Cebu Restaurants Guide for the Adventurous

Exploring Cebu’s culinary culture will bring you to various Cebuano local cuisine and delicacy that are indigenous to Cebu only. Some of these foods are authentic recipes that you will not find anywhere in the Philippines. Over the years, Cebu’s food variations have dramatically changed. Traditional local cuisines are transformed into something modern, which makes it more interesting especially to tourist.

To begin with, Seafood is one of the prides of the Cebuano. Oyster Bay, sutukil in mactan bay, and Golden cowrie offers some of the best tasting seafood recipes in Cebu. From grilled to sautéed way of cooking, these restaurants offer a wide variety of fish and seafood that is local to Cebu. Excite your taste buds with great tasting seafood experience in Cebu. Next stop is Cebu’s crispy lechon. Some tourist find it unusual to see whole roasted pig chopped into pieces. For this reason, tourist will really like to grab a taste of Cebu’s lechon. Lechon can be ordered at some restaurants in Cebu like Zubu Chon, Mila’s lechon, and CNT. However, when you walk around the city, you can find lechon stalls scattered everywhere. Next on our list is Cebu’s lanchow or cow’s testicle stew. For some, this is not your average side dish however; many tourists find this dish interesting. Although there are no restaurants offering this meal, lanchow can be found on the streets of Cebu and Mactan. Just make sure that you have an iron stomach in order to devour that first spoon of that exotic cebuano food.

For those who really want more, top foods for the adventurous are kwek-kwek or buttered quail’s egg and local tempura is another afternoon favorite among Cebuanos. Dip it on its sweet and spicy sauce and you get yourself a good afternoon snack that will satisfy your cravings.

To get a complete listing of Cebu’s restaurants, just visit foodpick’s website at www.foodpick.me.

Five Quick Foods for People on The Go

Filipinos are known to be hardworking. They work for more than eight hours a day, which means that they are always on the rush to work and not consider taking in any food before they start their day. Since most people today who goes to the office miss eating breakfast and consider fast foods as their on the go food. This eating guide focuses on helping people fix that unhealthy habit, we have made this top food for busy people that are not only delicious but also healthy.

1. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich - Who does not recognize this famous PB and J combo. If you think this on the go food is just for kids, think again. Peanut butter is packed with good fats and calories to avoid mid-day cravings. The jelly on the other hand add more flavor and nutrients to the sandwich. For a more healthy meal fix, choose whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter and jelly. Preparing this meal will only take 4-6 minutes.

2. Egg Sandwich - This easy to make sandwich is perfect for those who does not have any skill in cooking. Just mix a tablespoon of mayonnaise with mashed boiled egg and you got yourself some great sandwich filling that is packed with good fats and protein. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and this meal will satisfy you until lunch.

3. Silog Express - Silog or also known as fried rice and any fried viande may sound unhealthy but using canola oil will be a great alternative. “Silog” is one famous FIlipino food because it is easy to make and prepare. Since everything is fried, there is no need to be specific in adding other ingredients. Prep time for cooking Silog would be around 10-15 mins if everything is prepared the night before.

4. Oatmeals - We all know that Filipinos are not used to eating oat meals in the morning. However, if you try to look into its advantage, eating oat meals would just be very healthy and time saving for people on the go. Prep time for oatmeal is around 5 minutes. Add some milk and cinnamon to enhance the flavor.

5. Fruits - This may not make you feel full but eating fruits like apple, banana or berries will provide enough energy to fuel up your day. Store some fruits on your refrigerator and grab some fruits before you leave your house.

Let Foodpick Tell You the Restaurant’s Best seller

Sometimes, dining at a restaurant and looking at their menu can be a bit confusing. With the wide variety of tasty food to choose from, knowing what to order is a big challenge especially if you are not familiar with the restaurant’s menu. Basically, there are two ways to order. It's either you select a food from the menu that you are familiar with or you can ask the waiter for their best seller. However, this can be difficult to achieve since every waiter might give different answers to your question.

At foodpick we made things easier for every restaurant customer to select a good food from the menu. We created a one-of-a-kind feature in our SMS database that will surely provide interesting results once requested. Food pick extends its service not just by providing great restaurant picks but also a restaurant’s best seller. No need to ask any restaurant crew on what’s their best seller. With our new SMS feature, you can determine the restaurant's best seller just by texting BEST then send to 09173108200. You will then receive text message stating an eating guide on a restaurant’s best selling foods ranging from appetizers, desserts, drinks up to their main dish So, next time you ask yourself about where to eat dinner or lunch, reserve through FOODPICK and enjoy some of our SMS features.

Healthy Way to Sweeten

Admit it. Most, if not all, of us want at least more sugar in our coffee and other drinks. Although sugar can make our food and drinks taste good, too much intake can also be detrimental to our health. The following are some healthy sugar alternatives that you can opt for.

