little pizza resto on Sunstar (by Luis, when we weren't acquainted yet) and frequently passed by it on my way to school but I never considered checking it out for no particular reason. 

           Now that I've transferred residence, go to school in USC (I have subjects in all campuses. Insane right?) and have this blog, Luis suggested to have lunch at Fr. Landz one day. My curiosity was finally awakened.

           As I entered, I was greeted by a tiny pizza cafe that seats approximately 20 people and was like a little replica of Sbarro because they had a counter where slices of pizza were displayed to be ordered individually. The staff were courteous and wifi is available here. It is located along Englis, V. Rama and does not have properly allocated parking space so it is more ideal for take out and delivery.

Hawaiian P47, Supreme P50

           The menu was simple: pizza, 2 choices of pasta, baked chicken wings and some a la carte meals. Pizza is served whole or by slice, the baked chicken wings came in a variety of flavors as meals or by the dozen, and the pasta is served with a garlic twist on the side and offered with the choice of the 3 usual sauces: tomato, carbonara and meat. 

              BAKED? This caught my eye. Baked dishes other than pizza and lasagna are rare in resto's and since I love chicken, I had to try this. 

           We ordered the Fr Landz Crisp and Baked Penne Pasta on Ricotta in Tomato Sauce. And since blue is my favorite color, I got a Blue Raspberry Lemonade. I would just have the pizza on my next visit.

the babe loves BLUE! 

          The pasta looked really good and when I took my first bite, I was surprised by how good it was. I can say it's even better than Sbarro. The pasta was al dente and had enough sauce so it wasn't dry. The ricotta cheese made this a winner. It was the charm of this dish. The serving is good for 1-2 persons. 

       It also came with a garlic twist which impressed me. Again, I like it better than Sbarro because it's way less greasy. It's chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. You can order it for just P12.

         The Fr Landz Crisp Baked Chicken was alright. I liked that it had a lavishly spiced crisp exterior though it was not as juicy as I wished it as. 

          Fr Landz proved to be a pleasant surprise and I left with a satisfied palate and tummy. The prices are reasonable and it's a comfy place to dine in. I would definitely go back for the garlic twist and the pasta. 

What we had:
Blue Raspberry Lemonade - P47
Fr Landz Crisp Baked Chicken Wings Duo Meal - P80
Baked Penne on Ricotta - P140

Fr Landz Pizza
Englis, V. Rama, Cebu City 6000

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun 10 am-12 mn

Price range:
pizza - P47-50 (slice); P295-370 (whole)
baked chicken wings - P75-385
pasta - P130-150

For deliveries or pick up, contact: (032) 253 7878

(click to enlarge)

To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

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! :)

Cebu Secret Chows: Lunch Date at a Hidden Paradise

....I meant "at a (restaurant) hidden (in) paradise (village)". Okay, scrap that.

I'm talking about this tiny restobar called 30 Kitchen I've heard about from a few guys including my brother, located right outside Paradise Village, Banilad. A friend who's been encouraging me to check it out recently gave me the urge to dine there as soon as I had the budget. 

The entrance door was like that of an apartment (well, if it didn't have the clear glass panel)... see? Do forgive me, I totally forgot to ask why it was named so because I was just so excited to get in and see what meets my taste buds. :D

I loved that the interiors were light blue! It gave a Mediterranean feel to the place. They also had quite a wide range of menu. You can practically eat here all day. From breky, to brunch, lunch, coffee, dinner and  alcohol time. They have French toasts, sandwiches, pasta, appetizers you can have with coffee, alcohol, or as starters for your meals and you'll have to ask for the cake of the day for your dessert. I wanted to try their toasts & dips and quesadillas which came in several flavors but my date didn't match my appetite so I had to have just enough for me to eat. They also had different kinds of Monte Cristo sandwiches. 

If you're wondering who my date was....

meet Denise!
friends since grade school :)

spicy sausage pasta

Denise enjoying her pasta

The overcooked pasta disappointed me but at least the sauce was okay. Italian, the way I like it. Pasta was around Php 140-160.

As for me, I had a hard time taking my pick because I wanted to have everything. All their fish dishes sounded good but the waitress said the Mediterranean fish fillet was most ordered. They had fish fillet in pesto sauce and another recipe with sour cream dill. 

pan-fried fish fillet with tomatoes, onions and olives in balsamic @ php 170

The fish was perfectly seasoned and I loved the tart sweetness the balsamic gave to the vegetable toppings. Oh so good. And that's not enough....

I couldn't resist the French toast. I had to try one at least for dessert. And boy was I happy when it was served. Wouldn't you be? :D

This was the star of the meal for me. They use home-made jam and wheat bread. Still quite pricey though. But I guess that's the cost of being too lazy to make your own at home. :)

Tip: Add P20 for a scoop of ice cream

Regular French toasts with jams are at P80

mango jam, nutella and vanilla ice cream on wheat French toast @ php 100

The effect of this feast?

happy and filled up to the throat

Babe for Food in action:

ha! gobbled up. easy as pie. :)

my mouse or ratatouille face. scary or silly? :))
that's how i'll look if someone tries to grab my food.

It was so hot that the car was like a sauna when we got in. I had to sit on newspaper to save my butt from being seared. 

So overall, the place was chill but because it was too small anything was audible. I don't commend the service though because the waitress/cashier made me feel like she was just doing her job. She wasn't courteous or natural enough for great service. But I think the place would be really nice for coffee or drinks after dinner. A lot of the items on the menu are worth trying. The servings are huge! Good for 2. 

Price range: Php 80-280

photos by: Denise Libi :)

How to get there: click here for map

Conquering Cebu one resto at a time....

- Babe for Food - 

your new BFF in Cebu dining! :)