I'm proud to report that I got straight back into yoga after Tokyo. I did it everyday while in Siargao (June 6-9; there were no classes on June 4 and 5 so I went swimming and cycling, etc.) and, now, in Cebu (June 9 till the 14th, hopefully, before I leave for Kuala Lumpur).
In Cebu, I go to classes at YogaHub at the Banilad Town Centre (BTC), which is five minutes away by cab from Nicolas' apartment. It's a small space, with a boutique, and two changing rooms. The bathroom is outside. (Be sure to bring a P5 coin for a packet of tissue paper from the vendo machine.)
The first class is free. Drop-in classes are only P200, plus P50 for mat rental. Following is their class schedule:
I did Ashtanga Friday and Saturday, and then Vinyasa today. Will do Ashtanga again tomorrow and Vinyasa on Tuesday. I'm glad for the Vinyasa classes; they're a welcome break from the routine of Ashtanga.
I still think I'm the worst student in the room - with the tightest of hamstrings and lower back - but, strangely, today, the teacher singled me out after class and told me that I had "a very strong practice". Which is encouraging, except that I will be off traveling again soon. Two steps forward, a thousand steps back...
I still need to do something other than yoga though as those damned last two kilos stubbornly remain. It's so goddam frustrating.
The good thing about YogaHub being at BTC is that Ala Gym is also there. It's a really good boxing gym and I used to go there. And I would totally go straight after yoga, except that, for some stupid reason, I don't have any gym shoes here in Cebu, and I really don't want to buy another pair. Will have to bring back some shoes from Manila, as well as boxing wraps, the next time I am there.
The downside to YogaHub being at BTC is that, apart from all the restaurants there (- the layered pork at Choi City is to die for, but don't make the mistake of doing any of their all-you-can-eat specials because you'll be served substandard fare; I also like to make my own burrito at Pueblo Mexicano; and I've been doing all I can to resist that carb-infested paella place...), every Saturday, they have food sellers occupying the whole first floor. It's the worst obstacle course ever.
Yesterday, one of the food vendors I ran into was Son-Gohan Onigirazu. Think sushi burgers, except that they're stuffed with different yummy things. I had three yesterday (two beef, and one chicken teriyaki). Good grief.
The Alliance Française de Cebu occupies an old pink house near the Mormon Church on Gorordo Avenue. The restaurant occupies the first floor.
La Maison Rose is the restaurant of the Alliance Française de Cebu. The restaurant is on the first floor and the classrooms are on the second floor. If you come in for lunch, expect to see students and teachers wandering about.
Interiors by Delphine Delorme.
If it's your first time to dine here, Nicolas recommends starting with the terrine de foie gras (P323), which is made from duck liver, not goose, and served with white wine jelly and onion jam. For your main, he would suggest the black pepper steak, which comes with an excellent ratatouille that, at P375, is an absolute steal. And, for dessert, the only item on the menu worth mentioning is the chocolate coulant (P122).
Other items on the menu that I can recommend are, for starters, the trio of soups (P244) and the goat cheese salad (P194 for the small portion and P344 for the large) and, from the list of mains, the sole (P361) and the duck confit (P550), which is particularly outstanding. The desserts aren't anything to write home about, although they are pretty cheap. The yogurt is only P57 and the flan au caramel is P79.
Yogurt, with your choice of special sauce. I chose strawberry basil.
I spied a diner having spaghetti bolognese, which is a strange thing to order - or to have on the menu - at a French restaurant, but it looked good and I made a mental note to try it when craving spaghetti bolognese. I did try the truffle coquillettes pasta (P236) because it seemed to be a favorite among the food bloggers and, while it was very tasty, I found it a bit dry and the dish probably would have done better if it was served with a different pasta or in a deeper dish, rather than unceremoniously piling all that macaroni into on a mound on a plate.
They've added some vegetarian dishes to the menu, presumably to attract participants to the yoga classes they intend to start on the compound, and we tried the asparagus crepes with blue cheese and a tomato tart for dessert but... Well, let's just say we won't be trying the other vegetarian options anymore.
