There’s No Place Like Doming’s Ngohiong

It has been five months since I last posted something on this blog, and a lot has happened since then. While I may have taken a long respite from writing, I was still able to visit some hole-in-the-wall places here in Cebu. One of those places is a small eatery in the downtown area offering one of the more familiar comfort food of Cebuanos, Doming’s Ngohiong.

Doming's Ngohiong in Colon

Accidental Discovery

I actually discovered the place by accident. One afternoon, I wanted to get out of the house and clear my head of things that were bothering me at that time. So, I got on the first jeepney that passed by my place. Apparently, it was a jeepney headed for downtown Cebu, which I only realized when it reached the Capitol area. Anyway, since it was going to the downtown area, I decided to go to the row of fruit stands close to Gaisano Metro Colon. After reaching the place, none of the fruits I wanted to buy were available. So, I started walking towards Carbon Market passing through Osmeña Boulevard. As I was walking along V. Gullas Street, something caught my nose as I passed by a small eatery.  Ngohiong! I took a step back and checked the sign of the eatery. Lo and behold, the sign said Doming’s Ngohiong. So, I immediately walked in and ordered their ngohiong.

Scrumptiously delicious ngohiong

Doming’s Ngohiong

The place is similar to many eateries in the downtown area, but a way bit cleaner. It was simple with their monobloc tables and chairs. People go to this place not for the ambiance but for the ngohiong. I was pleasantly surprised that they were more systematic in the way they handled the orders. In addition, you do not have to wait for long to get your order. A few minutes after I sat down (after taking some pictures, of course), my order was ready. I also noted that they accept bulk orders for their ngohiong since there were some employees packing some of the ngohiong inside a plastic bag. These were apparently going to be picked up by a customer.

People go to Doming's for thei ngohiong

Food

While I have not been to the original location of Doming’s Ngohiong for a very long while, their ngohong still tasted scrumptiously delicious. It was still the same crunchy ngohiong I first tasted way back in college. Paired with puso or hanging rice, it was a meal that can easily fill your stomach at a very reasonable price. Aside from the ngohiong, they also offer Manok Bisaya (native chicken), Liog (chicken neck), and Atay-Batikon (chicken liver and gizzard), among others.  

Still the same ngohiong I came to love since college

Price

The ngohiong of Doming’s Ngohiong is quite cheap at PHP7 each while their puso is priced at PHP3 each. So a PHP30 budget can get you three pieces of ngohiong and three pieces of puso, which is enough to get you by for a few hours. The Manok Bisaya is priced at PHP45 while the Atay-Batikon costs PHP15 each. Their Liog is also priced at PHP15 each. For the drinks, the Pepsi, 7-Up, and Mirinda cost PHP12 each while the Mountain Dew and Bottled Water are priced at PHP15 each. Even as the place is incredibly affordable, their products are exceptionally appetizing.

Incredibly Cheap Yet Delicious Food

Location

The downtown branch of Doming’s Ngohiong is located at the ground floor of the M. Gotianoy Building, which is along V. Gullas Street. It is several meters away from Osmeña Boulevard.

The place is easy to find

Getting There

You can get to the downtown location of Doming’s Ngohiong by getting on a jeepney headed for Colon. If the jeepney passes through Osmeña Boulevard on the way to the Basilica del Santo Nino de Cebu, you can get off at the corner of V. Gullas Street. This is the second street to the right after passing Gaisano Metro Colon.   If the jeepney will not pass through this way, you can get off close to Gaisano Metro Colon and simply walk to the place. Just make sure you get off at a jeepney stop unless you want to play tag with some traffic enforcers in the area.

The Ngohiong is best paired with Puso

Cebu may be known for being the home of the “best pig in the world” according to Anthony Bourdain, but the Queen City of the South has a lot more to offer than the Cebu lechon. One of these delectable dishes that Cebuanos have grown to love through the years is the ngohiong. And when you talk about ngohiong to a Cebuano, the first place that normally pops into his or her head is Doming’s Ngohiong.

