I’m back to blogging again. It took me so long to blog about this event. The Cebu Bloggers Society was invited to the Bloggers Event “Asia-in-a-Basket” at SM City Cebu Foodcourt last Noveber 30, 2009. I was late to arrive on the event due to some errands. Anyhow, I was there. When I arrived, I can see my fellow bloggers on their seats with their laptops on and other gadgets on the loose. First thing I noticed was the buffet table with the different kinds of dishes on display.
Here are the different diners at SM City Cebu Foodcourt with their brief histories:
GOLDEN BOWL DIMSUM
Golden Bowl Dimsum Express started our by an invitation from an SM Foodcourt tenant friend way back in 1997. It was the first Dimsum in a Foodcourt in Cebu. The name Golden Bowl Dimsum, at that time, came from the existing restaurant business, Golden Bowl City Dimsum Restaurant, “Bowl” for the smaller store, “City” for the big one.
Golden Bowl Dimsum Express offers different variety of traditional Hongkong style Dimsum and other Chinese cuisine. Their Steam Rice is known to most Chinese community as the original and the best tasting Steam Rice in Cebu. Steam Rice is originated here in Cebu. It was created by a Hongkong chef, Chi Keung Leung. It was created only by accident, the oven for baking was out of order and chef was forced to create a new dish to replace unavailable menus.
Steam Rice was and still a hit to the Cebuano Market.
RIC’S BARBECUE
After 15 years of operations in SM Foodcourt, Ric’s Barbecue owner Jingle Benitez-Polotan knows by heart the ingredients for a successful restaurant.
“It’s our food. I know that if your food is good, people will always come back for more even if there are a lot of restaurants around you.” says Benitez-Polotan, before adding “It’s the service also” that matters most to our customers.
Benitez-Polotan knows fully well that this formula works.
Ric’s Barbecue, an unassuming diner located at SM city Cebu’s Foodcourt, sfter all is turning 15 years, a pioneer at the mall which also celebrates its anniversary every November 27th. Over the years, this restaurant manages to stay ahead becuase it serves tasty Filipino favorites such as pochero and barbecue.
She also has SM City Cebu to thank: “It’s good business. We’re happy with SM, how they take care of us. Plus, it can really draw a crowd especially the foodcourt. It’s interesting because the people dining here really have th money to eat as much as they want.”
ISLAND GRILL EXPRESS
Island Grill Express opened its first outlet fifteen years ago at the SM City Cebu Foodcourt. It specializes in Ilonggo and Cebuano dishes with its “siunugba” or grilled meat and seafood as constant bestsellers. Other favorites are their crab relleno, camaron rebosado, tinolang isda, pinangat and La Paz Batchoy.
They are proud to say that they have been constantly in the number one slot in terms of sale. Island Grill Express presently has two outlets in Cebu and three franchised outlets in Davao and soon in General Santos City.
VENETIAN COFFEE BREAK & DESSERTS
Venetian coffee started on October 16, 1998 as a coffee cart at the SM Foodcourt in SM City Cebu following the Italian concept of “coffee-to-go”.
With its growing number of patrons, Venetian Coffee expanded from a small cart to a coffee shop; this time associating its brand with the businessmen & entrepreneur clientele.
Venetian Coffee became a place for business meetings with its wide array of coffee blends and pastries.
On December 11, 1999, Venetian Coffee opened its 2nd coffee shop at the 3rd level of the same mall.
FOUNTAINHEAD
Fountainhead Bakeshop started as Linda’s Bakeshop in the early 70’s and evolved from a home based business to what it is now; an institution of 31 years.
From delicate sponge cakes, to chiffon and chocolate cakes, the bakeshop grew under the enthusiasm of Mrs. Erlinda Francisco who specialized greatly in large tiered cakes for all occasions and home made baked goodies like ensaymadas, leche flans, well-loved brazo de Mercedes and the like…
When the first store was birthed in Manalili St., Cebu City, the flag bearer, Fountainhead Tasty Bread came into being as well. This gread joined the elite force of great tasting cakes and with many other new concoctions, which now contribute to the Fountainhead we all know now. They have many stand-out delicacies from bread, cakes, and pastries enough to wow the customers.
MAMA GIE
Started in 1980 managed and operated by spouses Alfredo E. Costales (deceased) and Virginia P. Costales. The name “MAMA GIE” wa derived from Virgnia’s nickname Virgie or Gie for short and was widely known to friends and peers as “MAMA GIE”.