371 Gorordo Ave., Lahug Open daily, 12NN to 3PM, 6:30PM to 1AM Reservations recommended: (+63-32) 268-5411
Tavolata, part of the Abaca Group, is still on its soft opening but I can see it easily becoming my favorite restaurant in Cebu. Mostly because it's only two minutes away from our apartment. On foot. Our dinner for two quickly turned into four, then into six as we bumped into friends at the restaurant and joined tables.
Taken from the resto's second floor.
The pizzas are good, great crust and all - except that our truffle pizza was more of an arugula and cheese pizza. There wasn't the faintest hint of truffle on it. It was still good pizza though.
Pork chop and pizza.
The surprise hit of the evening turned out to be my oxtail pasta, which I have to commend my server for recommending. Nicolas eventually commandeered it for himself. He ordered the pork chop but I guess he didn't expect it to be breaded and deep-fried, nor did he expect it to be so large. I happen to be a fan of all creatures, great and small, that are breaded and deep-fried, so I didn't mind switching plates with him. The potato salad it came with was perfectly tart and vinegary.
For dessert, we shared the panna cotta, which we liked, although I must say that it did not need all those things piled on top of it. Especially the sugared cookie which, in my opinion, cheapened the dessert. When you have a cream that is exquisite, you just need a bit of contrast to enhance its flavor. You don't want to drown it out.
All in all, it was a good experience and we will definitely be back to work our way through the menu.
Design Center of Cebu, A.S. Fortuna cor. P. Remedio St. Open daily, 6PM to 10:30PM (last seating) Reservations recommended: (+63-32) 505-6211
A Cafe. Yet another addition to the Abaca Group, this was the one I had difficulty persuading Nicolas to try. He said he had been round before with his brother but they didn't like it that the place didn't have any windows and quickly walked out. But we turned up at around 2:30 PM on a Sunday and, apart from one other table, had the place to ourselves so it would have been hard to feel claustrophobic in there.
Nicolas wasn't too hungry and ordered two fresh orange juices (at P218.40 each) and the turkey salad (P509.60), which he liked. While I went there with the intention of trying their all-day breakfast and order some eggs benedict for myself, my head was turned by the Angus beef pie (P532), which turned out to be just okay. (Nicolas didn't like it at all.) I think it would have been better if it came with mashed potatoes but I don't think it was on offer as a side dish and I ended up having fries, which were unremarkable as fries go.
We ordered two desserts to share: the bread and butter pudding (P184.80) - which can be given a miss - and the creme brulee (P184.80) which, I dare say, could possibly be the best creme brulee I've ever had. While Nicolas concurs, he thinks it could have been better if it were served chilled.
Crossroads, Banilad Open daily, 7AM to 10PM (+63-32) 505-5692
Today, Nicolas and I talked about our next dinner date in Cebu and we already know what we want: The terrine de foie gras and duck confit at La Maison Rose and the creme brulee at A Cafe.
A few weeks ago, Johnny, my swimming instructor, invited me to join him for lunch. He told me about this place where he could get fresh oysters by the bucket. Although I never acquired a taste for oysters, I was eager to see a different side of Cebu, so I said yes. We got on his motorbike and sweltered under an unforgiving sun towards Consolacion, about 12 kilometers from Cebu City.
We pulled up outside Redwood Subdivision, which was, clearly, still under construction. Johnny instructed me to get off the bike so that he could park it. I was puzzled.
"The restaurant is in there?"
We walked through the subdivision. "You know, even if I had money, I wouldn't live here," Johnny said. "There wouldn't be any privacy." He pointed at the rows of shoe-box apartments. For a man who slept sitting up in a chair at a sports bar, I had to admire his ability to remain discerning.
At the edge of the property - because this is the Philippines and because we can - there were mangroves and, in the water, was a hut.
"That's Timyong's Restaurant."
Of course it is.
Mangroves. Because every backyard should have one.
Welcome to Timyong's!
That's where they get the oysters and farm the fish.
Care to freshen up?
I think it says "Please put the empty oyster shells in the bucket."
It was all a bit surreal, but then I saw the oysters and got excited about the food.
We ordered a kilo of oysters (- at P30 a kilo!), and then I went to see what other fresh seafood they had on offer.
Tilapia. P130/kilo, but this includes the preparation and cooking charge.
Squid.
We ended up with fried tilapia and grilled squid.
