Street Food in a Five-Star Hotel?

          Could street food ever find its way in a hotel? And not just any hotel -- a FIVE STAR hotel. No way, you say? Well, the adventurous Marco Polo Plaza Cebu never fails to amaze. To kick off the year and to commemorate with the most festive time of the year in Cebu (Sinulog!), Cafe Marco's Culinary Journeys aptly brings you Sugbusog 2013: Street Food Classics, a walk through street food right in the hotel's buffet! 

          I excitedly anticipated this event when I was invited because I was so curious how it would look like in the hotel. Ms. Jessica Avila, an icon of native/Cebuano cuisine who has been the food consultant of Marco Polo for four years now, was the genius behind this promo among the many things she has contributed to the hotel's gastronomic triumphs.

THE Ms. Jessica Avila, culinary icon in Cebu

A regal welcome to our street food feast.

           The street food display is located at the El Viento poolside restobar; it is an extension of the Cafe Marco buffet. Guests are welcome to take their pick (WARNING: Once you pop, you can't stop.) among the tantalizing spread and dine at the poolside to have the outdoor vibe of eating on the streets. It may not be as rugged but you're sure to get yourself perfumed by the grill and a little sweaty from the absence of air conditioning. 

        My, the spread was grand! It had all the works -- popcorn, "dirty" ice cream, kwek-kwek, tempura, squid balls, balbacua, bbq, hotcake, balut, peanuts and more! You name it, they have it! Such nostalgic classics that bring to mind those days when we would spend loose change on these irresistible legends. You almost wouldn't believe you were dining in a five star hotel. I got so excited I couldn't wait to take my plate. I  had to have everything.  

      I most definitely had a taste of everything and it was impeccable, even guilt-free,  because you know it's squeaky clean with five star sanitation. And believe it or not, everything was made from scratch -- even the balot (that notorious boiled duck egg, a favorite in the Fear Factor show)! :D

          Excuse my orange tinted photos from my poor 10-yr-old camera but here are a few snips from the lavish spread:

balut and mani (peanuts)

our national flower, chicharon bulaklak

puso (hanging rice)

           Ah yes, the queen of all street food -- chicharon bulaklak, known to Cebuanos as ginabot. This is pork intestine deep-fried to perfection and forbids you the consumption of just one puso. 

mais na kan-on (corn grits)

           The adobo corn grits or mais was stunning. It was a perfect match to the bulad (dried fish). I wish I could have had more but I got so full from tasting everything.  

Lambay (Halabos)

Balbacua!

The grill station: isaw, pork bbq, chicken, squid, fish, and saang 

         Pinoy barbecue is among my favorite food! I especially loved the grilled saang (a seashell) and chicken gizzard that night. :D

The ever present trio: tempura, squid balls and kwek-kwek!

DESSERT

          This station was just irresistible! I loved the pancake and biko! :D

masi, budbud kabog, banana que, biko, caramelized banan chips, bibingka, torta

another one of my faves: Camote cue! :D

        And of course, who would miss this station? DIRTY ICE CREAM AND POPCORN! :D

gotta have 'em all: chocolate, ube and mango! 

         The Christmas ensaymada was selling like hotcakes last season and now, they have another version for this season -- a specially-made Fiesta Ensaymada for Sinulog! Bite into it and be surprised as you get a mouthful of halo-halo filling. This is something you might want to bring around the streets as snack or share with friends during Sinulog. 

         Now, you don't have to go running around the streets looking for these. They got it all here! This is seriously one of the best spreads of the year by the Marco Polo! What a great way to start the year. Imagine high class people eating this kind of food. What an amusing sight that would be. You shouldn't miss this either. Of course, I don't have to tell you that. I'm sure you're drooling by now. Sugbusog 2013: Street Food Classics promo is from Jan 11-20; only comes one week in a year! 

