Our trip to Cebu came up because I needed to attend a CFO seminar to get a certificate that would allow me to leave the country. After buying the air tickets, my schedule was changed on short notice, and my husband, his son Edvard, and I had to wait in Cebu for three days. Staying in Cebu, as in any large Philippine city, is a hide-and-seek game from heat, noise, and pollution and taking shelter in malls, restaurants, and bars.
We arrived in Cebu a little past lunch, so we decided to “hide” in a place near our hotel, Hala Paella, inside Robinsons Cybergate along J. Llorente St. I ordered the Seafood one, while my hubby and son got Lechon and Chorizo Paella. The serving was quite enough, and the price was a little over 100 pesos each, not including the drinks. The food was good and a pleasant surprise in the jungle of fast food places.
On our first night in Cebu, we visited a Mexican restaurant, Maya. It was a nice place with a fine dining ambiance.
We ordered chips and salsa, quesadillas, chicken and beef fajitas, and mango cheesecake for dessert. The food was good and on the more expensive side of the scale.
The mango cheesecake was so good that I consumed half of it before I remembered to take a photo of it, LOL. We had margaritas, mojitos, and a red wine called the Fat Bastard. I don’t drink a lot, though, but I had a splendid evening 🙂
Before heading to our hotel, the men went for some drinks at a beer and wine cellar called The Distillery, where I met Satan Gold, a Belgian beer.
The next day, I had my favorite Vietnamese dish, Pho Bo, for breakfast, while Edvard ordered a spicy version. My hubby ordered the fresh vegetable spring rolls. Everything was very tasty in this small Vietnamese place inside Robinsons Cybergate. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf was our next target.
The evening was spent at German Haus to test out some of their European dishes, Jägersnitzel, and different sausages. My hubby got a fried cheese (Camembert) with raspberry jam and toast.
Another night was spent at an Irish Pub near our hotel. However, I got a little sick from cigarette smoke and alcohol, so I decided to have a Thai massage while the men finished the meal I had already ordered.
The other day, we went to Ayala Center to relax and shop a little. We then proceeded to retire early because my seminar was the next day.
All in all, these unexpected three days in Cebu turned out fine. The city is more continental than Davao and has more to offer in terms of food and bar scene, so for me, it was an educational trip in preparation for my giant step to Europe.