I thought Timyong's clientele was limited to Redwood's construction workers but, later on, as we were leaving, more people showed up, including a small group of well-heeled Cebuanos.
Sinugba! (Check out the stuffing of the bangus - a.k.a. milkfish.) Yummmmm!
Cebu is the land of sinugba. Sugba means "to grill" and sinugba refers to anything that is grilled. According to Johnny, when the tourists started flocking to the sugbahan places in Mactan, that jacked up prices, so that the locals sought out more out of the way places like Timyong's, which offer the same fare at prices Cebuanos are more comfortable with.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and even ate my share of oysters. I only wished that I had ordered more.
This is how we do it, baby! Philippine-style. We eat with our hands. Although, I, eventually, asked for a fork and spoon. That's rice wrapped in coconut leaves; it's called puso.
As I was contemplating ordering the pork, storm clouds started brewing and, since we had gotten there on a bike, Johnny hurried us home. I took precautionary measures and wrapped everything I had in plastic. Johnny - he, who carries three mobile phones - was convinced he could dodge the rain. Then it was all very "Independence Day", with him trying to outrun the rain clouds. Whenever we'd see it pouring down in the distance, he'd take another road and avoid it. He dropped me off at the corner of my street without getting a single drop of rain on us. Very impressive.
Now I know of a hidden mangrove place where oysters grow and that, in Cebu, it is possible to outrun the rain.
First off, I prefer boutique hotels to big chain ones. If you are staying in Mactan, I would recommend Abaca Boutique Resort, but the Shangri-La Mactan is there too. If you are staying in Cebu City, there's the Marriott, but I prefer these hotels:
The House of Cebu is hip and quirky. It's owned by a Filipino-German couple and they have a very good restaurant next door called Paseo One.
These were our starters at Paseo One. They did not disappoint.
They also have a bar called Scrapyard. I've had a peek inside but I haven't been for drinks but, apparently, their happy hour is everyday from 10 to 12 PM and drinks are free for the ladies on Wednesdays. I'd say that's something worth looking into.
Rooms come in three sizes: big, large and extra large and are all uniquely furnished. Some of the ones we saw had see-through bathrooms, which must be a European thing because Nicolas has been insisting on having all-glass bathrooms in Siargao too, which I am totally against. While they do look lovely, they're not very practical. Not only do they pose a problem if you are traveling with a friend but, even with a lover, really, sometimes you just need your alone time and, unlike Mark Zuckerberg, I do believe that there is such a thing as oversharing. According to the staff, you may request for curtains.
No. 1 Paseo Saturnino (a.k.a. Maria Luisa Rd.), Cebu City
The name and the Harrods knock-off logo of Harolds Hotel are a turn-off but I got to check out this hotel when Sue was in town and it's not bad at all. It's new, it's clean, it's sleek and modern.
Cebu has no shortage of good restaurants. And they offer good value for money. If they're slightly pricey, expect huge servings.
Along that same road as The House of Cebu alone - apart from Paseo One - are the following:
Rica's Cafe (+63-32 236-3562, 420-7219) - A tiny restaurant that is, literally, tucked away in a corner of Cebu. If you blink, you might miss it. It's never crowded but the food is good.
Tymad Bistrot (+63-32 232-7385. Closed on Mondays.) - Because of Philippe Estienne, Cebu now has the best croissants, pains au chocolat and pastries in the Philippines. To tell you the truth, I think his pain au chocolat is even better than the ones I've had in Paris. (Tymad's has more chocolate in it.) Nicolas is addicted to the savory crepes and the tartes aux fraises.
Nicolas' favorite savory crepe, with smoked salmon.
Guiseppe Pizzeria and Sicilian Roast (Closed on Mondays.) - Must haves: Pizza with arugula and prosciutto, the osso buco, and then there's this dish that isn't on the menu - the maccheroni bolognese - the very thought of which is making me salivate as I write.
*Along this strip, after Paseo One and close to Rica's Cafe, is the Lhuillier Supermarket where you can buy various French deli meats, cheeses, wine and groceries.
At Crossroads, Banilad:
Olio - This would have to be at the top of the list. The food is always amazing. The interiors, however, although they might have been trendy once, are now due for an update. Still, undoubtedly, one of the best restaurants in Cebu.
