Cebu City (Philippines)

Cebu City, Philippines, Philippines Summary, Southeast Asia Summary Leave a comment

Cebu City:

We arrived on the island of Cebu and used Cebu City across three separate visits primarily as our urban launchpad to the surrounding outer islands.  To be completely honest, we had absolutely zero itinerary planned for our time in the city itself.  As far as I could tell, Cebu City doesn’t offer a whole lot for the casual traveler.  The 30-minute taxi ride from Mactan Island Airport to the city center was pretty uneventful, and the place mostly looked like Manila’s little brother.

So, being the comfort-loving flashpackers that we are, we didn’t force it.  We basically holed ourselves up in the super comfortable, Western-style Radisson Blu Hotel.  We spent our days hitting the gym, lounging by the pool, and using the internet to research the insider scoop for our upcoming island hops.

Filipino Pork & Beef

While the city’s sightseeing left a lot to be desired, the culinary scene delivered.  We spent our stays feasting on three legendary Filipino national dishes: Bulalo, Lechon, and Sisig.

[The Big Doug Cebu City Culinary Rotation]
* Bulalo ──> Beef shanks & marrow bone broth (Traditional) OR mushroom gravy (Sizzling).
* Sisig  ──> Sizzling minced pig's head and liver seasoned with calamansi & chili.
* Lechon ──> Whole slow-roasted suckling pig with glass-shattering crispy skin.

First up is Bulalo.  The traditional version is a light, comforting soup made by boiling beef shanks and marrow bones for hours until the collagen and fat melt completely into a clear, rich broth.  But they also prepare it a second way: Sizzling Bulalo.  This was my personal favorite—it’s a twist on the classic that serves the tender beef on a piping hot iron platter, smothered in a rich, creamy mushroom gravy.

Then you have Sizzling Sisig, made from minced parts of a pig’s head and liver, tossed on a hot plate and perfectly seasoned with tart calamansi citrus and spicy chili peppers.

Putting the Cholesterol Watch on Pause

Cebu deeply loves its pork.  In fact, this place has to be the undisputed Lechon capital of the Philippines.  There appeared to be an outdoor stand carving up one of these roasted beauties on practically every single street corner.

Without a doubt, Lechon was my absolute favorite food item in the entire country, and CNT Lechon easily walked away with my top suckling pig award.  Now, make no mistake: Lechon is a real cholesterol killer.  This is especially true if you indulge in the extra-crispy, heavily artery-clogging skin that tastes so damn good.  Personally, I think passing on that crispy skin would be a real wimpy move—and frankly, very un-American.  So, I happily indulged and officially put my cholesterol watch on hold during our brief stints in Cebu City.

Barbie, on the other hand, found her own vice: deep-fried pork belly.  Talk about a supercharged artery-clogger on steroids!  I really didn’t want my heart to stop like right now, so I had to tap out and pass on Barbie’s ultra-crisp pig dish.  I value my life too much.

🍽️ The Cebu City Food List

When we actually ventured out of the hotel to eat, these were our go-to joints:

  • CNT Lechon: The champion. Unbelievably juicy meat and perfect crackling.
  • Zubuchon: Another major player in the Cebu Lechon game; highly consistent and clean.
  • Chika-an Sa Cebu: A fantastic spot to sit down for traditional, home-style Filipino comfort food like Sisig and Bulalo.

LOOSE STOOLS INDEX

  • Rating: 9 / 10

Never underestimate the power of checking into a high-end, Western-style hotel.  It can do absolute wonders for your plumbing.  Some hardcore backpackers might call staying at a place like the Radisson “cheating,” but I call it SSRT: Strategic Stool Recovery Time.  After weeks on the road, a little structural predictability is a beautiful thing.

Thru the Binocs

During our round-the-world journey, Barbie and I frequently find ourselves traveling alongside a vast network of budget backpackers who are grinding out the exact same Southeast Asian circuit as us.

These kids are on a super-tight leash, in many cases living on only $50 a day, all-in—sometimes even less.  Granted, given those brutal budget constraints, they are definitely not staying in highly comfortable places with plush beds and pool villas.  But despite their distinct lack of funds, they are essentially covering the same exact countries as us and walking away with incredibly similar, life-changing experiences.

I give them a massive amount of credit for making it happen with limited funds and seeing the world entirely on their own terms.  Through my interactions with these budget travelers, I’ve observed some deeply admirable traits.  They are overwhelmingly friendly, considerate, and entirely selfless.  They operate with a beautiful “we’re all in this together” mentality, actively looking out for one another whether they’re lifelong friends or total strangers.  The camaraderie is really cool to witness.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned from watching them is that money really doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of the travel world.  On the road, your true currency is simply who you are as a person.

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