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

Have A Taste Of Something Special At Monbis Halo-Halo

The halo-halo is the most popular Filipino dessert made from ice shavings, boiled sweetened beans, evaporated milk, different fruits, and gulaman. It is called halo-halo since you basically make “halo” or mix the ingredients used on the dish. Well, Cebu has a number of halo-halo places, ranging from your friendly neighborhood carenderia-cum-dessert place to big-name fast food restaurants located in major malls in the city. But, there are also some halo-halo places that have attracted the attention of locals and piqued the interest of visitors. One of these places is Monbis Halo-Halo in Tisa, Cebu City.

The Halo-Halo at Monbis

Monbis Halo-Halo

Monbis Halo-Halo is a hole-in-the-wall halo-halo place that has caught the interest of residents of Barangay Tisa. The place actually started out as your run-of-the-mill restaurant along Katipunan Street, Cebu City. Their halo-halo was just one of the items on their menu, which included beef stroganoff and siomai as well as sizzling dishes.

Rain or Shine, People Still Flock to Monbis Halo-Halo

But, as things would have it, the halo-halo was a runaway success as most of their customers ordered this popular Filipino dessert. The owners, Edmon and Bambi, decided to focus on offering halo-halo instead. And thus, Monbis Halo-Halo was born. The name of the store is a combination of the names of the owners. They just added a letter “s” at the end to make it sound good.

The Sign Leading to Something Good

Edmon is hands-on when it comes to making the halo-halo. You can see him at the store supervising or even assembling the halo-halo itself. On the other hand, Bambi takes care of cashiering duties at the store. They already have two branches of the store and both are located along the same road. Despite the close proximity of the two stores, they still attract customers like ants to sugar.

Halo-Halo Assembled and Ready to be Served

When I went to the place with a couple of friends, it was actually drizzling. But, after arriving at Monbis Halo-Halo, the place was teeming with people. Some were even standing waiting for a table to become vacant.  To keep things organized, they used priority numbers based on the orders of their customers.

Now Serving

The Halo-Halo

Now, let’s talk about the halo-halo of Monbis Halo-Halo. They only serve one type of halo-halo, the halo-halo special. And special it is. The ice they use on the dessert features fine granules that when mixed has a similar consistency as ice cream. In addition, they also add a number of real fruits, including jackfruit, mango, and bananas. Add the scoop of ice cream and crushed Graham crackers and topped with a good amount of Hershey’s choco syrup, the dish is definitely pleasing to the eyes. The whole dish also has a colorful wafer stick to complete the presentation.

My Halo-Halo Waiting to be Devoured

You can also try making your own halo-halo at home. Just make sure you have a good ice shaver to make the shaved ice. You can try this Kyowa KW-5100 Electric Ice Shaver or the heavy duty SS-11 Ice Cube Shaver. Then make sure you have all the other ingredients you can use to make your own version of the halo-halo.

The Kyowa Electric Ice Shaver

The Price

The halo-halo offered at Monbis Halo-Halo is priced at PHP75, which is rather reasonable since it has a good amount of ingredients on it. In addition, you will likely want to have more of it after consuming one serving.

Have You Tasted the Halo-Halo at Monbis Already?

The Location

We were only able to visit the second branch of Monbis Halo-Halo, which is located along Katipunan Street, Tisa, Cebu City. The first branch is located on the same street around a kilometer or two down the road.

Monbis Halo-Halo

Getting There

Getting to Monbis Halo-Halo is as easy as getting on a jeepney passing through Katipunan Street. Just look for the colorful sign of the place on the right side of the road. If you are coming from Ayala, you can get on a jeepney marked 12L and tell the driver or conductor that you want to get off at Monbis Halo-Halo. If you are taking a taxi to the place, just tell the driver you want to go to Monbis Halo-Halo. If the driver is unsure of its location, tell him to pass through Katipunan Street and simply look for a big crowd of people waiting for their orders or look for the sign on the right side of the road.

