BY IRIS SASING (Cebu City)
Barbequed, broiled, roasted, kebab, satay, yakitori -- whatever you might call it, grilled food always has been among the favorite dishes that transcend cultural boundaries. Owing to the lack of utensils in ancient times, grilling over an open fire was probably the original method for cooking meat. It can be as simple as putting a piece of meat, seafood, or a vegetable over a fire, whether it is plain, marinated, skewered, or wrapped in foil or plant leaves.
Grilled food has always been associated with fun, relaxation, and the outdoors. Whenever I go on a picnic or have fun at the beach, barbecues, roasted chicken, or pork is never absent from the food list. Aside from the convenience it affords us, the smoked aroma and the wonderful taste of marinade and meat have won the hearts people all over the world, especially Pinoys.
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Cebu’s Neo Neo Crew | | In Cebu, a place known for simplicity in food preparation, grilling is one of the favorite methods for cooking food. Al fresco sugbahans have dominated the Cebu restaurant industry for years and proliferate around the metropolis.
On A.S. Fortuna Street, in Mandaue, there are at least 10 good places that cater to the grill aficionados of Cebu. Years ago, it was only Junjun & Malou’s and Matias that dominated the barbecue scene. These days, bigger restaurants with expanded menus abound.
Among my favorites is AA BBQ, which easily satisfies my food whims and offers more than just plain barbecue. With a wide variety of fresh seafood choices, I can ask AA BBQ to cook my food choices exactly the way I want them. Among my favorites is grilled boneless bangus. Wrapped in foil and stuffed with sliced tomatoes and onions, the wonderful mélange of spices and fish permeates my nostrils every time I open the foil wrapping.
When my stomach cannot wait, I usually order the ready-cooked fare, like the steamed lapu-lapu or the tinolang native chicken. The soy-spice sauce concoction melds perfectly with the juicy lapu-lapu meat—the taste bursts in your mouth and revitalizes the body. I can understand why the Chinese believe that this particular dish has medicinal properties.
There is no better tinola than the kind that uses native chicken. This tinola dish always reminds me of my childhood because my mother used to prepare this dish with exceptional skill whenever the occasion—birthdays, parties, and so on—called for it. I remember how she cooked the chicken to tenderness with green papaya, some malunggay leaves, and lemon grass. It has always been comfort food for me.
When you go to AA BBQ, always order the baked scallops. The melted cheese, butter, and garlic on top of the meat transform the dish and give you a taste of heaven. A tall glass of cold, frothy, iced tea is a perfect ‘finisher’ and complements this dish very well.
One of the good things about AA BBQ is that when you are quoted a price at the seafood and meat counter for whatever dish you order, regardless of how you want the dish cooked, the price is always fixed and there are no hidden charges for food preparation unlike, say, at Sutukil in Mactan. You can ask them to grill, boil, fry, or steam your choice of meat or seafood.
Other Grill favorites
I really love the grilled pork belly paired with Bicol Express at Neo Neo. Their condiment of soy sauce, diced tomatoes, and lemon juice gives just enough tanginess to the meat strips. With its extra-crispy vegetables and spice, the Bicol Express provides the heat that will compel you to stuff more rice and meat into your mouth to cool your burning tongue. Neo Neo also offers Singaporean and Japanese dishes for the growing number of foreigners who frequently visit them.
When I feel like eating barbecue with ngoyong, I always go to Cheaverz. They have one of the best ngoyongs in town, with chili sauce that’s extra hot.
For good grilled tuna belly, I prefer to sit in the sprawling garden setting of Kaona Grill. Their sizzling kangkong guisado topped with fried garlic is also one of my favorite dishes.
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