The Pig and Palm – Gourmet Experience In Cebu, Philippines

The culinary scene in Cebu has evolved significantly over the years. Flavors from different parts of the world are readily available in the city. From street foods to upscale dining, it offers variety of tastes that tickles your palate with a whole new experience.

During our latest travel in Cebu (Philippines), Derick and I had our dose of foodie moments from this new restaurant called The Pig and Palm. We accidentally discovered this restaurant when we watched one of Erwan Heussaff’s vlog wherein he highly recommended this place. Since we were searching online for the best places to dine in Cebu, we thought, why not give it a try. To add more knowledge of the restaurant that we’re about to try, I made a quick research and found out that The Pig and Palm is one of the restaurants owned by the Michelin-starred British chef Jason Atherton. And to say the least, it was recently hailed by the Philippine Tatler as one of the BEST RESTAURANTS in 2017. Isn’t that impressive?

Location

Located inside the first level of MSY Tower at Pescadores Road Cebu Business Park, Cebu City, finding the restaurant was a bit tricky because most Taxi drivers aren’t familiar with the place. Probably it is 10 minutes walk from Ayala Mall. With the help of Google Maps we were able to locate it.

Ambiance

The restaurant isn’t that big however the open layout design gives enough room for the diners.  It has a classy touch of interior pieces which provide a cozy atmosphere. One of the highlights in their dining area is the open kitchen bar wherein diners can see all the action and observe how meals are being prepared.

From the name itself The Pig and Palm, cute pig figurines are visible within the restaurant adding some succulent vibe of what’s coming to your table.

It was past one o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the restaurant. Just the right time with the busy lunch service already subsided. The place was so quiet which made us thought it was closed, however the bar tender welcomed us and directed us to go inside where the waitress was waiting. The place was almost empty so we got to choose which table we’re comfortable to sit in.

Food

As soon as we got settled into our table, the charming attendant handed us the menu. Having no idea of what to order, I asked the lady of what she can recommend for us. And she suggested to try their seasonal set menu. Without any fuss Derick and I agreed to have one per choice. Thinking that it wouldn’t be enough for the two of us, so we added extra appetizer and ordered our drinks.

Our drinks arrived first followed by the dishes in sequence from starter down to the dessert.  Each meal that landed on our table was a surprise for us. We were actually in awe of how our food was presented. As we finished each dish the attendant changed our plates and cutlery.

Chicken Karaage is basically Japanese fried chicken.  It is a bite-size marinated boneless chicken coated with starch and deep fried in oil. Crunchy outside and juicy inside. I thought fried chicken only taste good with gravy but hey, the sriracha mayonnaise is a perfect dip for this bite-size goodies it really enhance the flavors when combined. If you love fried chicken then you will also love Chicken Karaage.

At first glance who can guess that this is a Cauliflower Salad. This really surprised us, not only of its presentation but how delicious it was. When it landed on our table, I was like ‘are we eating dessert first?‘ … then the attendant smiled and explained what’s on our plate.  The salad has full of wonderful flavors yet balanced. I swear it taste as yummy as it looked. I was blown away!

After having our two dishes, we were both excited of what’s coming next. Then here comes the Salmon Parsley Fishcake. The fanciest fishcake I’ve ever had. The gribiche sauce was very smooth which complimented well with the fishcake and other elements on the plate.

Our fourth and main dish arrived – Confit of Pork Belly, I can tell that this is the star dish in the menu we chose. Look at those pork belly, delicate yet oozing with flavors. Imagine how these simple ingredients became a wonderful gourmet dish. The pork belly was very flavorful and tender plus the smooth velvety polenta was just yum.

Last but definitely not the least, our dessert came – Matcha Cheesecake. Unlike the traditional cheesecake that I know, this cake is somewhat deconstructed. The creamy goodness of macha combined with cheese was very smooth topped with some crunch and white chocolate quenelle on the side. The raspberry neutralized the sweetness and gave balance to it. It was such a heavenly treat. I loved it!

Service and Price

We were very happy of how the staff took care of us. They’re very patient in explaining to us every detail and elements in each dish that we had. Impressive service if may say.

Having such quality of food brought into our table, I can’t say it’s pricey. For me the price is reasonable considering the amount of effort put in each plate and to come up with such delicious meal. I’m willing to pay as long as I’m happy with it.

Overall Experience

Derick and I had a wonderful time. We loved all the dishes that we had and we can’t wait to come back. If you happen to be in Cebu, might as well give it a try and experience it yourself.

 

Note: This is NOT a sponsored post. Everything written here was based on our recent restaurant visit.