Lemon Grass

Zubuchon

Address: Level 1, Ayala Terraces Center Cebu
Number: +6332 – 233 8601 

Lemongrass is a Thai and Vietnamese fusion restaurant at Ayala Center, Cebu. Its Asian-inspired interiors consist of statues, wooden carvings and a water fountain. Years ago, when a friend first took me there, I immediately fell in love with its Pad Thai. So much so that whenever I go to Cebu, I crave for it. Now, after quite some time, my friends and I decided to go for it, and again, it didn’t fail me. My friend tried the tofu and she loved it too. Over all, the food is good, and it is a pleasant dining experience.

La Marea

Zubuchon, for me, is more flavorful than its competition, CNT, which I find salty. We had it for lunch and it was so tasty, we didn’t even need the sauce. They claim that they cook their lechon without MSG, so at least , the lesser evil.

We decided to bring some for our families back home. We were then faced with a dilemma as to whether we should buy the frozen or the fresh ones. Though most think it is better to buy fresh, it only lasts for 3-4 hours. Luckily, the waiter suggested that we order for take home from the Zubuchon branch and claim it at the airport just before our flight. This option, surprisingly, saved us Php100 per kilo, plus we didn’t have to be carrying the lechon the whole time. Only downside is that you can’t order half kilos; you can only order per kilo.

This coffee and pastry shop has always been a quick stop for me whenever I go to Cebu. My favorite is the Warm Brownie Cup and it never fails me. Imagine a hot and moist chocolate brownie fresh out of the oven, topped with a cold vanilla ice-cream. It feels like heaven; definitely mouthwatering.

La Marea has 3 branches around Cebu :
-Paseo Arenas in Banawa
-Cebu Crossroads in Banilad
-The Walk at Asiatown IT Park in Lahug

Le Vie Parsienne

La Vie Parsienne, or Parisian Life in English, is a bakery and wine bar decorated with endless cherry blossoms. It is located at 371 Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines and opens daily from 7:00 am to 12:00 am. This is beside the famous French restaurant, La Maison Rose. The ambiance of the place is very chill and it glows at night. It’s a perfect place to dine, hang and wine with friends.

The place had a good wine selection ranging from cheap to expensive. You can step inside the tunnel-like wine cellar and choose which one you fancy. Apart from wine, Le Vie also offers over a dozen bread selections, macarons and cheese.

My friends and I decided to indulge with a bottle of wine and a few of their best seller pastries over a nice conversation in their very nice outdoors area.

Given more time, I would visit this place again.

Ibiza

Upon entering Movenpick Hotel, you are greeted by a sleek lobby. There is a short walkway leading up to the bar, Ibiza, which recently opened for happy hour in the afternoons.

Ibiza is an outdoor bar with a really cool ambiance. The edges are designed with bean bags and trampolines in a way that makes you feel like you are hanging over a cliff. At night, you can just lay there and watch the stars while you listen to the DJ play music. At the center of the bar is a jacuzzi where you can relax in while having a glass of daiquiri.

Happy hour was from 1pm to 5 pm, after which there is a required consumable of Php 500 per person for you to be able to stay. We ordered the seafood marinara which was good for 2, as well as a few tapas. Prices were a bit on the high side, so reaching the Php500 minimum required is not a problem at all.

In past trips to Cebu, we spent our chill time at Cowrie Cove, right beside Shangri-la Mactan. Ibiza instead on this trip was a good change of scenery. It had great ambiance , and was so close to the airport that after our tasty dinner, we headed straight to wait for our flight back to Manila.

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