Three towns, one hungry afternoon. Kara Mae Noveda travels to northern Cebu for a gastronomic adventure.

RESTAURANT DINING IS finally back! But when you’re up against a hungry crowd in a city where the waitlist and number of reservations-only establishments grow longer, getting away from the busyness of Cebu City is the　more palatable option. Consolacion, Lilo-an, and Compostela — three northern municipalities on the outskirts of town but actually still part of Metro Cebu are not that far away, if you’re up for a road and food trip. These quieter towns are also becoming the preferred residential grounds for many families.

With a reliable network of buses, jeepneys and taxis, travelling north couldn’t be easier.

FIRST STOP:

Seafood Lunch in Consolacion Just an hour away from Cebu City, and even less if coming from Mandaue or Lapu-Lapu City, is Consolacion. A first-class municipality pushing for cityhood, Consolacion has shed off its former small-town exterior and is poised for big change.

Government offices have been revamped while vacant lots have made way for large shopping and dining complexes. The presence of popular food chains is usually a good indicator of how well towns are doing but it’s always a comfort to see old neighborhood restaurants still keeping its crowd. People say you can always find the best food in town by going where the locals go. In Consolacion, it’s Co Jordan Talaba and Bangus Eatery—a much-loved outdoor seafood restaurant. Not all too difficult to locate, this eatery is found by turning right before one reaches the Pitogo bridge and heading towards the direction of Barangay Tayud until you come to a cluster of huts where many vehicles are parked. This popular eatery never fails to deliver in terms of taste and freshness. As their front signage shows, Co Jordan’s main specialties are talaba (oysters) and bangus (milkfish). An assortment of the freshest catch-of-the-day items are also on the menu which includes favorite fish such as katambak (snapper), mamsa (caranx), and tanguige (Spanish mackerel).

Built on stilts with its own fishing lagoon, this family seafood restaurant also provides fishing rods and bait to allow diners to have some fun by trying to catch their own bangus. The lucky ones can bring home the fish they’ve caught or have it cooked right there. Large groups or those who prefer not to dine in the main restaurant may book a private cottage, at an additional charge. 

SECOND STOP:

Café Break in Lilo-an

After Consolacion comes the seaside town of Lilo-an. Taking its name from lilo, the Cebuano term for whirlpool, Lilo-an simply means a place where there are whirlpools. You can actually go lilo-spotting from Silot Bridge where on a clear day happy children are seen jumping from the bridge into the cool waters below. Swimmers are cautioned not to go beyond a certain point where waters from Silot Bay flow into the Camotes Sea causing their opposing currents to create a whirlpool. A landmark in Lilo-an is its historic lighthouse at Bagacay Point which still serves Cebu for marine navigation. The centuries-old tower that was built during the Spanish period was replaced with a 72-feet tall lighthouse commissioned by the first American Governor General of the Philippines William Howard Taft in 1904. Both structures are now attractions for visitors. However, Lilo-an is best known for its rosquillos, or cookies shaped into a rosca, ring in Spanish. An original recipe of Margarita Titay Frasco, Titay’s Rosquillos has become so popular and has a spot on the map that its name is almost synonymous with the town itself. The Titay’s brand, now over a hundred years old, is still a family-run enterprise which has expanded to include many other baked products. Its bakeshop and store with its homemade delicacies is a busy stopover point for northbound bus commuters and visitors. These cookies are celebrated in the Rosquillos Festival held every May.

Sweet local delicacies and landmarks aside, Lilo-an has a bustling public market and outdoor food parks that are teeming with lechon baboy and manok, roasted pig and chicken, a Filipino staple at picnics. The quieter pocket park and café that is fast becoming a favorite among cyclists, pet-owners, and families is the Ceferino Park Café in Barangay Jubay. Open as early as 6 am until it closes at 10 pm, curated corners dotting the café’s garden are considerations for your Instagram feed. It does not hurt to add that snacks and even rice meals here are just a little north of P200. 

FINAL STOP: 

Ramen Dinner in Compostela 

The scenic coastal drive continues towards the next and last stop of this easy food trip itinerary, Compostela. More than 20 kilometers from Cebu City, this beach resort town has a calmer foot and road traffic than the two earlier stops. Compostela’s other charms are not apparent from the highway as its hilly landscape is a good distance from the main road. A quiet trek to the secluded 200-hectare development of Q Park brings you to an imposing 44-foot high Virgin Mary statue in Barangay Buluang. A little further away is Paradise Hills Mountain Resort.

Having had your fill of seafood grub and snacks from the previous towns, perhaps keeping it light for an early dinner is a good idea. A surprising find in this coastal town is a ramen shop. Shizen Ramen, unlike the intimate 10-seaters in Japan, sits on a sprawling property that overlooks a lily-adorned freshwater pond.

Shizen is Japanese for nature, making it a fitting name for this relaxed open air restaurant with a view. Ramen lovers will swoon over Shizen’s four kinds of ramen. A serving of this rich noodle soup with umami flavors fetches for less than P300 a bowl. Their menu also includes sushi, agemono (deep fried specialties like karaage and tonkatsu), and teppanyaki. This place brings the afternoon food tour to a perfect ending before you make your way back to the city. It is also the go-to venue for weddings and other exclusive events in the area so it would be best to check if the restaurant is open for dining before making the drive.

Queseo or kesong puti, white cheese in Filipino, is one of Compostela town’s local delicacies. Soft and smooth, the unaged white cheese is traditionally made from the unskimmed milk of carabao, our water buffalo. It makes a good pasalubong for family and friends or something to eat with bread on the ride back home.