Cebu Secret Chows (Update): Chez Toztar, Redefined

         You shall not judge a resto by only one visit. Words to live by. 

        To assent to myself, I rarely judge a resto by one visit. Returning to a resto after more than a year since my first and last visit, I'm more excited than skeptical about new items added in the menu and refurbishments if there be any. 

         Last month, I finally had the opportunity to retaste Chez Toztar, formerly a "House of Roasts" and the first resto with an organic hydroponic garden. This is a Cebu Secret Chow where I first tasted fresh green tea leaves in a salad. Read my old post to learn about my first experience there and what the place and menu were like back then. 

        But now, Chez Toztar bounces back with revenge, armed with a redefined menu and branding which I was invited to taste. 

       As I entered the  gate of the resto, changes could easily be noticed, such as a painted tree  without leaves on the garage wall and a fountain at the center of the garden. The tree is actually for customers to imprint their visit with a painted thumb mark to serve as leaves of the tree. Improvements can also be found in the resto interior, where framed pictures of dishes dot the walls and an innovative design of the resto name using stainless spoons and forks was imprinted on the staircase. 

            My excitement was brewing, awaiting the new items to unfold on our table. We were first served with beverages: coke float, homemade flavored sodas and a vanilla milkshake. Chez Toztar makes their own natural vanilla extract that they use for their vanilla milkshake and desserts. 

            We then began the meal with salads:

Thai Beef Salad

Crunch Salad with Pan-Grilled Chicken

          The lettuce used for the salads were from the resto's organic garden so you are assured of its freshness. 

           And finally, I was able to try the Beef Kansi soup I've been curious about from this resto. Kansi is an Ilonggo soup that seems like a cross between pochero and sinigang. It has a yellowish-orange broth that is soured by a unique fruit called batuan only found in Negros. I first tasted Kansi at a family friend's house in Bacolod one summer and though I'm not a big fan of sinigang, I could never forget this soup. 

         Chez Toztar's wasn't exactly the same since they used sampaloc instead of batuan but the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and supple. Good enough considering this is probably the only resto to have this soup. 

           As for the main course, all of the dishes were very amiable with my taste buds. I even found a favorite, the Tilapia in Hot Butter Basil. It was neatly filleted and cubed and arranged back on the body of the fish. I couldn't stop popping it into my mouth! Fresh basil really adds a more intense kick to this dish.

Tilapia in Hot Butter Basil

          The Beef Shank in C3 sauce would have to come in second. The sauce was light yet full in flavor. The meat was again, pleasantly tender. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of this. Sorry. :(

         Favorites besides, the rest of the dishes were not half bad at all. I even played around with the combinations a bit, like dipping the cordon bleu into the seafood thermidor's cream sauce. :D

Chicken Cordon Bleu in Caramel Sauce
(surprisingly, the caramel sauce isn't too sweet)

American Pork Steak

Seafood Thermidor

Mexican Chicken Mozzarella

Zitti

          Of course, you always gotta leave room for dessert. Chez Toztar came up with a series of HOT, new desserts. It was a bonanza of fried desserts -- Deep Fried Ice Cream, Deep Fried Halo Halo, Deep Fried Bannananutters, and Deep Fried Oreos. They also had Mug Cakes in their customized mugs! And if you're feeling adventurous, you could try their Baileys Flamin Pear Glazed, a flaming and sizzling dessert sure to entertain you for a few seconds. ;)

Mug Cakes: Nutella and Choco Caramel

Deep Fried Bannananutters

Deep Fried Halo Halo and Deep Fried Oreos

[photos by Mary Angeli Bas of foodiecraft.com]

          Since these desserts involve a clash of temperatures, you are advised to consume these immediately for the best quality. 

        Being well pleased by the main course, my memory of slight disappointment from Chez Toztar during my first visit was totally replaced by a fresh perspective on the menu. I could also see that the chef/owner is serious with his passion. He was accommodating to take the time to sit with us and explain the dishes and his plans for the resto. 

       Chez Toztar is not only a place to try new dishes but you can also purchase fresh and organic greens here! You don't also have to sweat your pockets because for a gastronomic adventure, each dish is less than P200 and good for two persons. :)

Chez Toztar 
0392 Orchid St. Capitol Site,
Cebu City 6000

Contact:   (032) 412 6452
                +63 932 7806 176

Facebook: /ChezToztar8

"To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D"

oink oink,

Babe for Food

-your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

Cebu Secret Chows: Chez Toztar -- FIRST and ONLY Organic Hydroponic Garden-Themed Resto in Cebu!

