Eats

Five Breakfast Ideas to Power You Up Through the Week

Breakfast Club

It’s definitely the most important meal of the day, but the way we break our fasts is completely up to preference. Zee Lifestyle joins some ladies for the early meal to see the different dishes women have for breakfast.

Deborah Hayes. photography Oliver Echevarria. hair and makeup Arnauld

Deborah Hayes, 46
Entrepreneur, Real Estate Broker,
Real Estate Franchise Owner

A typical morning for you?
I like to wake up before everyone else in my household so I can have some me time to enjoy my first cup of coffee, reflecting on my day’s activities and journal. I cherish my peace in the morning before the chaos begins.

And the rest of the day?
My days are never the same, which is what I love. Sometimes I get up and go volunteer. Other days, I have conference calls with my business partners in the US. My favorite is having the freedom to do nothing, but I’ve been so busy since we moved to Cebu six years ago.

Do you eat breakfast everyday?
I must be honest and say no. I do not wake up hungry as most people do. I have to push myself to eat something because I know it is the most important meal of the day.

Why do you like this particular dish for breakfast? I chose this meal because it reminds me of home. Being from Texas, anything and everything can be wrapped in a tortilla with spices and be called a meal. Plus it’s so easy to make, and it’s light and healthy.

BREAKFAST BURRITO WITH ENERGY ANTIOXIDANT SMOOTHIE AND LIVER KIDNEY DETOX JUICE. Liver Kidney Detox Juice: Clean half a sugar beet, half a cucumber, half an apple, knuckle-sized fresh ginger, a carrot and a celery stick with leaves. Put them in a juicer, then serve immediately. Energy Antioxidant Smoothie: Put four to five ice cubes, a half cup of coconut juice, a tablespoon of flaxseed oil, three large frozen strawberries, a third of a cup of frozen blueberries, a mango, half a banana and two scoops of It Works! Greens in a blender. Blend for two minutes and serve. Breakfast Burrito: In a bowl, whisk a whole egg with black pepper, cayenne pepper, and your preference of water or milk. • In a pan, heat up green onions, green peppers and red peppers, and sauté for three to four minutes. • Add a garlic clove to the pan and sauté for one more minute, then add egg mixture and slowly stir into veggies. Once cooked to your liking, add to tortillas and eat immediately.

What would you never have for breakfast? I would never eat something high in sugar and fat, as it will bring your energy levels down in just a few hours. A healthy high protein breakfast will keep you fuller longer.

Your favorite food? Mexican food is my ultimate favorite. It can be really hard to find here, so we cook a lot at home for ourselves or with friends.

Your favorite restaurants in the city?
That’s a hard one. We have many—Gorliz for their pork chops, Wok’d for pad Thai and Tymad for the quiche Lorraine.

Gretchen Choa-Uy. photography Ezekiel Sullano. hair and makeup Arnauld

Gretchen Choa-Uy, 35
Businesswoman

A typical morning for you?
I like my mornings early and full. I seem to accomplish more in the mornings that I do in the afternoons.

And the rest of the day? I bring my kids to school, then go to work afterwards. I allot one afternoon in a week to do my personal errands like getting groceries. On late afternoons, I attend spin class three to four times a week. I try to cook twice a week as the kids have special requests.

Do you eat breakfast everyday?
Almost everyday, but quite light

SAVORY OATMEAL: • Prepare oatmeal as instructed in the package. I prefer old-fashioned oats. • While that is cooking, prepare your eggs the way you like it—boiled, fried or poached would work. The important thing is the yolk is runny. • Chop green onions and set aside. • Once the oatmeal is cooked, place in a bowl and top with your boiled, fried or poached egg. Sprinkle green onions on top. You may add ground pepper (I prefer white pepper), and Sriracha or hot sauce for that added kick.

Why do you like this particular dish for breakfast? I like savory dishes more than sweet, and this oatmeal dish has the same flavor and texture that I would want in my congee in Hong Kong, without the required number of hours cooking. With simple ingredients, it has a lot of flavor, plus it makes me happy. It’s my comfort food.

What would you never have for breakfast? Sushi, liver and durian. Sushi, because I find it odd. Liver, because it doesn’t belong to my list of happy food. Durian, because I just don’t like durian.

