Cebu City Tour

Cebu - Our city tour of city started around 1:30pm and the first stop was to a Taoist Temple passing the scenic Beverly Hills; a concrete reminder of the well established Chinese community in Cebu City.  Though a minority in Cebu, the Chinese controls 80% of the business and commerce in Cebu. 

The Cebu Taoist Temple was built in 1972 by the Chinese community with an elevation of 300 meters above sea level.  

Young Jin, Me, Donny, Sylvia and Jison

From there we stop at Cebu Heritage Monument.

The monuments depicts the great battle between the Cebu people against the Spaniards. 

Cebu Fire Station was next to the monument...

Next, we visited the home of the First Filipino Bishop Juan Gorodo. 

Iron your clothes...

The Kitchen

The Casa Gorodo Museum

Next, is the symbol of the Christianization of Philippines - Magellan's Cross

A short walk and we enter the Basilica (Santo Nino Church)  - this is the home of Philippines oldest religious icon statue of the child Jesus.

There were many people at the church ground - tourist, worshippers, on-lookers, children and peddlers.

Worshippers queuing to touch and pray to Philippine's oldest religious icon statue of the child Jesus.

We are nearing our City Tour and the final stop was Fort San Pedro. 

Entrance to the Fort

The King and Queen of Spain was here in 1998 to commemorate the centennial celebration of Philippines independence.

I must show a pic of a cannon as it's a Fort....

Since we had time; I arrange for our tour guide to bring us to a Cebu factory to buy some delicious dried mangos and stuff.

10th Partners Conference commenced

Cebu - Today is the first day of the 10th Partners Conference of which I am organizing.

The welcome dinner was held on the top most floor of Marco Polo Hotel @ The Penthouse.   I selected this location as it gives a beautiful bird's eye view of Cebu City.

Lechon

Traditional Filippino dancers

The Traditional Filippino dance performances lasted around 45 minutes...after which Marco Polo won bar tenders gave a jaw dropping performance of their own.

AA BBQ

Cebu - My disappointment made me find another seafood restaurant as I don't believe Cebu does not have a good seafood restaurant.    I was rest assured in AA BBQ and they had the freshest and wide selection of seafood.

uncooked marinated Bangus 'Milk Fish'

After BBQ - Milk Fish

BBQ Chicken Wing

The chicken wing was BBQ so succulent and was very delicious.

BBQ 3-layer pork

BBQ Giant Prawns

BBQ Wild Chicken

The BBQ chicken had herbs stuffed into the chicken, so the taste of the chicken was tender.  As the chicken was wild, the meat was lean unlike farmed fed chicken.

BBQ Squid

On the whole it was a delicious and inexpensive dinner...

CnT Lechon

Cebu - Still hankering for the delicious Lechon, we asked around for the best Lechon and was told to go to CNT Lechon.   We went to the designated address but the Lechon @ CnT Lechon was already sold out and was directed to go to Ayala Mall as they have a small stall there.  When we reach Ayala Mall the CnT Lechon was located within the food court and there a queue had already formed.   When our turn came, we took what's left and it was sold out after us.

Donny and Lesley paying for our Lechon

As it was the ending of the Lechon sale, the skin was not crispy but the meat was still tender.  In fact, we came back about 2hrs later to purchase 200g of Lechon to taste the Lechon that just arrived.   The meat is much tender and the skin is very crispy.

Chika-An Restaurant

Cebu - This restaurant was highly recommended and was near Marco Polo Hotel.  I wanted seafood as Cebu is an island so maybe their seafood would be good.  Also the restaurant logo looks like a fish; so must be good.

We ordered 2 crabs and the waiter brought one crab still feisty and but the other crab is like half dead.  So, I decided to go with just one crab.  It was honest of them to bring out the crab to show us.  These are one of the many reasons why I like Cebu.

Very nice drink - Lemonade with Cucumbers

Garlic Rice

Sinigang Seafood

Hot plate Egg plant

Crab

For a seafood restaurant; the crab was not so good as it was not fleshy.  Donny had a portion where the meat was not cooked at all.

Squid on hot plate

Philippine Debut

Cebu - Whilst we were contemplating the choice for our dinner location and have our tea-break at the Marco Polo Cafe.   It was a celebration seldom seen in Singapore - A Philippine Debut or Coming of Age as I was told by the F&B Manager.   Seems only the wealthy Cebu people celebrate as it is very expensive to hold one in a Hotel.

On their 18th birthday, Filipinos customarily throw a large party, complete with her own hand-picked entourage of 18 individuals or multiple sets of 18. These 18 are conventionally nine males and nine females whom the celebrant pairs off into partners. The celebrant's court usually wears a uniform formal outfit chosen by the celebrant (similar to the dress of a wedding party), while the celebrant herself typically wears one or several extravagant gowns during the course of the night.

More low key for the guys,  Filipino men mark their own Debut on their 21st birthday, albeit with less formal celebrations or none altogether.

Whilst watching the continuous flow of Debutants and their guy companions, we sipped  tea and eat our Ensaimada.

Ensaimada

Onward to Cebu

Cebu - The flight on SilkAir was a pleasant surprise with an upgrade to Business Class.  It was a full flight so maybe the reason for my upgrade.   A wider seats and more leg room was really nice.   But it was a short flight and soon the Captain announce the arrival to Cebu International Airport.  I was on the window seat and took a couple of aerial photos of Cebu.

Upon arrival met up with Donny and Lesley, and we decided to go for Lechon lunch.  Asked the Hotel for the best Lechon and was referred to Park Mall.   So, we took a taxi to that location.  This Mall is unigue within Cebu as it allows pets on special days.

We finally found our Lechon stall and it's outside the Mall.  A queue has already formed.

We ordered an original Lechon and one spicy Lechon dish; just to taste the difference.

Original Lechon

The taste of this is so delicious; the pork simply melt in your mouth.  The skin is so very crispy too.

Spicy Lechon

Rice wrapped in banana leaf

The rice is similiar to Kutupat. In Cebu it is called Puso.  

Donny preparing the sauces for the Lechon