1. Agave nectar/syrup. This is derived from a desert-dwelling plant. You can easily find this syrup at supermarkets. They are also best for tea and coffee. They also don’t have much effect on your sugar level. However, they are sweeter than sugar so you have to use less agave for your drinks.

2. Xylitol. This is a natural sweetener and is mostly in chewing gums. It’s a sugar alcohol that can be found in fibers of vegetables and fruits. Xylitol is low in glycemic index and only has a few calories which make it a good sugar substitute for those with diabetes.

3. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener that is a good alternative for refined sugar. It helps in balancing cholesterol and is rich in manganese and zinc. However, it is high in glycemic
index which can be a no-no for diabetics. There’s also the distinct maple syrup taste and flavor that limits use.

4.  Stevia. It is an ideal sugar alternative that is 300 times as sweet as the table sugar but is really low in glycemic index. It also has zero calories and may help in lowering blood sugar levels. This explains why a number of diabetics already prefer this sweetener.

5. Raw honey. Unprocessed honey is rich in amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and carbohydrates. Processed ones, however, are already strip of these needed nutrients. Certain types of honey like orange blossom honey and red clover honey are also low in glycemic index. Make sure that you always check and read the labels and description when shopping.

You don’t need to give up on your sweets just to lead a healthy lifestyle. Just make sure that you consume sugar-rich food moderately and you always check the sugar levels beforehand.

Top Foods That You will Expect to get Allergies

An allergy is an overdrive response of your immune system against unfamiliar invaders even if it is not a threat. Ideally, the onset of food allergies occurs during childhood and subsequently disappears as they grow. However, there are instances that adults experience allergy later in life. One theory that explains adult-onset allergy is the hygiene hypothesis. This states that living on a very hygienic environment increases your system's allergic response because it inhibits the normal function of the immune system.

There are many types of allergen such as dust, mites, latex, animal hair and medication. However, the worst type of allergy that one can have is food allergy. This does not mean that food causes severe allergic response but having food allergies prevents one from enjoying the pleasure of food. The good thing is, not all foods cause allergies. However, there are some that are known to cause allergies.

1. In this allergy food guide, peanuts top our list as the most common food that causes allergies to some. Basically, the allergen in peanut is its protein content. Pecan, pistachios, walnuts, pine nuts and other seeds such as sesame and poppy has the same protein content as peanuts.

2. Eggs rank second as the most common cause of food-related allergy because of the protein content from the white part of the egg. If you are allergic to eggs, you might also avoid mayonnaise, dairy products, milk and other foods that contain egg.

3. Sea foods and other shellfish are iodine-related allergies and are very common to adults. People who are allergic to iodine should avoid eating sea foods because they contain high levels of iodine. Furthermore, if you are to undergo any diagnostic procedure that requires the iodine dye to be injected, make sure to inform the physician immediately.

4. Soy allergy is commonly seen among young children and newborns. Make sure to read labels if you are allergic to soy because some foods like bread, pastry, canned goods and a cookie snacks contains soy flour.

5. BRROW(barely, rice, rye, oats, wheat) allergy can occur to children or adults and is associated with the gluten content of these foods. However, there are already gluten-free foods in the market for individuals who cannot tolerate gluten in their diet.

According to the experts, there are approximately over 120 types of foods that can cause allergy. However, only a few are presented to the public because some foods are uncommon or are not always served in the table.

Restaurants in Cebu City

Dining experience in Cebu is never lonely or dreary. There are a lot of different restaurants in Cebu that offer different cuisines.

If you want to try Cebuano and Filipino cuisine, then Golden Cowrie is where you should be. They have a lot in store when it comes to these dishes. This is a good restaurant when you’re with a big group, like with your friends or family.

There are a lot of restaurants in Cebu City that are offering Chinese food, so you’ll never be out of Chinese dishes here. You can try Harbor City, which is located both in Ayala and SM. There’s also Choi City in Banilad Town Center.

Go to Siam Thai Cuisine in Ayala Center Cebu when you’re craving for Thai food. They are also reasonably priced and serve dishes that are good for two or three persons. Their interior is really interesting and creative.

If you’re looking for some modern Japanese food, then head on to Red Kimono at Ayala. They specialize in creating new takes when it comes to sushi dishes, which makes dining even interesting. They also have a great and modern ambiance that will appeal to a lot of guests.

There are still more restaurants in Cebu City that you can try out. You just have to be a bit adventurous and go out of your comfort zone so you can try new things.

Food Guide: Philippine fruit, what’s in Season?

Philippine fruits are exported all over the world because of their wide range of variety that comes year round or depending on the season. If tourist wants to get to taste Philippine fruits, they need a reliable foodguide on local fruits found in the Philippines. Basically, in order to taste every Philippine fruit, one must stay in the Philippines from January to December. Another alternative is to grab some dried fruit delicacy that is commonly brought as gifts. However, nothing beats the taste of fresh fruits. For tourists planning to travel to the Philippines and taste some of the fruits that are native to the country, it is best to know what months are these fruits are abundant.