Look for the Crowd of People at Monbis Halo-Halo

Monbis Halo-Halo will be a fitting place for you to end the day after tasting the pochero at Gate 5 Pochero House or the chicken at the King of Chicken. It is just one of the many places in Tisa where you can find great-tasting dishes at a reasonable price. This hole-in-the-wall dessert place will definitely be on your list if you want to try the best halo-halo in town.

More Halo-Halo Waiting to be Served

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

Things Never Go South At 21 South Burger

We all have our comfort food. Some like pizza while others love chicken. There are also those who love burgers. For me, I love all three, so whenever a new hole-in-the-wall place opens up offering any of these three items, I’ll find myself checking it out. A good friend of mine who lives in the Plisant . . . um . . . Pleasant Homes Subdivision gave me a heads-up on a new burger place that opened up near his place. 

21 South Burger

21 South Burger

The name of the place is 21 South Burger. My friend already gave me some details about the place. He said their patties were all home-made along with their buns. So, one slightly cloudy afternoon, I went to the place to see if it lived up to the hype.

Bacon Mushroom Burger With Parmesan Fries

When I went there, there were some students from my alma mater enjoying their burgers. The place is actually close to the school where I graduated from high school a long, long time ago. I proceeded to order their Bacon Mushroom Burger and a drink. While waiting for the burger to be cooked and assembled, I took pictures of the place. 

21 South Burger

I looked for the owner, but he was not there at that time. So, I talked with his brother instead. 21 South Burger actually opened last February, and it is slowly making a name for itself among the people living in the area. In fact, when I went to 21 South Burger there was another customer who was curious about it since she passes the place every day.

Dining area at 21 South Burger

The Food

They make their own patties, which is one of the reasons why their burgers are full of flavor. The Bacon Mushroom Burger I ordered consisted of a huge beef patty, their in-house sauce, cheddar cheese, lettuce, bacon and mushroom. All of these were assembled in between their home-made toasted buns.

Bacon Mushroom Burger with Parmesan Fries and Drink

A closer view of the Bacon Mushroom Burger

I loved their Bacon Mushroom Burger, but it would have been better if the bacon was crunchy. Despite this, the meat was very juicy. It was so juicy that I would likely come back here to try the other burgers on their menu. The fries were also crunchy and not like the ones you get at a fast food restaurant that would sometimes become soggy. I also liked the parmesan cheese they sprinkled on the fries.  In fact, I would have wanted more of the parmesan cheese on the fries. 

All the Burgers come with a side of Parmesan Fries

Parmesan Fires at 21 South Burger

You can actually make your own burgers at home if you have the right ingredients and equipment. A good grill like the Electric Barbecue Grill Outdoor BBQ or the Portable Charcoal Outdoor Barbecue Grill will allow you to charbroil burgers in your own back yard. 

You can try making your own burger at home using an outdoor grill

The Price

The price of the burgers at 21 South Burger is quite reasonable since the burger itself is bigger than the ones you find in a fast food restaurant. Their Classic Chicken Burger and Classic South Burger are priced at PHP99 each. The Bacon Mushroom Burger is priced at PHP129 while the Double Double Burger costs PHP149. The Beast is priced at PHP179. All orders already include a side of Parmesan Fries. Their drinks are all priced at PHP12 each.

The Prices are quite Reasonable

The Location

21 South Burger is located along E. Sabellano Street, Punta Princesa, Cebu City. This is the road on the left side of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes or popularly called Lourdes Church. It is quite accessible, but the place only offers street parking. So, if you are bringing a car, just make sure to park it properly since the road can get congested at around 4:00 PM or 5:00 PM. 21 South Burger is open from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM every day. 