Your favorite food? My all-time favorite food is eel—you can have it fried, steamed or teppan style. Second to that would be pig’s ears, but it has to be the way my dad cooks it.

Your favorite restaurants in the city?
I enjoy eating at Tavolata, Gorliz, and Bollywood Tandoor

Krystle Dianne Syiaco Tiu. photography Jed Galang. hair and makeup Janice Barillo

Krystle Dianne Syiaco Tiu, 33
Entrepreneur

A typical morning for you?
I wake up when my daughter wakes up. I play with her for a bit then I let her wake up her dad so he can play with her too. That gives me a chance to bum around in bed for maybe 30 minutes, checking stuff online, before I go out for breakfast.

And the rest of the day?
I spend time with my daughter until she naps at around 11 or 12, then I leave for my store Cabana in BTC to work on all my businesses. I honestly can’t work at home because I end up playing with my daughter and not finishing any work! Twice a week, I also do prenatal yoga at around 10:30AM. When I wasn’t pregnant though, I used to join spin classes at 5:00PM, twice a week. If there are no spin classes, I usually make sure I’m home by 5:00 PM, when my daughter is awake from her afternoon nap.

Do you eat breakfast everyday? Yes!

TRUFFLE MUSHROOMS ON TOAST: • Saute garlic. Add mushrooms (I use whatever’s available), and cook until soft. Season with salt and pepper, and add a dash of truffle oil. Set aside. • Fry a sunny side up egg—the runnier, the better. • Toast a slice of bread, top with your favorite cheese and add the mushrooms. • Serve with the egg on top. CRUSTLESS SPINACH AND SUN-DRIED TOMATO QUICHE: • Preheat oven to 175 C. Lightly grease an eight-inch pan. • Heat oil in a large skillet. Add one chopped onion, and cook until soft. Stir in about 10 ounces of spinach and 1/8 cup sun-dried tomatoes. • In a large bowl, combine 5 eggs, 3 cups of cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir. Scoop into prepared pan. • Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set.

Why do you like this particular dish for breakfast?
I like that these dishes are easy to make, and you can even make it ahead, store it inside the fridge and have it for days. Everyone in the family likes it too, even my daughter. I love how there’s protein and veggies in it already. It’s my go-to breakfast dish also when I have guests staying with us.

What would you never have for breakfast? Maybe pasta? I can’t explain it—I think pastas are great for lunch or dinner, but not for breakfast.

Your favorite restaurants in the city?
My no-brainer, go-to place is Abaca Baking Company. I sometimes stay there for hours to work, and enjoy a latte and a sandwich. I also love their brunch menu! I love the tapas at Gorliz, too. I’m still looking for a good restaurant in Cebu that serves creative cuisine, and not just the typical dishes you can get in other restaurants. I don’t want another pizza or pasta or steak place—we need something new and different, a place where unexpected ingredients are married together to make a sumptuous dish. For now, I get that craving fix from The Pig & Palm, Anzani and The Abaca Group.

Mikaela Yoloque Pacubas. photography Chester Baldicantos. makeup Janice Barillo hair Gino Fonghe

Mikaela Yoloque Pacubas, 21
Chemistry Student

A typical morning for you?
While getting ready, I listen to calm music as I plan my day. Drinking coffee and reading is also a big part of my morning as it keeps me alert and focused.

And the rest of the day?
The mornings are spent in the office, and I’m in the lab late afternoons experimenting on my thesis. It varies from day to day though.

Do you eat breakfast everyday?
I try my best not to skip, so on most days I eat breakfast.

BUWAD AND GARLIC RICE: • Saute a generous amount of chopped garlic in hot oil. Add cooked rice—preferably rice that’s a few hours old—and mix until the rice is completely covered in the garlic oil mixture. • Heat oil in another pan. Make sure that it’s really hot before adding the buwad. Let it sit in the oil for a minute before flipping it over. Cook the other side for about half a minute. Transfer to paper towels if you prefer to drain out the oil, then serve on a plate.