Maya - I'm not a fan of the food but would recommend it for its spicy churros con chocolate, its fine selection of tequila and the fab interiors.
Tajimaya - For yakiniku, Tajimaya may not be the best, but it offers good value for money, especially now, with its all-you-can-eat selection of meats at only P390. (I recommend sticking with the beef. The pork is very fatty with hardly any meat on it.) They also offer wagyu in their ala carte menu.
The Tinderbox - It's isn't actually at Crossroads but is right next to it so I might as well include it on this list. After a weekend of seafood in Siargao, Nicolas and I always head straight to Tinderbox as soon as we arrive in Cebu, for our meat fix. Nicolas thinks that they offer the best-value-for-money Angus beef steak and we both love their panna cotta. You can shop at their deli or check out their vast selection of wines, or ask to have a peek at Z, their Kenneth Cobunpue-designed bar on the second floor.
For Asian food, check out the following:
Cafe Laguna, Golden Cowrie (Filipino food) - You can find branches of these restaurants at the Ayala and SM malls.
Lemon Grass (Thai-Vietnamese) - At the Ayala Mall. Their citrus herb lemonade is the bomb! And a pitcher is some ridiculously low price like P130. Our favorite dishes are the crab stick-pomelo salad, the pork ribs and a fried fish which I can't recall right now...
Choi City (Cantonese) - I haven't had a lot of Chinese food in Cebu, but when the craving hits, I go to Choi City because it's at Banilad Town Centre (BTC), which is five minutes from the apartment, and it must be the sister restaurant of Choi Garden in Manila, which I love. The food is excellent. Normally, I phone in my order in advance, then pick it up when it's ready and have it at home. Last Saturday, I ordered the Yang Chow fried rice, the layered pork (their version of lechon kawali) and broccoli with scallops. The next day, I tossed the leftovers in the fried rice and it was even better.
Nonki (Japanese) - I haven't had a lot of Japanese food here either but Nonki, along A.S. Fortuna (which is where our apartment is located), has always been a reliable favorite.
For restaurants with views:
Cowrie Cove - At the Shangri-La Mactan. For open air, fine dining by the sea.
Anzani - It's on the winding road (left side) on the way up to the Marco Polo Plaza. The view actually belongs to Bellini Champagne Bar where you can start and/or end the night with cocktails.
Specialty Food
Lhuillier Supermarket - At Paseo Saturnino (a.k.a. Maria Luisa Rd.). For everything French.
The Tinderbox - Beside Crossroads. They have a delicatessen, and a wine and cigar shop.
JEDCO also sells cheese and deli meats but they are known, primarily, for their meat. You'll find them at the Robinson Supermarkets and Rustan's, but their main branch is in Mandaue. If you're lucky, they MIGHT have some grass-fed meat. It doesn't hurt to ask. (+63-32 345-1830/40/41.)
And then there's Eleanor Rivera (+63-917-714-8254), for all your organic vegetable needs. You'll find her at different malls on weekends. She's also affiliated with a wellness center, if you're looking to detox.
Tubo - At the J. Centre Mall along A.S. Fortuna. It's a small kiosk on the second floor near SM Hypermart. Fresh sugar cane juice. I was hesitant to try it at first because I thought it would be too sweet but it's actually not and is really quite refreshing and is supposed to be healthy. I had it mixed with fresh orange juice. Another plus for Tubo - they only use fresh ingredients.
Bars/Clubs
Gilt/Vudu - Vudu, at Crossroads, is now an entertainment complex with the lounge next door called Gilt and the club renamed Luxx. But everyone still refers to Luxx as Vudu - and Gilt, since it is relatively new, is Gilt. I haven't been to Luxx since it was Vudu but I do like Gilt.
The interiors at Gilt.
The Loft/The Penthouse - At the I.T. Park, separated by one floor, are The Loft and The Penthouse. If it isn't happening for you on one floor, check out the other.
Bellini Champagne Bar - For excellent views of Cebu at night. Their sister restaurant, Anzani, serves pretty good Italian food too.
Day time view from Bellini. (Internet file photo.)
Spas
Chi - At the Shangri-La Mactan. This has to be THE top spa in Cebu. It also costs top dollar.
