Skip to main content

Ramen and more at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu

Everytime I find myself in Cebu City, I make it a point to drop by Marco Polo Plaza Cebu. And as always there's something new waiting for my palate.
This time, I had gastronomic fun at the Asian Station concocting my own ramen. This bowl has noodles, cabbage, shallots, mushrooms, shrimps, century egg and laksa soup base. Now that's a ramen!
Also new was the mango-citrus cooler with bits of "everything", if I heard right. It had the right mix  mango and orange (and other citrus) that gave refreshing drink complementing these "food-tasting" portions I got at during the lunch buffet Cafe Marco. 
As it was one day before Valentine, Cafe Marco was garbed in the most romantic way - with an arch of fresh flowers  at the entrance greeting the diners.  
And then the buffet captured my attention - as always.
Here's the Salad and Appetizer station with lots of healthy options. One can choose from the  already prepared... 
... or you can mix your own concoction with the wide variety of fresh greens and dressings, maong others.
Breads, cheeses, jellies and cold cuts got a corner of their own that had me checking almost every nook.
The Japanese Station was nearby and I said hello and met their sushis and other offerings with gusto.
One of my favorite stations was the Chinese Corner as it offers almost all facets of Chinese cuisine.
Traditional food like braised, peppered,fried, hot and spicy, etc had its own side - with me getting some sampling portions from each.
The roasting station had the Peking Duck say "quack"...
The Dimsum corner never fails to get my gastronomic attention and this time I also got some Yang Chow rice.
One of my faves is the Hainanese chicken and was among the first that got into my table. I just love the simple yet delicious combination of the Hainanese rice (I added more broth) and the juicy chicken with the dips I made as toppings. 
Filipino cuisine is always a mainstay at the buffet and of course there's Lechon Cebu among others.
Paying homage to one of Cebu's cooking claim to fame - SuTuKil (for sugba (grill), tuwa (stew) and kilaw ("cooked" in vinegar)). there's the Sugba station with an assortment of food to be grilled. Meat, seafood, vegetables and more line up waiting to be picked up and cooked on the grill!
I was only able to capture this Ratatouille on the Western station as most of the food were already gone when I got there. And I have to get some as it packs in some vegetables and also a way to remember the animated film of the same title.
DESSERTS! Now where to start? On display were lots of cakes, pastries, mousses and a wholote lot more.And there's more in every step you take as this station is among the most popular.
There's also a Chocolate fountain for those who want to have desserts injected with with more fun and lots of indulgence.
And here's what reached my table, well some of them anyway, as I had may trips back and forgot to take pictures. God thing I had this plate covered most on this plate were my favorites that day.
Speaking of favorites, it won't be a complete Cafe Marco experience without their delicious and indulgent Malicious cookies. This time made even more special with a cup of latte with a special hashtag to end the day.
It was another satisfying day of gastronomic fun - the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu way! 'Til we eat again, Marco!

Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Apas, Cebu City 6000 Philippines 
Tel. Nos.: (6332) 253 1111 Manila (632) 887 1263 Fax. (63 32) 234 8170
Toll Free | Philippines 1-800-111-00-995 | Thailand 1-800-852-0332 | 
Singapore 1-800-101-2242 | China 4001-201-481
Email: mpplaza@marcopolohotels.com

Popular posts from this blog

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home.  A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ".  Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region.  Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of  batwan  and the  malinamnam na sabaw .  One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces  1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit  (or tamarind powder) 1 piece por...

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy  and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice .  I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

Flavours of Iloilo 2012 Highlights: Lovin' February gastronomy

So how to start a month the month of Love in terms of gastronomy? I didn't have to try hard as they come on their own terms.After the revelry of Dinagyang, the next big celebrations in Iloilo are the Chinese new Year, Jaro Candelaria Feast and Paraw Regatta. And it was on the mid celebrations (Jaro Fiesta) that February gastronomy marked its start.  I went to two fiestas during Candelaria - the rainforest inspired set up at the Jamerlan residence and one at Afrique's Jaro, where the restaurant business all began. But in between I just got a call informing me of a photoshoot happening at Days Hotel Iloilo and when I got there it was cakes, cakes and cakes all over. Tinapayan was readying for Valentine and the Heart Cakes were at the center of it all. The next day I was out to lunch at the Central Market and got to discover the old way of having Coffee on the Go at De Leonian Cafe . The month also brought in more discovery as for the first time I got to taste a hambu...

Oyster Cake and more new items at Tarzan Magic La Mien Noodle House

Now there's more reason to go back at my favorite noodle house in town! Tarzan Magic La Mien Noodle noodle along JM Basa street may just look like your ordinary Calle Real eatery serving turo-turo and Chinese specialties but once you've tried what's on their menu, you'd surely be back, again and again. A few days ago, I found myself enjoying their latest dish, Oyster Cake. Our order took long that we thought it was forgotten but when the plate of the oyster cake came to the table, we knew then why. It was cooked with a labour of love, the oyster meat was seasoned with delectable spices (the kusay being the most evident) then sauteed and made omelet style then smothered with, at first I thought just plain catsup, but it was a Chinese dressing/sauce which really complemented the oyster specialty. It was one good and savoury find that day. And they also have new noodle varieties and I think I hit the jackpot with my order - Spare Ribs La Mien. The taste of the s...