21 South Burger is located close to Pleasant Homes Subdivision

Getting To 21 South Burger

It’s actually quite easy to find the place if you are familiar with Punta Princesa or Lourdes Church. You just have to ride a jeepney that passes through the intersection next to the church. From Ayala Center Cebu, just hop on a jeepney marked 12L and tell the driver to let you off at Punta. The fare would be PHP9 from Ayala Center Cebu to Punta Princesa. After getting off, you have the option of riding a tricycle or a motorcycle for hire. You can also walk since 21 South Burger is around 10 to 15 minutes away on a leisurely walk. The place is on the right side of the road, just before you reach the entrance of Pleasant Homes Subdivision. If you are not familiar with the area, tell the tricycle or motorcycle for hire driver to let you off close to the entrance of the subdivision. 

21 South Burger

If you want great-tasting burgers at a reasonable price, 21 South Burger is definitely the place to go to if you live in the southern part of the city. Residents of Pleasant Homes Subdivision are lucky to have a great burger place close to where they live.  Now, if someone would be so kind enough to open a new hole-in-the-wall place offering chicken, pizza, and burger in the city. That would be manna from heaven for me. Plus, offering San Mig Light would definitely make everything perfect. 

Dining nook at 21 South Burger

Can't Get Enough of the Bacon Mushroom Burger . . .

. . . or their Parmesan Fries

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

Eat Like A Local At The Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente

Cebuanos always look for the best value for their money.  This is true for nearly everything Cebuanos buy. Due to this, some big brands in the country consider Cebu as a test market for some of their products. As they say, “if you make it in Cebu, you’ll make it in the big city up north.” Well, this habit of getting the best value for their money is epitomized in some of the food offerings in the city. 

Pungko-Pungko

For instance, the city has numerous pungko-pungko stalls all over the city. You can see them in places where people usually converge, near schools, BPO companies, and other similar places. There is one place in the city where pungko-pungko vendors have converged to give Cebuanos a place to go if they feel famished, but do not want to spend too much for food. The place . . . Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente.

Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente

Pungko-Pungko

The word “pungko” is a Cebuano word that means “to squat.” Way back in college, we used to frequent a pungko-pungko place across UP Cebu. During that time, your PHP20 can go a long way. In fact, you can have lunch for PHP20. The pungko-pungko vendor at the place became or go-to guy whenever we felt hungry and our allowances did not arrive yet. 

Pungko-Pungko Food 

We used to “pungko” in front of the basket and pick what we wanted to eat. Everything is based on honesty since the vendor would be unable to keep track of what we ate. We once asked the vendor if there were any instances when his customers would shortchange him. He said it does happen, but not all the time. At the end of the day he would still take home something for his family.  The pungko-pungko is so popular in Cebu that someone came up with an idea to deliver pungko-pungko in a box. The items inside the box are the same ones you can find inside the basket of your friendly neighborhood pungko-pungko vendor. 

Pungko-Pungko Food with Puso

Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente

Well, going back to the Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente, the place is essentially a place where different pungko-pungko vendors would have a table to put their container full of fried goodies. It is actually a more organized way of selling the goodies offered by a pungko-pungko vendor. It benefits both the vendors and their customers. For the vendors, they do not have to lug around their wares everywhere just to make a sale. All they have to do is bring it to the place. For the customers, they already know where to go if they start to hear their stomachs growling and payday is still a long way off. 

Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente

You cannot expect the place to have a similar ambiance of the fast food restaurant close to the place. But, it was good enough for me. In fact, it was not quite crowded when I went there.  There were some vendors who already have their “sukis” or regulars who normally go to the place nearly every day. There were also some vendors who appeared to be new to the place. Before I sat down to eat, I took some pictures of the place. I later settled at the table of a vendor who was busy cutting puso. 

Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente

While each vendor had his or her own container of food, the soft drinks seemed to come from a single source (probably the owner of the place). When you sit down, you are given a container with sliced onions and red or green pepper. The puso is also placed around the food container in front of you, so all you have to do is get one to pair off with your food.

