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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
