Rehashing Some Brews At Hashbrews Café Bistro

"Life's supposed to be an adventure, a surprise!" - Anton du Beke

I’ve been meaning to visit the place for a long time. I first noticed it when I was on my way to Cebu IT Park one evening. It looked like one of those American diner-type cafés in the 60s or 70s similar to the one we had here in Cebu back in the 90s. While I was able to have a bottle or two some time ago at the place, but I was really able to get the feel of the place. I finally got the chance one Friday evening, which is timely since I was craving a brew of a different kind.

Rehashing Some Brews At Hashbrews Café Bistro

Hashbrews Café Bistro

Hashbrews Café Bistro has been on my to-go-to list ever since I noticed it over a year ago. My curiosity was further piqued after I saw their Facebook Page. The pictures of their food, particularly their burgers had me salivating at the thought of taking a bite at them. My initial perception was an American diner-type of place. And when I first visited the place around a month ago, it had that diner vibe with the framed drawings and sculptures (not sure what you call them since I’m no artist). The bar also had a good inventory of drinks from whiskeys to rums and tequilas. But I’m more interested in their food, which was what attracted me to the place.

Hashbrews Café Bistro Coat of Arms

When I saw the pictures of their burgers posted on their Facebook Page, it not only piqued my interest, it also had me wanting to drop by the place. But as they say, fate had a different plan. When I got the chance to grab a bite at the place, I ordered something else . . . their Grilled Pork Belly with Rice.

Grilled Pork Belly with Rice

Food

While I was really looking forward to their burgers, their Grilled Pork Belly with Rice actually tasted great. In fact, I would have ordered an extra serving of rice if not for my so-called minimal-carb diet. But if I ate it at lunchtime I would likely order two extra servings of rice. So I guess fate was right to compel me (introvert mode activate) to ask for the house specialty rather than order the burgers, which I wanted in the first place. Aside from the burgers and Grilled Pork Chop, the place also offers a good variety of food items, including Beef with Onions, Beef with Broccoli, Fried Chicken (overheard someone saying this was good), Grilled Blue Marlin Steak, Sizzling Bangus, and everyone’s favorite, the Sizzling Sisig.

Grilled Pork Belly with Rice 

Appetizers while on a drinking binge aka pulutan, they Hashbrews offers Sauteed Hungarian Sausage and Mushrooms, Breaded Chicken Strips, Spring Rolls, and Bacon (who doesn’t love bacon?). The place also offers a good selection of soups and noodles, including the Chicken Mami, Cream of Chicken, Tinolang Isda, and Lomi, which I noted was served in a humongous bowl (I overheard the other table ordering this).

Interior of Hashbrews Café Bistro

If you are into vegetables, you may want to order the Ampalaya with Egg, Chao Pat Chin, or the Chopsuey. Their All-Day-Breakfast menu includes the Corned Beef, Beef Tapa, and Longaniza, all of which are served with two eggs and rice or bread. Pancake lovers will be keen on ordering their Classic Pancake with Butter and Maple Syrup or the Waffle with Bacon and Egg. For a taste of Italy, they also have the Spaghetti Bolognese, Creamy Pesto Pasta, and Carbonara. So Hashbrews offers everything for everybody.

Price

When it comes to prices, Hashbrews has a rather competitive price range. For their starters or appetizers, prices range from PhP99 for the Fried Pusit (Squid) Platter up to PhP205 for the Calamares. Their Main Courses have prices between PhP165 for the Sizzling Sisig and PhP450 for the Bagnet. The Soup and Noodles of the place have prices ranging from PhP135 for the Sweetcorn Soup up to PhP295 for the Sinigang Isda. Vegetable lovers can look forward to prices between PhP95 for the Ampalaya with Egg and PhP185 for the Chao Pat Chin. The price of the pasta at Hashbrews is from PhP165 for the Pasta Pomodoro up to PhP195 for the Spicy Danggit Pasta. Fruit Shakes are priced at PhP95 for the Banana Shake up to PhP145 for the Banana & Mango Shake, while sodas cost PhP55 each.

Menu of Hashbrews Café Bistro

If you want to have breakfast . . . in the evening, you can have them at PhP165 for the Corned Beef with rice and egg up to PhP175 for the Beef Tapa with rice and egg. Beer prices are between PhP50 for the Pale Pilsen and PhP75 for the Smirnoff Mule. And last but not the least, the price of their burgers and sandwiches are quite competitive from PhP125 for the Ham and Egg Sandwich up to PhP185 for their Hashbrew’s Cheese Burger.

Menu of Hashbrews Café Bistro

Location

Hashbrews Café Bistro is located on the ground floor of Northwinds Hotel along Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City. It’s a short walk away from the Cebu IT Park and close to some of the best restaurants the Lahug area has to offer.