Fried Food Container at Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente

The Food and Prices 

The food selection is wide. But, all of them are fried food, so take it easy if you have issues with hypertension. You can eat the lumpia mubo, lumpia taas, ginabot, or pork chop. All the vendors offer basically the same items, so you can simply look for a seat at the place. 

Fried Food Party

While the prices of the pungko-pungko items were considerably higher than when I was still in college, it is still considered a budget meal. You can actually get full with a PHP50 budget.  The prices range from PHP4 for the lumpia mubo up to PHP30 for the pork chop.  The puso is priced at PHP3 each while their soft drinks are priced at PHP15 each. 

Ginabot Galore

The Location

Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente is located along J. Llorente Street, Cebu City. It is the street behind JRG building, which houses the Sampaguita Suites. Its location makes it an ideal place for people working in the area to eat. While most of the customers at the place are employees of nearby offices, there are also some BPO employees who venture to the place even though it is rather out of the way from the place where they work. Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente is open from 6:00 AM up to 10:00 PM every day. 

Literal Hanging Rice

Getting There

If you are coming from the Lahug or Apas area, you can ride on a jeepney marked 04B, 04C, 04D, 17B, 17C, or 17D. For the jeepneys passing through General Maxilom Ave or 04C and 17C, you can get off at the jeepney stop close to National Bookstore. From the jeepney stop, you can walk along Juana Osmeña Street up to the first corner on the left side and simply follow the road. The place is located a few meters from the first bend along the right side of the road. For jeepneys passing through the Cebu Provincial Capitol, you can get off at the jeepney stop in front of the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum. You should cross the street towards Anita’s Bakeshop and walk along J. Llorente Steet. The place is located after the next bend to the right on the left side of the road. 

Punko-Pungko sa Fuente

You can actually cook the same fried items offered by pungko-pungko vendors. All you have to do is to get a suitable gas or butane range like the Camping Butane Gas Stove or the Double Burner Gas Stove and buy the ingredients in a supermarket or the public market. But, nothing actually beats the “ambiance” and experience of eating while squatting on a small bench with the goodies right in front of you.

You Can Cook Your Own Pungko-Pungko Food Items at Home

The Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente is just one of the innovations on this food concept in the Queen City of the South. It has also become one of the go-to-places for people who want to eat on a budget. In fact, it is also one of the places where visitors of the Queen City of the South would go to just to experience eating at a pungko-pungko place.

Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente

Would you have any other hole-in-the-wall places in Cebu I can feature on the blog? Tell me about it on the comments section below.

Hanging Rice

Word of Caution: the food items offered at the Pungko-Pungko sa Fuente are all fried. So, if you have an issue with high blood or hypertension, it may be advisable to eat in moderation. 

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

Once Upon A Time At Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

Have you ever eaten in a Chinese restaurant that does not only offer authentic Chinese food, but it also makes you feel like you’re not in the Queen City of the South anymore? Well, that’s what I felt when I first visited a small hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant in the downtown area.

Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

Mingnan Chinese Cuisine is a small restaurant offering authentic Chinese food. While the place looked like any other eatery in the downtown area with minimal decorations, when I first visited the place I felt like I was not in Cebu anymore. Probably because of the elderly Chinese gentleman reading what appeared to be a Chinese newspaper as well as the television showing a Chinese news channel.  The lady manning the counter was also Chinese who did not speak Cebuano or English. According to the food servers, if I needed to ask or tell her something, they will translate it for me.

Inside Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

The Place

During my first visit at Mingnan Chinese Cuisine, there was one other customer who was waiting for her takeout order. Mingnan Chinese Cuisine is rather cozy with two large round tables and two small rectangle-shaped tables. Decorations were minimal and you would not think it was a Chinese restaurant if they sold other types of dishes. The food is displayed on a counter similar to the ones you find in stalls at the food court of the malls in the city. 

