Cebu

Where:  9408 Martin Way E., Suite 4, Lacey, 360. 455.9128, www.cebuwa.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, Noon-9 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
Cuisine: Filipino-inspired rice and noodle dishes, curries, soups, empanadas, crepes, and seafood
Scene: Relaxed, family-friendly and casual Filipino-inspired dining
Drinkies: Standard non-alcoholic beverages, some specialty drinks
Damage: $4.75-$14

ANNOUNCER: Located between China and Australia in the Pacific Ocean, the province of Cebu encompasses 168 islands in the Philippines. Humbow — Filipinos call it siopao — and pancit noodles were introduced by the Chinese; empanada and flan by the Spanish. What this means is that over the years Filipino culture has developed a cuisine with layered influences. With such a diverse cultural menu also means ingredients are available on a seasonal basis. Rather than have pre-made products shipped from across the globe, family-owned and operated Cebu in Lacey makes as many items from scratch in its kitchen as possible. Freshness and flavor stand out.

JAKE: I know it’s not good for the restaurant, but I kind of like it when we’re the only table or one of just a few. I feel like the whole production is just for my benefit, and I don’t have to worry people will overhear the crass verbiage that dribbles from your mouth.

JASON: You secretly love what I say ’cause you’re too chicken to say it yourself. I miss the people watching. Sigh. The one-on-one attention is nice though. Our server, who doubled as cook, cashier and owner, had plenty of time to explain the menu to us. We took his advice on dinner but started with an appetizer of softball-sized steamed buns — siopao.

JAKE: For me, siopao is an almost perfect food. It comes in its own edible wrapper, covers a few food groups and can be eaten anytime — day or night. I imagine you could grab one for breakfast on the way out the door and eat it on the way to work, or have one with a salad for lunch, or like we did — as an appetizer with dinner. The doughy outside encases the heart of siopao: ground beef or pork, spices, and chunks of hard-boiled egg. It’s delicious alone or with the tangy sweet sauce that accompanied it. 

JASON: Sitting in the indoor tented gazebo, I felt like I should have my passport with me. Arroz means rice; caldo means soup, and pollo means chicken. Cebu’s Filipino pollo arroz caldo is packed full of large ginger strips, visible amounts of saffron, which is surprising since saffron isn’t exactly cheap, and whole, soft garlic cloves. Such fragrant, steaming hot goodness.

JAKE: Man, if you’re not a huge fan of ginger, the amount used would be completely overpowering. I love ginger, and it was almost too much for me. Pinakbet had both prawns and pork. Never thought of combining those two, but it was great. Chunks of ultra dense and buttery squash, whole 4-inch long okra, and long green beans were cooked with eggplant and bitter melon. Be warned: When it says bitter melon, it is truly bitter.

JASON: Yeah, I wish we had pictures of our faces as we ate it. Seriously ghastly taste. If you like it, you must be a glutton for punishment.  Served with white rice, the dish on whole was wonderful. We were assured no butter was used and that the vegetables were cooked in flavorful spices keeping the dishes as healthy as possible.

JAKE: The next entrée we tried is traditionally reserved for special occasions. Sotanghon guisado is a protein heavy mound with bean thread noodles, sautéed chicken, prawns and pork. Made of bean sprouts, the noodles were clear and picked up the sesame oil flavor well. Mmm, mmm good. 

JASON: Somewhere between whole milk ice cream and sorbet lies Filipino ice cream. Made with less dairy, small scoops of purple ube ice cream lay against a golden slice of cassava cake. I’m guessing this cake is not a low calorie food. Dense, sweet and creamy, it went wonderfully with the sugary and salty ube, or taro root, ice cream. So this is what purple tastes like. Me likey.