Why do you like this particular dish for breakfast? Because dried fish and squid (buwad) with coconut vinegar (tuba) highlights Filipino cuisine. It represents our culture, and I learned to appreciate it more because of that. I like the taste combination of salty and sour—it’s my ideal first dish of the day.

What would you never have for breakfast? Juices, fruits and anything sweet.

Your favorite food? I’m always drawn to the unhealthy somehow—lechon and puso (hanging rice)!

Your favorite restaurants in the city?
For ambiance and taste, Anzani and Morals in Tinderbox.

Juanita Romualdez. photography Chester Baldicantos. hair and makeup Arnauld

Juanita Romualdez, 20
Singer, Songwriter, Project Coordinator of a Cebu-based literary organization

A typical morning for you?
Mornings for me now either go by in a rush or don’t exist at all. By that I mean I’m always busy—either I have to work or have errands to run during mornings. I live quite far from the city so I need to pace myself and give myself some allowance time for travel, so typically mornings go by with me running around the house to get ready. On slow days, mornings don’t exist because I would normally stay in bed for as long as I can and would head down at noon to grab brunch.

Do you eat breakfast everyday?
Eating breakfast is a constant argument between my parents and I. Since I’m mostly in a rush, I hardly ever eat breakfast. My mom would always insist that I eat a full meal, but I just think it takes too much of my time.

CEREAL AND FRUITS: • It’s the easiest recipe ever. Pour some cereal in a bowl, add some milk and sprinkle whatever dried fruit there is in the fridge on top. • Slice up fresh fruits to eat on the side. • My friend Gab Arcenas also got me onto his homemade granola. He buys granola from S&R, and mixes it with honey, nuts and other dried fruit. It’s really good and healthy.

Why do you like this particular dish for breakfast? I hate having to eat full meals because not only does it take up time, it also makes me feel heavy and sleepy. I chose quick meals like cereal and sliced fruit because they’re enough to fill my stomach without making me too full. They’re also easy to prepare, the no-cook kind of breakfast.

What would you never have for breakfast? I can’t really think of anything specific but I guess I would never eat spicy food in the morning, that would probably just mess my stomach up.

Your favorite food? My comfort food is and always will be sinigang. I absolutely love fast food, pizza and burgers. I could last months just eating pizza or burgers, but I won’t because I know it would probably kill me. I also really love Asian food—Japanese, Korean and Thai. My palette and heart will always have room for some Italian food.

Your favorite restaurants in the city?
I hardly ever eat out, and when I do it’s mostly at common fast food places. However, I used to frequent and enjoy Hola Espana when I still lived in Mactan—they have a great ox tongue dish and panna cotta. Nowadays, I would say that I love going to Topokki Man for some really good Korean food with reasonable prices. I’m sad that Choi City closed—I used to enjoy their hakao so much. I would also go to Kublai Khan for their check-a-bowls, good Japanese food at Nonki, S&R Pizza, Delice for good food and a good view. I’m just gonna have to put it out there that Edd’s Ngohiongan across USC-TC is definitely one of the places I love going to for ngohiong and stuffed egg paired with a special sauce you mix up using their mango sauce, chili sauce and soy sauce.

(This article has already been published in Zee Lifestyle’s November 2016 Entertaining Issue, “Breakfast Club” on pages 61-71.)

Up Next

Zee’s Pick for the Week

Don't Miss

The Best Food-Stopovers When Biking Uphill at the Transcentral Highway in Cebu

Eats

A Moving Feast: Cebu Food and Wine Festival 2024 Opens in NUSTAR Resort

by Kara Mae M. Noveda

Taste Cebu! That is how the invitation goes for the two-day opening salvo of this year’s Cebu Food and Wine Festival (CFWF) held at the NUSTAR Resort Cebu. When the doors opened in the plush ballrooms last June 1, more than a thousand guests were treated to a moving feast for all the senses. Setting this year’s festival apart, the CFWF board of organizers put on a multi-sensory approach. Bringing their vision board to life, the opening gala brought large-scale visuals to complement an array of innovative culinary creations. After all, we also taste with our eyes.

Meticulously prepared local-inspired dishes with overflowing wine and alcoholic drinks filled the three tasting zones: Wave, Peak, and Warmth–with each themed zone serving a taste of a distinct aspect of Cebuano food culture.