Getting There

If you are coming from Ayala, you can get on a jeepney headed for Lahug (04M) and tell the driver to let you off at Northwinds Hotel. You can immediately see the place when you turn towards the hotel. You also have the option of getting on a Beep bus and get off at IT Park. You can ask any guard in the area to point you in the direction of the hotel. You can also ask the guard to point you to where Chikaan sa Cebu restaurant is located. You can either ride a jeepney or walk towards the place (it’s probably a five- to ten-minute walk away). The café bistro is right across the restaurant. If you are coming from SM City Cebu, you can get on a jeepney headed for the Cebu IT Park and tell the driver to let you off at Chikaan sa Cebu restaurant.

Interior of Hashbrews Café Bistro

While I was not able to take a bite off their burgers, Hashbrews is definitely one of the places I will not think twice of visiting on any given Friday night.

PS: The place has a live acoustic band playing on Friday and Saturday evenings. If you are overflowing with confidence in your bathroom voice, you can also ask if you can sing your heart’s out with the band.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

“You can never put too much pork in your mouth as far as I'm concerned.” - Lewis Black

It was all a stroke of luck (and a hungry stomach) that I discovered this quaint, little store selling the heart-stopping delicacy from Cebu somewhere in Mabolo. I was supposed to visit a different hole-in-the-wall resto in the same area, but I shied away from the place since I noticed it was rather full. Since Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal was still closed, I walked around the area looking for a place where I can feed myself. While walking around, an image of the pig in overalls on a window of one of the shops seemed to call out to me. With my stomach already grumbling, I went in to check out what they had to offer.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

Se Ben’s Lechon

Se Ben’s Lechon is a hole-in-the-wall resto offering the world-famous Cebu lechon. The branch I visited opened recently, while its Gaisano Country Mall branch has been open for some time already. I wasn’t able to ask more about the place since I was already famished and needed something to eat. But based on their Facebook Page, they have been in the lechon business for over a decade. They have a branch at the food court of Gaisano Country Mall and this branch in Mabolo only opened in August 2019. Aside from offering lechon on a per-kilo basis, they also offer whole lechon orders.

Interior of Se Ben’s Lechon

Food

I’ve been to a lot of lechon places in the city and most of them offer something unique to their customers. And this place is one of those places. One thing I liked the most was their crispy lechon skin. The pictures I took do not do justice to the delicacy, but believe me or not, the lechon skin was indeed as crunchy as it gets. They gave me the option of getting the regular lechon or the lechon belly. Since I’m more of a belly person, I opted for the latter. They have a budget meal size for their lechon belly, but I opted to get the 1/4-kilo serving of the dish. They have the regular and spicy variants of the lechon belly. Similarly, their whole lechon also comes in the regular and spicy variants.

Crispy lechon skin at Se Ben's Lechon

Price

Se Ben’s Lechon offers per kilo price and whole lechon price for their products. The price of a 1/4-kilo order of their classic lechon is PhP155. A 1/4-kilo order of their regular boneless lechon is priced at PhP175. On the other hand, a 1/4-kilo order of their spicy boneless lechon costs PhP190. These orders are good for one to two persons.

Boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

The prices of their classic whole lechon are between PhP5,500 for 15 persons and PhP8,500 for a lechon good for 30 to 40 persons. The price of the spicy variant of the lechon is from PhP6,000 for 15 persons up to PhP9,000 for 30 to 40 persons.

Lechon prices at Se Ben's Lechon

Their boneless lechon is available in family packs. The regular boneless lechon family pack costs between PhP2,200, which is good for 12 to 15 persons, and PhP3,600, which is good for 20 to 25 persons. In contrast, the price of the spicy boneless lechon family pack starts at PhP2,400, which is good for 12 to 15 persons, up to PhP3,800, which is good for 20 to 25 persons.

Lechon skin and boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

I was not able to take note of the price of their other products since the hunger pangs got the better of me. After eating the 1/4-kilo order of their lechon belly, I was already getting ready to go home and take the afternoon off. But this gives me another reason to visit the place to get the prices of their other products.

Boneless lechon at Se Ben's Lechon

Location

The Se Ben’s Lechon branch I visited is located at GDN Arcade, Mabolo. It is located in the same area as Manong’s Original Bacolod Chicken Inasal. They also have a branch located at the food court of Gaisano Country Mall.

Boneless lechon with puso at Se Ben's Lechon

Getting There

From Ayala Center Cebu, you can get to Se Ben’s Lechon by getting on a jeepney headed for Mabolo. Tell the driver to let you off at Ngohiong Express across PLDT. You need to cross to the side of PLDT and get on a jeepney marked 03A. You can get off in front of the gasoline station next to the GAGFA building. Se Ben’s Lechon is located at the GND Arcade, which is right across the gasoline station. You also have the option of walking to Skyrise Alpha where QBE is located and get on a Beep bus headed for Mabolo. The GAGFA building is one of the stops of the Beep bus.

See Ben Eat At Se Ben’s Lechon

With the opening of Se Ben’s Lechon at the GDN Arcade, the Mabolo area is gradually cementing its position as one of the best foodie destinations of Cebu. The lechon belly of Se Ben’s Lechon ranks up there among the best inCebu, but their crispy lechon skin is probably the best I’ve tasted so far.