Jo's Inato: Where Good Food Fits The Budget Well

One of the many options when the question is all about where to eat in Cebu is Jo's Chicken Inato. Since one of its branches is located near our workplace, it was just logical that we go and check out what it has to offer. 

They had the following:

                                                             

While waiting for the orders, I had a good look at the place. Their Ramos branch, which can be reached by turning left after Velez Hospital on F. Ramos St. The whole restaurant has a completely breezy feel to it because of native materials that make up the whole structure. 

Their Lahug branch looks larger. It is housed in a similar native Filipino structure. The only difference is how this one has a second floor. Unfortunately, I did not have time to check out that part of the restaurant. 

The furniture and fixtures are all wooden in both branches.

We had the following dishes:

Tanguige Steak

Sinigang Na Baboy

Adobong Talong

Adobong Kangkong

Fresh Buko Juice

The tanguige steak was so-so. The sinigang na baboy has the typical sinigang taste as well (as expected). It was the vegetable dishes that I really loved. The talong is tasty, and the kangkong does not have the hint of bitter taste that usually comes with this leafy treat. The buko juice is nicely presented, but I like my buko juice cold. This is probably more fresh though. Another good thing I like about Jo's is their unlimited rice dishes. Unlike some other places where that is offered, Jo's have the same good quality rice all throughout our meals. I like that.

In terms of the price, Jo's is worth it since their dishes are quite affordable. As for the service, I find their Lahug branch more accommodating. They were readily available for our orders and even offered to take a photo of us. I would have to give the Ramos branch the benefit of the doubt though since there were more diners when we had lunch there than the one in Lahug.  For the ambiance, they offer the same set-up and overall feel. The Lahug branch just ended up more comfortable because there were not a lot of people there at that time.

Considering all that, I would definitely love to say Jo's Chicken Inato whenever someone would ask where to eat in Cebu and would like a nice place with good meals plus affordable unlimited rice options. 

Jo's Chicken Inato

V. Ranudo St., Ramos, Cebu City (Turn left after Velez Hospital)

Tel no. (032) 2531862

AND

Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City (Right across USP-F Lahug)

Tel no. (032) 2340030

Website: http://www.joschickeninato.com

Email Address:

Silogan Ni Gian: The 24-Hour Answer To Hunger

We discovered the place during my friends' wedding. Mr Kyme got out of work really late and was not able to make it to dinner. Since we had to accompany another friend home in the Talamban area, we chanced upon this half-full, still-open-at-10pm silog place in Talamban. I was too full from the wedding banquet, it was only Mr Kyme who got to eat there. He loved it, and it made its way up on our list. As a matter of fact, it is our best answer to questions on where to eat in Cebu City at 10pm and beyond without spending a fortune.

Since then, we've been looking for a chance to get back there again. The Talamban area is a bit far off from my southern abode and metro-based work. Fortunately, I have a friend there, and we were able to meet up with her one drizzling weekday night for dinner.

Since it is situated right outside of USC-TC, most of the people there are students. There are actually three branches of Silogan Ni Gian, but all of them are right within the Talamban area (as far as I know and based on what my Talamban-based friend says). 

I was (again!ugh!) unable to take a photo of the menu. However, you can be assured that they offer the silog meals at lesser prices than the other silog places in town. After all, they cater to students on a daily (if not hourly) basis. 

Anyway, we had the following for dinner that night.

Mr Kyme's Burger (Patty) Silog

Sinigang (Rice) & Itlog

Sardinas (for my friend)

Bicol Express

Mr Kyme had the burger (patty) silog. It is the same thing he had the first time we were there. I think that speaks for how much he liked it. I got a taste of it, and the patty was really good. I had the bicol express silog. It was good enough for the price I paid for, and the same thing can be said for my friend's sardines silog. 

Although there is not a lot of extraordinary things about Silogan ni Gian, there are more than a couple of good things about it. For one, every silog meal falls easily within one's budget. Whether you are a student or a yuppie on ting-bitay mode, this is the perfect way to get something appetizing down your hungry tummy. Next is the store hours. Silogan ni Gian opens its doors 24/7. No need to worry about late dinners and the likes. Another good thing is how accessible the silogan is. Two of its branches are right across the gates of USC-TC while the third one is located near Bright Academy in Banilad.