Beginning with the Wave Tasting Zone that capitalizes on the coastal freshness of the island of Cebu. The emblematic dishes in this zone are bakasi (saltwater eel) stuffed cornmeal topped with bakasi bones and local sea urchin & tarurot (this is sea urchin blended with deep-fried baby squid floss plated in a sea urchin shell). Chef David Thien and his team also served refreshing cold noodles.

Next, the Peak Tasting Zone highlights the mountainous area west and east of Cebu. From these farm-rich areas, you get good produce transformed into incredible base ingredients for memorable local dishes: manok Bisaya (local chicken) and everyone’s favorite, Cebu Lechon. Crowds flocked into the lechon station manned by Chef Sau del Rosario, known in the culinary world as “The Godfather of Philippine Cuisine.”

Finally, the Warmth Tasting Zone celebrates the exciting city life that Cebu also has to offer. Big cities are a melting pot of different cultures, so you’re right to expect fusion dishes in this zone. Samples of exciting hybrid dishes include the coconut wine-marinated conch shell sisig served in corn tortillas and Chef Lisa Revilla-Thien’s Hamachi salad.

The festival’s honored guest, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, who walked with the media members for a preview, emphasizes the importance of gastronomy tourism. The DOT is keen on supporting programs that elevate the country’s culinary portfolio.

The Cebu Food and Wine Festival is a month-long June festival featuring over 60 pocket events spread in over 40 participating restaurants and 20 hotels.

Eats

A Quick Chat with Radisson Blu Cebu’s Kitchen Team at Feria

by MINERVA BC NEWMAN

Cebu is now abuzz with so many activities and events from last month’s Cebu Business Month (CBM) and the Cebu Food and Wine Festival (CFWF) where the food and culinary industry and the hospitality sector are in focus as two of the key developments and growths in the tourism economy.

Radisson Blu Cebu, located at Serging Osmeña Blvd., corner Pope John Paul II Ave. in Cebu City is an imposing hotel building across SM City Mabolo where comfort, unparalleled service and close attention to detail are described as the Radisson Blu Cebu experience.

What catches this writer’s attention is the hotel’s Feria Restaurant, the Lobby Bar and the Pool Bar. Many of my friends here and abroad have shared with me their food and wine dining experience while at Radisson Blu Cebu. I decided to visit and try the buffet spread at Feria and ended up chatting with the chefs, the kitchen team behind Feria’s sumptuous menus and dishes every day.

This writer had a chance to chat with Radisson Blu Cebu’s kitchen team headed by Chef Nicholas van Riemsdijk, Radisson Blu Cebu’s Executive Chef. While last month’s CFWF festival highlighted the various culinary experiences of more than 20 national chefs, Chef Nick wanted to emphasize Radisson Blu Cebu’s kitchen team that consists of 8-10 Indian, Japanese, Filipino and Mediterranean chefs that collaborated and assembled Feria Restaurant’s spread and menus at the Lobby and Pool Bars.

“Radisson Blu Cebu’s Feria is a popular buffet place in Cebu City and I am very proud of my team whipping up authentic food with all our hearts. I want my Team to be in the spotlight for what they’re doing in the kitchen. You see a beautiful buffet arrangement everyday at Feria and that is because of the hard work of my chefs,” Chef Nick told this writer.

During the Cebu Food and Wine Festival, Feria concentrated on local Filipino buffet cuisine because last year, the restaurant had 280 covers in full buffet. “This year, we intended to put out brand new local Cebuano and Pinoy dishes in our buffet to support the CFWF and we wanted to surpass last year’s covers,” Chef Nick added.

Everyday is a different buffet here at Feria, Chef Nick said that the team creates menus based on the best available products and as much as local products; sourced out from local suppliers and farms to support local as much as possible, as responsible business ethics.

“We, my team puts out authentic food each time. The by-word at the kitchen and among the chefs is consistency in tastes of the various menus we put out, because consistency means quality and respect of food and cuisine in the world. As chefs, we love food and that is true to our profession,” Chef Nick smiled.

