Dining Snippets in Cebu: House of Lechon x Casa Dos x Pillows Hotel Café
HOUSE OF LECHON
How can you visit Cebu without having a bite of their famous lechon? Despite having a number of famous establishments battling it out for the coveted ‘best lechon’ title in the land, most would proudly say that Rico’s Lechon is on a league of its own. However due to regulatory issues it faces, Rico’s was not operational when I visited the bustling metropolis last November. My friends took me to House of Lechon instead.
CLASSIC SPICY LECHON (1/4 kg: P250)
No table seemed to be left vacant for more than five minutes despite its large dining capacity. I took this is a sign of a good meal to come! I’ve been to Cebu a handful of times but I’ve never had a bite of spicy lechon until this meal. Its meat was tender and immensely flavorful and came with perfectly thin crisps of lechon skin that roar an audible crunch with each bite. Cebu lechon has always been distinguished by its salty tasty meat which doesn’t rely on sarsa as a crutch. However, House of Lechon was able to elevate this by infusing a zingy kick of spice in its Classic Spicy Lechon which definitely adds delight to this signature dish.
BAKED SCALLOPS (P250)
We paired our lechon with an affordable platter of its Baked Scallops. Tiny as these shellfishes may be, they definitely did not disappoint. Each shell is topped with delicious gooey melted cheese that you won’t grow tired of eating. As a means of making your indulgent meal a little less guilty, its Monggo will be a welcome addition. A bowl for sharing comes at an affordable price of P160.
House of Lechon
Date of Visit: November 26, 2017 with Marj Arcillo, John Cabrera and Eugene Peteros
CASA DOS
(with Eugene Peteros, Marj Arcillo, Rhea Legaspi, and John Cabrera)
The Circa 1900 property is a popular venue for social gatherings which uses its captivating colonial architecture as its main backdrop. Its two buildings are filled with function rooms and dining spaces which aim to cater to one’s specific gathering needs. Great effort is taken to maintain and restore the building’s original architecture, and it evidently pays off. Casa Uno, which houses its fine dining concept, also displays paintings and sketches of Cebu taken during the colonial era; providing an interesting, albeit brief historical narrative of Cebu.
Right across Casa Uno is Casa Dos, which boasts of more casual food offerings. Our reservation was originally by the poolside of Casa Dos, but as it was a rainy night, we were seated in its small air-conditioned dining area.
GRILLED GROUPER WITH CAESAR SALAD (P495)
I opted to have its Grilled Grouper for my dinner. It was difficult to deal with the dark lighting of the restaurant, but this dish tastes so much better than it looks. Its grouper had a nice bite to it, and came with a lightly crisp side which gave it a welcome charred taste. It was served with a generous serving of Caesar Salad which stayed true to the classic bacon, parmesan, and lettuce combination; all topped with a perfectly made dressing.
SPICY SEAFOOD SISIG PIZZA WITH THAI BASIL AND FRIED GARLIC (P340)
We decided to share an order of its Spicy Seafood Sisig Pizza as it sounded like the most interesting pizza flavor on the menu. Unfortunately, this pizza was definitely not worth the excitement. Marketed as a brick oven pizza, the flatbread pizza failed to take on the signature smoky flavor and crunchy crust expected from a brick oven. Its toppings were sparse which made the pizza bland and mediocre.
Casa Dos/Cicada
Date of Visit: November 25, 2017 with Marj Arcillo, John Cabrera, Rhea Legaspi and Eugene Peteros
PILLOWS HOTEL CAFÉ
I booked a room in a boutique hotel called Pillows Hotel. The room I stayed in was clean, comfortable, and boasted of fluffy pillows (hence, the name of the hotel). Right behind its reception area is a cozy and quirky restaurant which doubles as the hotel’s café. Each night booked comes with a free breakfast plate which allows you to choose from its list of classic breakfast staples (Bacon, sausage, spam, etc), egg preference, and drink of choice.
BABY BACK RIBS (P220) AND NATIVE HOT CHOCOLATE (P100)
As my flight was during lunch time, coupled with the fact that I rode through Cebu’s intense rainy traffic, I arrived at the hotel at 3pm, completely ravenous. Its menu mostly was comprised of all-day breakfast food, pastas, and sandwiches. As I wanted something more filling, I opted for one of its few main dishes, its Baby Back Ribs. An order comes with a gigantic serving of ribs (which honestly can be shared by two people) drizzled with a delicious smoky barbecue sauce. Honestly, I don’t know if it was really delicious, or if I were just really hungry, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! The meat was tender but came with crispy edges which I savored. I also paired it with a cup of Native Hot Chocolate. I loved that it was semi-sweet, but it was too watered down for my liking.
Pillows Hotel Café
Date of Visit: November 25, 2017
