I have had numerous fond memories of the pochero. The first time I tasted this well-loved Cebuano dish was when I was just a kid. Whenever our balikbayans grand-aunts and uncles pass by Cebu on their way to our hometown, we used to eat at the famous restaurant along Ramos Street serving pochero. There were also instances in college when me and my college buddies would go to the same place after a couple of bottles of our favorite brew. We would order the sizzling version of the pochero with plenty of rice to match.
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| Pochero at Gate 5 Pochero House |
The Place
Fast forward to the present, I first got acquainted with this hole-in-the-wall pochero place when I joined a couple of friends for breakfast. Initially, I thought it was just your run-of-the-mill eatery. But, lo and behold, the pochero at Gate 5 Pochero House was probably one of the best pochero dishes I’ve tasted so far.
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| Breaking the fast at Gate 5 Pochero House |
Gate 5 Pochero House counts many
BPO employees as their regular customer since it is located within walking distance of the Cebu IT Park. While it is popular among people working at the Cebu IT Park, it is relatively unknown to people living and working in other places in the city. In fact, when I posted the pictures of the place on my
Facebook Page, people started asking where the place is located.
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| Gate 5 Pochero House |
Why is it called Gate 5 Pochero House? Well, the address of the place is No. 5 La Guardia Street. So, go figure. It is a carenderia-style store where you pay as you order. The place is rather clean and their food servers are courteous.
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| Dining area of Gate 5 Pochero House |
Aside from offering food, the place also has a small karaoke room where you can sing your heart out. Since many of their customers are BPO employees, they open at 6:30 AM. They also close earlier compared to other restaurants at 8:30 PM. Gate 5 Pochero House is open from Monday to Saturday.
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| Pochero at Gate 5 Pochero House |
The Food
Gate 5 Pochero House is well-known for its pochero. In fact, it is one of the go-to places of BPO employees whenever they want to have some piping-hot pochero. This sinfully delicious dish readily plays with the taste buds of anyone lucky enough to find the place.
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| Pochero with Rice |
In addition to the pochero, the place also offers barbecued items, pork and chicken. Since the barbecue is on the sweet side, it may not be to the liking of people who like their barbecue to be anything but sweet. However, I found their barbecue as good if not better than the ones offered at a popular barbecue place in the city. Gate 5 Pochero House also serves another heart-stopping dish to customers who want to live on the edge, Lechon Kawali.
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| Barbecue at Gate 5 Pochero House |
The place also has other items on its menu. Since it is a carenderia-style store, the place has a good selection of food items for customers who want to pair of their pochero with other viands. But, I was not able to take a picture of the other food items since I went to the place for the pochero.
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| Another picture of the pochero at Gate 5 |
The Price
The pochero at the place is actually cheap. It is priced at PHP60 per serving. On the other hand, their pork barbecue is priced at PHP15 each. While this may be relatively more expensive than the barbecue at your neighborhood barbecue stall, the barbecue at Gate 5 tastes better. Their rice is priced at PHP10 per serving while their soft drinks are priced at PHP12 each. I wasn’t able to get the prices of the other menu items, but basing on the prices of the items I ordered you can conclude that they are relatively cheap.
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| Barbecue grilled at Gate 5 Pochero House |
The Location and Getting There
Gate 5 Pochero House is located along La Guardia Street, Lahug, Cebu City. It is on the same street where Pizza Republic and Orange Karenderia are located. To get there you should get on a jeepney headed for Apas or the ones marked 17B, 17C and 17D. If you are coming from Ayala Center Cebu, you can get on the jeepney plying the Ayala – Lahug route or the one marked 04M. On the other hand, if you are in the Mabolo area you can ride the jeepney marked 04L or the one that plies the SM-Lahug route.
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| Look for the Gate 5 Pochero House signboard |
You can get off in front of Cebu Aeronautical Technical School and cross the street using the pedestrian lane in front of the school. Just follow the street in front of Pizza Republic and Orange Karenderia. The place is just a javelin-throw’s away from the main road. It is situated after the second corner on the right side of the road.
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| You can pair off your pochero with rice |
You can bring your own car, but they only have street parking. You will have to try to go there early so you have a place to park. You can also take a taxi and tell the driver to bring you to the street in front of Pizza Republic and Orange Karenderia.
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| Simple dining area at Gate 5 Pochero House |
While I have started to watch what I eat, it does not hurt if I satisfy my cravings . . . sometimes. Gate 5 Pochero House is definitely one hole-in-the wall eating place where you can find great tasting pochero at a reasonable price.
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| Can't get enough of the pochero at Gate 5 |
Do you know of any other hole-in-the-wall places in Cebu? Give me a heads up on the comments section below.
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| Check out Gate 5 Pochero House |
Note: Prices may change without prior notice.
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| Nuff said |
YUM!
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