According to Chef Nick, the chefs sit as a team to come up with the daily themed menus; changing recipe’s new things for Cebu, what’s here, what’s not and what’s to improve. Whatever he brings to his team, they learn and they are continuously working, discussing all the time and it’s always a working process, Chef Nick said.

Radisson Blu Cebu’s Feria buffet

Every day is a different buffet at Feria. Feria’s daily themed highlights to accompany its signature international staples of Filipino, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and Mediterranean fare:

Mondays are American Grill and BBQ buffet: A homage to the beloved Texas BBQ, plus American classics
Tuesdays are Asian menus focusing on well-loved recipes from the East and Southeast Asian neighbors including Malaysian, Indonesian, Singaporean, and Korean dishes highlighting refreshingly spicy flavors
Wednesdays are European dishes with more on pastas, creamy soups, heavy meat dishes
Thursdays are Latin American, highlighting recipes from Mexico to Brazil with spicy flavors
Fridays are Seafood galore, finding ways to incorporate the fruits of the sea in pizzas, pasta, fried and grilled dishes
Saturdays are for Global street food, elevated versions of easy to eat comfort foods, but not just Filipino street food but also from around the world like noodles from hawker stalls of Singapore and Malaysia; fresh and filling Vietnamese and Thai recipes as well
Sundays are Filipino food. There’s nothing like the familiar taste of home

Feria lunch is Php1,488 and dinner is Php1,688 while wine buffet also available at Php1,288 sold separately–just unlimited wine, red or white, the selection available in the buffet area and the servers will assist and can pour when requested.

Let’s meet Radisson Blu’s Chefs

“My team is flexible to the clients, they speak to the guests and talk to them for some with special requests in their dishes, like guests who are vegans or pescatarians. My team of chefs mostly always accommodates special requests,” Chef Nick said

Chef Nicholas van Riemsdijk started working as a chef since he was 16 years and he has lived and worked in many parts of the world, making his international knowledge on food and cuisine incredibly wide and expansive in nature. He brings these experiences in the Feria kitchen as the executive chef of Radisson Blu Cebu.

Chef Leo Montemayor is the Chef de Cuisine, from Canlaon City in Negros Oriental. Chef Leo has been with Radisson Blu Cebu for 10 years now and he is very proud and happy to work at the kitchen with Chef Nick and the other chefs. He said the team can do any kinds of dishes in collaboration with other dishes especially that Feria has a variety of menus.

Chef Arnel Quilestino is the Sous Chef, from Badian, Cebu. Chef Amel has more than 30 years of experience in the kitchen as part of the staff with all the other chefs at Radisson that can do all kinds of signature dishes.

Chef Jyoti Singh is the Indian Chef at Radisson who’s instrumental in winning the SunStar’s Best of Cebu 2022 Best Indian Food for Radisson Blu Cebu. Chef Jyoti is a quite guy with a cool demeanor. He is responsible for all the Indian menus and dishes at the Feria Restaurant in collaboration with the other chefs for unique tastes.

According to these chefs, they help each other and always work as team. Feria has a variety of menus every day and the team always adhere to the consistency of tastes of whatever they put on the buffet table, with the approval from the executive chef.

“There is a recipe card and description of every dish that we do because we work for excellence, quality and consistency of food tastes at Radisson Blu Cebu, and we are all very proud of our profession and our work. We feed people from the best of our hearts and soul. We respect food and mindful of food wastage,” they said.

Eats

‘Find Your Shangri-La’ Whimsical Menu at the Shangri-La, Mactan Cebu

A dreamy, indulgent gastronomic heaven awaits in Mactan, Cebu. For the discerning gourmand, our Master Chefs have curated a series of new Whimsical Menus, featuring exquisite culinary creations that shines the spotlight on the freshest locally sourced and sustainable staple ingredients.

Guests are invited to feast their senses on a delightful medley of enticing, exotic flavours, with delectable delights such as Bohol-farmed Prawns & Cebuano Mangoes with Kataifi Noodles, Double-boiled Abalone, Dried Scallop in Coconut Shell, Red Lapu-Lapu Grouper Fillet with daubs of Gold Broth and Smoky A5 Wagyu Cube Roll in Merlot Black Pepper Sauce.