Meddah Spa (+63-32 234-2080) - At Crossroads, Banilad. This used to be my favorite spa but, somewhere along the way, their quality started to slip. But I went back again recently and maybe I was just lucky and finally had a good therapist but, hopefully, they're back on track. The place itself could use a bit of a touch-up and they absolutely must change their music selection. My favorite massages are the hot stone massage and the lomilomi.
Beauty Salons
Exposé - At Crossroads, Banilad. Brought to you by the same owners of Meddah Spa. This is supposed to be Cebu's top salon. Reservations are a must.
Bridges - At The Gallery, Mabolo. Apparently, it's giving Exposé a run for its money. I actually prefer Bridges because it's new and the interiors are bright, with a lot of natural light, as opposed to Exposé, which can be gloomy.
I swear that the following is a true story. It sounds made-up but I do have a witness. (Adrienne!)
It was many years ago, when my Malaysian-American friend, Adrienne Low, came to visit me in Siargao. We were getting ready to go to Sohoton Caves and I kidded her, "Maybe we'll see a whale shark!"
At that time, I had never seen a whale shark and I didn't even know if they were ever seen in the area. Well, okay, MAYBE someone had mentioned that they had been seen, but it's the same way people claim to have seen Big Foot. I never paid it any mind or given it much thought. And in the ten billion times I had been to Sohoton, I certainly had never seen a whale shark.
At that time, the resort only had a wooden outrigger boat. It was a massive one though, as Nicolas had designed and built it himself, and we all know that Nicolas is incapable of building anything short of massive.
The boat hadn't gone too far from the resort when I spotted some birds circling the sky then diving into the sea. I pointed this out to Nicolas and he then excitedly jumped on top of the boat to see what was in the water.
"It's a manta ray!" he cried out. He scanned the sea some more. "No, it's a whale shark!" He shouted for the captain to stop. "It's both!" He and Jerome, his right-hand man at that time, scrambled for their snorkeling equipment, told us to wait on the boat and await their signal, then jumped into the water.
Adrienne and I donned our snorkeling gear and sat at the edge of the boat. We looked nervously at our feet, dangling over the water. We had been diving together in Palau and had seen all kinds of sharks and rays. Yet, for the first time, we were scared.
"It can't be both a manta and a whale shark," I said, breaking the silence. "That's just ridiculous."
We snapped out of the thoughtful contemplation of our toes by Nicolas yelling for both of us to get into the water. "Hurry!" he insisted. We exchanged worried glances, took deep breaths and, with hearts pounding, plunged into the water.
I had never been snorkeling in the blue before. There was always something I could see. Some coral, maybe, the sea bottom... This was just... The Blue. My heart was beating so loud that I was sure Adrienne could hear it.
As we neared Nicolas and Jerome, I could hear Nicolas shouting, "It's a whale shark!" Mother of god. "Be careful what you wish for..." I started to think, "What if National Geographic was wrong and whale sharks don't only eat plankton..."
Before I could finish the thought, a large gaping mouth emerged from the blue, heading straight towards us. Under the water, you could hear gargled screams as Adrienne and I shrieked into our snorkels.
The giant fish came out at us - and then swam past, mouth agape, straight into a swirling ball of krill (- Nicolas had mistaken its shadow for a manta).
(Internet file photo.)
After our initial shock, our nervousness dissipated into laughter and Adrienne and I quickly got over our fear. We started following the shark. Of course, none of us could outswim it. We should have followed the krill instead. That way, we could have kept tracking the shark. But we didn't and, eventually, lost sight of the giant fish.
Our friend, Mia Trinidad, described seeing a whale shark as "a religious experience" and, right there and then, I had to agree.
The next time I saw one, it was many years later. Nicolas had already built his 40-foot fiber glass boat and our Siargao neighbors had borrowed it for a trip to Sohoton and invited us to join them.
On our way back, I was recounting the whale shark story to Gary Cases, one of our friends who runs a dive shop in Malapascua, when - lo and behold - there it was. The birds diving down from the sky. Gary jumped up to scan the ocean. "Shark!" he called out. I didn't even wait to hear what kind of shark. I marched up to the first person who was the same size as me and asked rather forcefully, "Do you need your snorkeling gear?" She looked terrified and shook her head, as if I had just demanded that she jump into the water. I practically tore the gear off her, put them on and dove straight in.