Because EatCebu aims to provide answers to a Cebuano's hunger (and related questions), it aims to provide reviews not only of the restaurants in the metro but also the other interesting dining places the city has to offer. Silogan ni Gian is just one of them. Watch out for more!

No Meat: Where To Eat In Cebu During The Lenten Season

Defined as the Christian observance of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, which spans the 40 days prior to Jesus' death and resurrection, Lent is a significant part of the year for Filipinos, especially for Cebuanos, who are considered to be the most religious bunch. Since Lent involves prohibiting the consumption of meat during Fridays, it is time to go with other alternatives when we want something to eat in Cebu.

For those who follow the Catholic tradition of getting their foreheads marked with ash in a mass on Ash Wednesday and would like to strictly keep the known responsibility that comes with that, which is not eating any meat every Friday until Easter Sunday, it can be quite hard to decide what to eat on TGIFs!

To help with such tragedy, I've come up with the following suggestions (in no particular order).

1. Mang Inasal's Lumpia Sardines - Although this food chain is more commonly known for its large portions of chicken inasal, it is actually offering a lot of other options. One of my personal favorites is their Lumpia Sardines. This is basically the usual canned sardines we get in grocery and sari-sari stores, wrapped in lumpia wrapper and fried like any other lumpia variations. It's tasty and very affordable at P35 served with rice already. For someone like me who loves sardines, this is a real treat. It is fish and therefore, perfect for Lent.

2. Dimsum Break's Fried Fish Siomai, Vegetable Dumplings and Tofu Lumpia - Found only in Cebu, Dimsum Break honors the religious nature of most people in the Queen City of the South by offering myriad of food choices for Lent. One of them is their fish siomai. Look-wise, it lacks the oil and mouthwatering features of the regular pork siomai. Once tasted though, the softness of fish meat in the mouth is just surprising as it is very different from the dry appearance of this siomai variation. Paired with the usual toyo and chili sauce concocted for this dish, it is one of the few delicious ways to go sinless this Lenten season.

The dumplings are crunchy delights. My personal preference is to pair it off with the sweet & sour sauce made originally for their spring roll. The perfect combination is probably due to the fact that they are both technically wrapped vegetables. 

The tofu lumpia is made up of bits of tofu, carrots, mushrooms and a couple of other vegetables that I failed to identify. They are mixed and kept together in lumpia-structure with the aid of dumpling/siomai wrapper. The all-natural, all-vegetable content makes this a should-be-present for Lenten meals. 

3. Chowking's Tofu - One of my top favorite fastfood items is tofu from Chowking. There is a non-Lent variation of the dish, which comes with pork, but the all-tofu one is always preferred (by me) in an effort to cut down on my red meat intake. This protein-rich ingredient can act as a substitute for pork in various dishes. At Chowking though, it is offered in a simple yet appetizing presentation. Toyo plus onions plus tofu is one great meal already (for me!).

4. Alberto's Garden Express Pizza - Another personal favorite that makes it to my list of Lent-appropriate chow is the vegetarian pizza from Alberto's. It comes with button mushrooms sliced in halves, pineapple tidbits, black olives, onions, red & green bellpepper and my favorite red tomatoes. Not only good for Lent but also good for your heart. 

5. Mama's Homemade Dishes - Yes, there is probably no better source of nutritious way to one's stomach than through our own mom's cooking. Ingredients to such are affordable, and you are completely sure about their overall quality. 

Some of my favorites (Chopsuey, Fish Tinola, Utan Bisaya & Fried Fish)

                                   

These are just some of the places to eat in Cebu this Lenten season. For those who are into food adventures though, there are bound to be some more to discover and enjoy at. The important thing there is we are able to follow through with what we believe in, no matter how religious or not we are. 

Have a blessed life, y'all!