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu

Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills

Lahug, Cebu City 6000

Contact: (032) 253 1111

Email: info@marcopoloplazacebu.com

Facebook: facebook.com/MarcoPoloPlazaCebu

Twitter: @5StarInCebu

"To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D"

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

Cebu Secret Chows: Kameyaki Okonomiyaki

           Asian street food is the best street food in the world. Who could refute? Japan's takoyaki balls are gaining popularity in Cebu as you find them even on the streets now. Takoyaki is Japan's version of squid balls -- "tako" meaning squid and "yaki" meaning grill. These are typically filled with squid and vegetables, grilled on a takoyaki pan. These are one of my favorite thrift snacks since I first found them in Metro Ayala food court at P20 for 3 pcs but these didn't contain any squid in them. 

         There's one particular food stall I've spotted at Piazza Elesia in Talamban called Kameyaki Okonomiyaki  which is snugly situated under a staircase. It has an authentic Japanese street food impression with those matching welcoming bright lamps hanging from its corners. Its delicate glow seemed to beckon me as I was watching it from a distance (actually, I was at Buddies then).

see the staircase? ;)

        Kameyaki actually specializes in noodle pancakes which are considered as Japan's popular fry or grilled delicacy. They serve a variety of this such as squid, pork and their own special mix. The takoyaki was a new addition to their menu the last time I was there (a few months back; check their fb page for updates). :D

        Everything at Kameyaki is cooked fresh to order. I also fancy watching takoyaki in the making. :)

         Their takoyaki was served in 6 pcs for only P90. I noticed that theirs was bigger than the cheap ones at mall foodcourts. This was the real thing. It's got all the works -- nori (seaweed) sprinkles, mayo, a special sauce AND squid bits inside. I ate all of it alone!

        Another thing I noticed here was the great service. The staff are cheerful in greeting you and are friendly enough to give you recommendations. This is one place to get your unique Japanese quick fix.  

        Kameyaki can also be found in BTC on Sundays. I'll be writing about this food market soon! :D

*This is a Cebu Secret Chows segment. Check out the page on my homepage's menu bar for the complete list and more posts like this. :D


Kameyaki Okonomiyaki
Piazza Elesia, Talamban
Cebu City 6000

Contact:    (032) 360 6877
                 +63 926 690 1503

Price range:   P90-170

Operating Hours:   Mon - Sun   2-10 PM

Facebook:   facebook.com/kameyakifoods

"To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D"

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

Vlog Series: UNSA NI? Cebu Street Eats

Hey, dear foodies!

         Sorry I've been M.I.A (Missing In Action) lately, got really occupied with school. It's no easy task juggling academics and the blog at all. Whew! I've missed this though. But here's something I've been wishing to do for the blog lately and I'm so happy it's finally out with the help of Yellow Room Concepts. 

         I've been wanting to do a series on Cebu Street Food and had a failed attempt last year since I realized I couldn't do it all by myself. But now, the pilot episode of the series is finally out! But first, lemme explain exactly what the series is about...

          The series is entitled UNSA NI? Cebu Street Eats and as bluntly as the title says it, it's mainly what Cebu streets can offer your bellies if you find yourself lost and hungry somewhere. Here, I'd be scouring the streets for interesting grub that you don't normally see in restaurants, asking "Unsa ni?" (Visayan for "What's this?") at every food stall I approach. It's Cebu in its "raw-est" state.

           Street food is enjoyed by the local conyos as an unusual meal, by the students as a quick fix to hunger when cash is low, and to the working class, it may well be a regular meal. 

            I will try to cover all of Cebu's street food and the best place to get them with this series. Hopefully, we can produce an episode each week or if not, twice a month. 

              I'd love to know what you think of this new project so please don't hesitate to leave a comment to this post. Enjoy! :D

P.S. This episode was totally spontaneous (no script, no pre-scheduled plan for this episode) and it may not be that obvious but I am quite the shy one. Silly me, I said I didn't know what the English term for batikolon was but I mentioned it later in the vid -- GIZZARD! :))