And there it was. Big. Beautiful. Magnificent. It was much bigger than the first one I had seen. Gary said it was a mother and that there was a baby swimming underneath it, but because my freediving skills suck, I could only admire the whale shark from the surface. It swam alongside our boat for a while so everyone was happy, including the girl who was so rudely yanked out of her snorkeling gear.
Years later, I took my friends, Indian actor, Parvin Dabas (- you'll know him as the groom in "Monsoon Wedding") and my Spanish BFF, Teba Orueta, on a whirlwind month-long tour of the Philippines, and one of our destinations was Donsol. While that was exciting, because there were so many whale sharks in the sea, because those sharks were feeding on plankton, the water was murky and visibility was poor.
Parvin, me, and Teba get ready to see some whale sharks! May 2006.
And it's funny how easily spoiled we get. The next day, none of us were interested in seeing any more whale sharks. Been there, done that. The novelty had quickly worn off.
That was six years ago. Almost to the day. (Parvin had gone back to India while Teba and I continued on to Boracay, Cebu - for my birthday, and then Siargao.)
Today is my birthday and Nicolas and I decided to check out the strange goings-on in Oslob, in southern Cebu. Whale sharks are no strangers to Oslob but, about eight months ago, the fishermen there started to feed these gentle giants and, as a result, the whale sharks have ceased to be pelagic and now live in the shallow waters of Oslob, approaching the fishermen's outrigger boats for food - like very large pets.
"Here, fishy, fishy, fishy!" A whale shark approaches the boat for food.
It's a very strange sight. And kinda reminds me of this Ernie and Bert skit on Sesame Street:
Of course, the environmentalists are not amused. With their migratory pattern disrupted, the whale sharks might lose their instinct to hunt on their own, they say. Plus how can a small town sustain feeding all these whale sharks? There are reports that the fisherfolk of Oslob are now sourcing krill from nearby towns just to feed the giants.
One whale shark was speared not too far from Oslob and the tree huggers are blaming this on the sharks getting too used to human interaction in Oslob.
It's all very controversial. Which is why we thought that we'd better check things out for ourselves, before the environmentalists win out and the whale sharks are shooed back to open sea.
Now, I am neither a marine biologist nor a whale shark, but I'm not convinced that the whale sharks will ever lose their instinct to hunt. They were hunting way before they got to Oslob. They just got lazy. But when the krill runs out and they start getting hungry, maybe then they'll start swimming away.
And I've always heard that whale sharks are naturally friendly. Lacking any predators, they fear nothing and therefore have an innate curiosity for everything.
But what do I know? All I know is that I spent my birthday swimming with these fantastic creatures of the deep.
If you'd like to check them out yourself, you can hire a car from a travel agency (- I was quoted P6800) or you can get a taxi to take you (- the meter came to P3300 round-trip, including waiting time, but I suggest giving around P4000). If you need a cab driver recommendation, let me know. Travel time from the city to Oslob is 2.5 to 3 hours. We left at 4:45 AM and were in the water by 8 AM.
We paid the following fees:
Entrance fee - P50
Local snorkeling fee - P500 (Includes masks and snorkels, although we brought our own.)
Foreigner snorkeling fee - P1000 (- I got Nicolas the local fee because he has a resident's visa and a local driver's license, plus he speaks Visayan so he's more local than me.)
Fin rental - P100 ( - Nicolas brought his; I don't have fins.)
Parking - P30
You have the option of staying on the boat and just watching the whale sharks from there, but then you'd be a complete wuss if you do. Get in the water! You'll be glad that you did.
You also have the option to dive, but I think that's completely unnecessary and will only set you back P1000 more.
You're only allowed 30 minutes with the whale sharks but, trust me, that's more than enough time. With a few stopovers, we were back in the city before 1 PM.
A whale shark and me.
Today's a weekday and, at 8 AM, there were already a lot of boats out there. I hear the weekends are a nightmare. If the whale sharks are around when school hasn't let out, then the best time to go would probably be on a weekday from June to March. But then, you'd have the rains to contend with. Just go on a weekday and make sure you're there early.
On the way back, drop by Carcar for some chicharon and the Talisay market for lechon.