Chinese influence on Cebuanos is quite evident in a lot of things you can find in the Queen City of the South. You can see it in the businesses set up in the downtown area, some Chinese temples in and around the city, and, of course, the food.
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| Chinese-Inspired Goodies at Foodarama |
As far as I can recall, the first time I tasted a Chinese-inspired dish was at Foodarama way back when I was still a scrawny kid. Whenever our mom picked us up from school, we would stop by Foodarama for some snacks. One of the stalls where we used to buy snacks from was Good Food, Ah!
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| Good Food, Ah! |
Good Food, Ah!
Good Food, Ah! is a hole-in-the-wall stall where one can find the best Chinese lumpia in the Queen City of the South. The stall is located in Foodarama along General Maxilom Ave (formerly Mango Ave). While it transferred to Robinson’s Fuente when the mall opened, the stall returned to Foodarama after some time. Even after decades have passed, they have maintained the quality of the Chinese lumpia. One of the reasons for this is probably because the person who prepares the Chinese lumpia, Manang Sara.
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| Manag Sara Putting Together The Chinese Lumpia |
Manang Sara
Cebuanos still remember Manang Sara, and some are pleasantly surprised that she is still the one who prepares the lumpia. Manang Sara can be considered an institution in the food landscape of Cebu. I’m sure many Cebuanos can still remember that she was the one who prepared the food they order when they were still kids. Some of them even include the small stall in Foodarama as one of their stops whenever they have the chance to return to the Queen City of the South. I make it a point to drop by Foodarama whenever I find myself in the area. During these visits I order at least two of those delicious Chinese lumpias and a bottle of Coke.
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| Manang Sara Posing For Posterity |
Back when I was still young, our mom would order the humba egg for us. At times, we would have the Chinese lumpia. There were also instances when we would order the pancit palabok from the small restaurant at the old Foodarama. Many Cebuanos who attend mass at Redemptorist Church also pass by Foodarama to have snacks at the stall. When St. Benedict’s Childhood Educational Centre (formerly St. Benedict’s Learning Center) was still located in front of the church, families would normally drop by the place after school. Students from other nearby schools would also pass by the place after classes.
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| Chinese Lumpia Getting Ready To Be Assembled |
The Chinese lumpia at Foodarama may not look like much for first-timers, but it tastes heavenly. It is probably the most popular item on the menu of Good Food, Ah! Another popular item on their menu is their humba egg. We used to have either the Chinese lumpia or humba egg when we were young. Aside from the Chinese lumpia and humba egg, the stall also sells empanada, siomai, siopao, pancit miki, and fried rice.
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| The Chinese Lumpia At Foodarama |
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| Humba Egg |
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| Empanada |
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| Pancit Miki |
The Price
The prices of the food at the stall are quite reasonable. The Chinese lumpia at Foodarama costs PhP20 each while the humba egg is priced at PHP11. The siomai and siopao are priced at PHP12 and PHP28, respectively. The empanada costs PHP23. On the other hand, the pancit miki and fried rice are priced at PHP40 and PHP41, respectively. Their soft drinks cost PHP13 each.
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| The Price List |
The Location
The stall is located right in front of the checkout counters of Foodarama and in between stalls selling pizza and ngohiong. You can get to Foodarama by getting on a jeepney passing through General Maxilom Ave. Just get off at the jeepney stop before the building or at the jeepney stop in front of Union Bank Mango.
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| Good Food, Ah! Stall In Foodarama |
The Chinese lumpia at Foodarama has become stuff for legends, so to speak, as Cebuanos continue to savor this scrumptiously delicious Chinese-inspired dish prepared by one of the institutions in the food landscape of the Queen City of the South. If you haven't tried the Chinese lumpia of Manang Sara, head on over to Foodarama and find out what the ruckus is all about.
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| Good Chinese Food At Good Food, Ah! |
P.S. If you want to get the chance to taste the Chinese lumpia at Foodarama, it’s best that you pass by the place before 7:00 PM since there may be instances when they would run out of supplies. This happened to me a couple of times when I arrived there past 7:00 PM. It simply shows the Chinese lumpia at Foodarama is one of the most popular dishes in the Queen City of the South.
Note: Prices may change without prior notice.
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| It May Not Look Like Much, But It Tastes Good |
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| The Empanada |
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| Manang Sara At Work |
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