          I read from Hydroponics and Organics blog about the first and only hydroponic-themed resto in Cebu and I couldn't wait to check it out. I was so excited I didn't bother acquainting myself well enough with the given map of the blog post or even the name of the resto! But Cebu's small enough to get around anyway. A little adventure wouldn't hurt. 

          I had my trusty foodie partner, Luis, join me for the adventure. We both just walked around the corner of Joven's Grill at Capitol and he figured it would most likely be located at Orchid St., the breeding ground of home restaurants at Capitol. And he was right! We found it across Yayoy's Grill with the affirmation of the hydrogarden tarp on the gate. A waitress was also stationed outside to welcome customers.
  

the organic hydrogarden 

             This resto is owned by Chef Willester Yap. It uses the fresh organic produce of its garden in its menu so you're assured of fresh, quality organic herbs in your dishes and you can even buy some potted herbs here! This is also like a sub-outlet of Ms. Ulyssa Torbiso, the young passionate entrepreneur and pioneer of hydroponic gardening in Cebu. You can contact her through her blog: Hydroponics and Organics. She is an inspiration to me and coincidentally goes to the same university (University of San Carlos) as I do. She developed her own hydroponic garden at home and worked for its success until she introduced it to the market through her blog and business fairs in the university.  

basic black and white-themed interiors

          The interiors of the home restaurant have a simple theme of basic hues -- black, white and grey -- and the place also looked clean. I liked the plates because blue is my fave color. The place was really small, seating only approximately 30-35 people. It was not so cool inside because the air conditioner was on low setting aided by an electric fan. In consideration, there were just two tables of customers (including us). 

from the Babe's perspective :)

               The menu was quite extensive, offering international and local fusion cuisine. Since the resto claims to be a 'House of Roasts', I wanted to try their roasted dishes but I yielded to Luis' preference of the cheesy deep fried pork belly in teriyaki sauce. He was intrigued by the pairing of cheese and teriyaki sauce. I also wanted to try the Seafood Thermidor and Beef Kansi (a hybrid of pochero and sinigang -- something I've tried in Bacolod once) but we only wanted a light lunch. We added the exotic green tea salad to our order since we wanted to try something from the garden. 

            From the menu, I discovered that the resto offered unique and interesting items. They were particularly proud of their home-made flavored sodas which they showed in a table illustration has less calories and sugar than regular sodas in the market. I got the lemon strawberry green tea flavor and Luis just had cola. 

             Indeed, it was less sweeter than regular soda. I was also surprised by the big serving and the unusual use of a carafe as the glass. Felt like drinking from a vase. Haha.  

their home-made flavored sodas: lemon strawberry green tea (mine) and cola (Luis) - 50 php each

Exotic Green Tea Salad    140 php

             hand-picked organic green tea leaves, organic lettuce, carrots, apples, fish flakes with yogurt dressing

             This was a suggestion by the waitress. It was my first time to try eating fresh green tea leaves and it was interesting. The leaves had a distinct, mildly spicy/minty flavor to them and it also had a slightly rough texture like fresh oregano. The combination of flavors and texture were pretty odd to me. I found the carrots too thick as well. It was an interesting experience but I don't think I'd order this again.

             

Cheesy Deep Fried Belly in Teriyaki Sauce     148 php
       fried pork belly with a splash of teriyaki sauce and grated cheese

           I'd usually prefer grilled pork belly than a deep fried one. According to Luis, it was like pork belly in hawaiian sauce. The teriyaki sauce was not the usual Japanese flavor I expected. It was sweet and fruity, and the consistency and strength was lovely on rice. To my disappointment, the pork belly was tough and dry. I think the estimation of cooking time with the employment of at least 2 cooking methods was the cause of failure. 

           Though I was not completely satisfied by the dishes we ordered, I am still curious about the rest of the menu that I left undiscovered, especially the roasts. The prices are also surprisingly affordable for an organic resto; everything for 200 below! They may not offer a full blown organic menu but it's worth a try. 

          Customers also receive free ballers (those rubber bands made popular by Nike before) in black and white as souvenirs. That's a first for any restaurant I've been to so far. Their contact details are conveniently found on these which I must say is ingenious marketing. 

free ballers

What we had:
Exotic Green Tea Salad - 140 php
Cheesy Deep Fried Pork Belly in Teriyaki Sauce - 148 php
2 Home-made Flavored Sodas - 50 php each

Chez Toztar House of Roasts
0392 Orchid St., Capitol Site
Cebu City 6000

Contact:
(032) 412 6452
+63 932 7806 176

Operating Hours:
Mon - Sun   10:30 AM - 2 PM
                   5:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Price range: 98 - 225 php

click to enlarge

Like them on Facebook for updates or reservations. 

To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)