By July of 1994, the name of the company was called MAMA GIE CORPORATION.
The same year 1994, MAMA GIE Corporation was offered aspace at SM City Cebu Foodcourt. MAMA GIE’s concept of Kapampangan foods was approved. Setting up of a foodstall in SM Foodcourt was a brilliant and wise move of MAMA GIE to corner the market. Indeed, MAMA GIE ranks no. 1 in terms of SALES at SM City Cebu Foodcourt since the 2nd quarter of 1998. The reason for its success, “good food, fast service and quality not to be compromised” is the philosophy they have instituted among their works. The top favorites are Boneless Bangus, Lechon Kawali as well as other top seller menu items.
FISHPORT GRILL
Fish Port Grill Express opened last July 26 of 2009 at SM Foodcourt, SM City Cebu. Fish Port Grill is a seafood fastfood restaurant where they serve mainly tuna dishes. They serve tuna in different ways but they are known for their grilled tuna belly, panga, and tuna bicol express.
Their Grilled Tuna Belly is served with achara. It is marinated for a few hours. Then the tuna belly is grilled and glazed with their special marinade which makes it taste juicy and mouth watering.
For spicy lovers, it is recommended to taste their Tuna Bicol Express. Tuna Bicol Express is served with coconut cream and season with salt and pepper. Minced siling labuyo and spada to make the tuna spicy.
They may be new in the food industry but if you are looking for delicious and inexpensive meal, go to Fishport Grill Express, savor and experience the taste that is distinctively different from the rest!
FIESTA CEBUANA
From the picture of 1st time tourists in search of a place to eat in a 1st time island, Fiesta! Cebuana was born in December 2005. Fiesta! Cebuana serves fine celebration food called from an heirloom of recipes passed on to one of its owners from a great grandmother. Fiesta! Cebuana is happy food, a modest expression of Cebu island happiness. 365 days in a year, one could partake in a true island feast in 365 different ways. Fiesta! Cebuana is love, protected from generation to generation, as a priceless heritage from the past.
KING WAH CHINESE CUISINE
Travel is always the best way to experience culinary diversity and Mrs. Evelyn Lim can personally attest to this. Her travels to China, Hong Kong and to other countries allowed her to savor the different dishes each country had to offer. Enlightened on the joys one can get from gastronomic delights, she was then inspired to share the wonderful experience to the Cebuano people.
Wanting her dream to become reality, she opened King Wah Chinese Cuisine. Established on May of 1994 at the SM City Cebu Foodcourt, King Wah Chinese Cuisine made sure that it can provide the best dishes at affordable prices garnished with impeccable customer sevice.
Through this delightful food house, Mrs. Evelyn Lim made good with her promise to serve the patrons with authentic Asian dishes that was not only unique but also quite delightful to the palates of Filipinos as it combined the savory taste of Filipino cooking with that of the sophistication of Chinese cuisine.
King Wah Chinese Cuisine will always stand to its vision of serving the people with hot, fast, affordable and exquisite Chinese-Filipino dishes.
SMOKEY’S
Smokey’s was conceived and developed by Pure Foods Corp. in 1982. It specializes in hotdog based food products. The first Smokey’s outlet was opened at the Quad Carpark in Makati City in November, 1982. Provincial expansion began in 1989. To date Smokey’s can be seen in every conceivable corner in the Phils. Especially in malls, schools, hospitals, etc. In the year 2002, Smokey’s is now part of San Miguel Pure Foods Corp.
Smokey’s SM Foodcourt opens together with the opening of SM City Cebu in 1993. Over the years, it has delighted customers at SM Foodcourt, SM City Cebu with its plain hotdog sandwiches an hotdog combinations. A trip to SM Foodcourt is not ocmplete without Smokey’s.
Yummy huh? But unfortunately I wasn’t able to taste those foods except for the Black Forest cake from Fountainhead because I was already full beforehand. So there, it was like we’re having a feast in the SM City Cebu Foodcourt.
Other highlights of the event include the live blogging contest which is to blog about the event. The hosts of the event would be the judge and the fortunate winner of the contest was Michael Sinjin Pineda of the Cebu Bloggers Society. After the contest was the distribution of certificates plus a gift pack from Del Monte to each of the bloggers who joined the event. Of course, I received mine. Thank you so much. 
See more photos here.
GHTime Code(s): 3f358 adfbb 5d6a3