Food On Display At Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

It has that school canteen feel, especially when the place is full. People would share the tables. Mingnan has three small rectangular tables that can seat four people and two large round tables that can probably seat eight to ten people. I’m not really sure if they have more seats on the second floor. But, I will not be surprised since the place is rather popular since they offer great-tasting food at a very reasonable price. And, oh, the place is air-conditioned. So, it will be a welcome respite from the heat if you eat at the Mingnan Chinese Cuisine for lunch.  The Plaridel Extension branch is open from 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM from Monday to Saturday. The place is closed on Sundays.

Reasonably-Priced Food At Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

The Food

I actually visited the place thrice. The first time was sometime in February 2016 and the second time was during the Sinulog sa Barangay street parade in January 2017. In the first two visits, I ordered food displayed at the counter. On my third visit, I tried their dumplings. 

Two Viands And One Rice At PHP50

While the food was cheap, the taste wasn’t. Even as I cannot say I am a food connoisseur, I did like their food. In fact, a lot of people will likely agree with me. During my first visit, there was only one other customer since they were already about to close. On my second visit, the place was full. In fact, I shared a table with a couple of other customers. 

Love The Food At Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

You can choose to get two meat-based viands or two vegetable-based viands from the display counter. It is all up to you. Aside from the items on the counter, you can also order dumplings and lomi from the food servers. The dumplings and lomi are prepared upon order. You have to ask if these items are available since they do not have a menu board at the place. Each plate has ten pieces of dumplings, which are rather tasty. I didn’t get to order the lomi so I have no idea how it tasted.  But, if the taste is based on the other food items I tried, I’m guessing the lomi is also good.

Dumplings At Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

The meals of two viands and one cup of rice are priced at PHP50, which is very cheap considering you are eating at a Chinese restaurant. The dumplings cost PHP80 per plate. The servings of each dumpling may be big enough for three to four people. The lomi is priced at PHP50 while their soft drink is priced at PHP15.

A Closer Look At The Dumplings

The Location 

Mingnan Chinese Cuisine actually has two branches. The first branch is along Plaridel Extension. It is a small road close to the Basilica del Sto. Niño.  The second branch of the restaurant is located along General Maxilom Ave. It is at the ground floor of the building right in front of National Bookstore. The Plaridel Extension branch is a cafeteria-style restaurant where you order food displayed on the counter. On the other hand, the Mango Avenue branch is a regular restaurant where a waiter or waitress will take your order.

More Dumplings Coming Your Way

Getting To Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

To get to the original location or the Plaridel Extension branch of Mingnan Chinese Cuisine, you should get on a jeepney passing through Osmeña Boulevard.  When the jeepney reaches Basilica del Sto. Niño, you already went past the place. So, you have to get off and backtrack. Your landmark is the Ranola Motor Company or RMC building. Once you see the building, get off the jeepney. Mingnan Chinese Cuisine is on the left side of this side street.

The Food Is The Best Motivation To Go To The Place

One thing to remember is that you should make sure the jeepney you are riding does not take a right turn towards the Carbon Market area after it reaches the intersection fronting Metro Gaisano. If it does, then you have to either get on another jeepney or you can take a walk along the downtown area. You actually will not get bored while walking since you have a lot to see along the road. You might even get side-tracked by the cheap items sold by vendors in the area. If you have to walk, go along Osmeña Boulevard until you reach the building where RMC is located. 

Check Out Some Of The Food Waiting For You

The Plaridel Extension branch of Mingnan Chinese Cuisine has actually been operating for some time already. But, there are still some people who have no idea it existed until the Mango Avenue branch opened. If you ever get to crave for authentic Chinese food at a very reasonable price, you can check out this hole-in-the-wall place along Plaridel Extension. 

Another View Of Their tasty Dumplings

Know anywhere else we can eat great-tasting food at a reasonable price? Hit me up on the comments section below.

Love The Dumplings At Mingnan Chinese Cuisine

Note: Prices may change without prior notice.

Dumpling Love At Mingnan Chinese Cuisine