Kuya J Restaurant: Where Natal Date Was Celebrated

So, it was the nth birthday. The initial plan was to go to Chopsticks for the family dinner since my mom (if you haven't read the other entries in this blog) loves Chinese cuisine. However, me and Mr Kyme already tried the place out. We loved it, but we wanted to go somewhere different, and there are still a lot of places to go if the question is all about where to eat in Cebu. 

We were looking at three different places I've been wanting to go to, and choose Kuya J Restaurant because it had a lot of seafood on its menu, which is my mom's favorites as well. When you think about it, seafoods is healthier than Chinese dishes, too. Not that we love Chinese a bit less. 

Anyway, we were not able to get a reservation earlier that day, and it was a Sunday, so we decided to go there early to avoid not getting any seats. After all, Sunday is family day. It was our first time to go there, and the only thing I know is that it is near Yayoy's Grill, which I have visited once or twice more than a year ago. Kuya J was really easy to locate though.                     

 

Center

Right Side

Left Side

This is how it looks from outside. 16-20 people can be comfortably accommodated outside and around 25-30 people inside. The good thing about their outdoor dining setup is the fact that the restaurant is located in a residential neighborhood. Hence, not a lot of vehicles go through the area. One does not have to worry about smoke, dirt and dust getting into the food.

                                   

Table for 7

We opted for the table inside in spite of the nice weather to get a better look at the restaurant. They had 3 long tables that can accommodate larger groups and another 3 table for couples. The entire feel of the interiors do not match the name of the establishment. In fact, me and my siblings do not think the name gives justice to the restaurant. It deserves a better name. That's a decision the management has control over though. This is just our point of view. 

Lighting Decor (The small round things resemble small sea urchins minus the actual content)

White walls + Hip & Trendy Ornaments = Lovely place to dine

Sea Urchin Ball of Lights

The counter

Stairs leading up. Wasn't able to ask though about what is up there.

Another unique lighting fixture by the door

Wall decor (Hearts Day is still around!)

Left part of the room

The people were very accommodating. We ordered the following, which were served in 20-25 minutes. It was probably because we were the first customers there that day.

                                 

Baked Scallops

Siniganga (Tanguige)

Tuna Panga

Sizzling (Tuna) Sisig

Sizzling Bangus Teriyaki

Spicy Calamares

Grilled Pork Belly

Adobong Kangkong

(Cold) Calamansi Juice

Watermelon Shake

I forgot to take a photo of the fresh buko juice (in nicely-cut coconut minus the husk) and mango shake which some of us ordered. I also was not able to take a photo of the garlic rice platter, which had some eggs in it. There were 9 of us in the group, and we finished 3 and a half platters of rice that was good for 3-4 people each.

Since my friend Rishee asked me to post photos of the menu on my next post, I really took time to capture every entry in the menu. Unfortunately, the SOUPS part is lost. All the others are here though. My apologies to those who are checking out the Soups above it all.

                                  

                                   

                                   

                                    

                                  

Dessert (Goldilocks Black Forest)

I really appreciate how nice their customer service was. They offered us dessert, and when we mentioned that we brought cake because one of us is celebrating her birthday, they (without us asking about/for it) brought us some saucers and dessert spoons. I was so happy with that gesture that the service crews got the largest amount of tip I have left ever in a restaurant. Thank you again, Kuya J people! I made the right decision to bring my family there instead of the many other places to eat in Cebu . 

To rate Kuya J Restaurant:

Billed: P2310 for 9 very busog (full) and contented people! There were even some unfinished business with the tuna panga, which they packed for us. 

Service: One of the few that really made me happy. Keep it up!

Ambiance: Really nice. It made me not want to go home. It is also good for couples and romantic dinners, but perfect for families and large groups of friends or colleagues.

 

Kuya J Restaurant

0394 Orchid St. Capitol Site

Cebu City

(From Capitol Bldg., go straight ahead until Joven's Grill. Turn right and go straight ahead. Turn right on the third corner. Go straight ahead. Kuya J is on the right side of the road.

Contact #: 322531343