Maya Restaurant : Go for the Tequila

While waiting for my bag at the conveyor belt of Cebu International Airport, I looked up and there was a picture of this cool looking restaurant with a Mexican theme. Since I have never tried any other Mexican restaurant except for Mexicali, my friends and I decided to have our first meal in Cebu at Maya. 

This was  picture that intrigued me which is Maya's exterior
 (photo from restaurants' website)

After settling at Crown Regency, we took a taxi at Crossroad in Banilad which was about 20 minutes away. The front entrance was really nice and classy looking.

interior ground floor (photo from restaurants' website)

Coming in, I thought I was under dressed in my jeans and blouse but the other customers were similarly dressed. Lots of families dining in. Small bar at the back, Plenty of soft lights and nice comfy seating but there was this weird partition in the middle of the room that had a long table.  I didn't see the second floor because there was an ongoing party.

We started off with their house Margarita. Nice, cold, right amount of alcohol but served in a half glass instead of the traditional Margarita glass.

Margarita P180

For appetizer, we had the Queso Fundido Con Chorizo. The chips were thin and crispy but a little bit oily. The dip was really good. But really, combine cheese, chorizo and jalapeno and what could go wrong? It was generous too. We already finished the chips but there was plenty left over from the dip. Too bad they charge extra for additional chips.

Queso Fundido Con Chorizo P325- oven roasted cheese with chorizo mexicano
and jalapenos

The tacos were served next. My friend said that in Mexico, tacos are served with tortillas and never with the hard shell (although I absolutely love the hard tacos at Pancake House, authentic or not). At Maya's, you have the option to have the corn or flour tortillas. These are served in three and you can either have one kind of filling or different one for each.

Tacos P335/3

We had the corn tortilla and 3 different kind of fillings; Tinga (Chipotle Chicken), Carnitas (Crispy Pork) and Lengua (Braised Beef).

The tortillas were a bit oily. The fillings itself were bland and a bit tasteless. Faint chipotle flavor in the chicken, pork was not crispy at all and lengua was sliced in cubes and did not have melt in your mouth taste. No salsa or any other thing added except some onions and green thing on top (sorry, wasn't able to identity this but I don't think it's guacamole). Very disappointed.

Next course was Fajitas over a sizzling plate (or Plancha). This was one was a bit better. The chicken was tender and was nicely seasoned. There were 3 small tortillas which was fine since you are supposed to just roll them up and eat them separately. The Mexican rice was good too. Serving was good for 2 person.

Fajitas Polo De Ajo P595 - Plancha Roasted Chicken with frijoles, mexican rice,
charred peppers, onions and warm tortillas

The only thing that bothered me was that there were plenty of chili (sili) in the dish. With the dark lighting and everything mixed together, one could easily have overlooked it and bitten into one. Good thing my friend spotted these and warned us.

sili galore

Enchiladas Carnitas P450 - Enchilada topped with sour cream with Mexico Rice and Refried Beans

I like the Enchilada of Mexicali so of course I also wanted to try Maya's version. Nice good serving that is enough for 2. I like the refried beans. The filling in the Enchilada was super tender and really tasty. The sauce was also good with good amount of sweet, tomatoey and salty flavor. But I like Mexicali's version better because they amp up their taste with a little bit more flavor.

Blue agave is the plant that is used to make Tequila

One of the good things about Maya is their extensive Tequila selections and they have what is called a Blue Agave Tasting Tour. It consist of trying 8 different Tequilas in 1/4 shots. Apparently like wine, Tequila, also has different kinds based on age; Blanco (aged less than 2 months), Reposado (aged more than 2 months but less than a year in a barrel) and Anejo (aged more than a year but less than 3 years in a barrel). 

getting ready :)

This part was actually cool. They gave us a list of Tequilas that they have and you have to choose 2 Blancos, 3 Reposado and 3 Anejo. All of us shared and was able to taste 8 different Tequilas and decide which ones we liked. The price was reasonable too. The clear winner was Blanco Patron which was smooth and did not leave much of an aftertaste.

done!

I did not care for the Sangria that came with it which you're supposed to drink in between each tasting to cleanse the palette.

gulp :(

Final Verdict

The look and feel of the restaurant was very classy. It's a nice place to take someone if you want to impress. Unfortunately, the food was a hit and miss. It was expensive even if there were 4 of us sharing the bill. My take is that come for the extensive Tequila collection but lower your expectation about the food.

MAYA
Crossroads, Banilad
Cebu City

Tel (032) 2389552
http://theabacagroup.com

Hours: Sunday - Thursday 5pm-11pm
Friday -Saturday 5pm - 2am

Zubuchon : Not Everything It's Cracked Up to Be

Last month, I had to fly to Cebu for work. I took the opportunity to try Zubuchon, touted as the "Best pig ... EVER!" by chef/critic Anthony Bourdain.

Lechon, for those who don't know (where have you been, people?) is roasted pig. In the Philippines, it's cooked over an open fire pit and rotated slowly for several hours. Zubuchon lechon, I was told, is bathed in coconut milk and rubbed with different spices such as lemon, thyme, olive oil. No MSG. While roasting, the skin is pricked so the flavor of the rubs penetrate the meat.

Who says pigs can't fly?

There are about 4 outlets of Zubuchon in Cebu. Since we came from Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, it was easier to go near the one at Capitolyo building on Escario Street just beside 7-11 and before McDonalds. It's less than 2km away from the hotel but with traffic it took about 20 minutes. 

Nice, clean and cool restaurant

There were plenty of tables on a Tuesday afternoon. The restaurant was nice, clean and had big floor to ceiling windows on 2 sides. Even though it was located just along a busy street, the bamboo trees outside gave the customers some privacy. 

Some items on display:

Chicharon galore! P100 for 100 grams and P200 for 200 grams

they sold some marmalade as well

looks interesting

At the end of the restaurant is the room where you can see your lechon being chopped up. White, easy to hold boxes are ready for those who want to take some for pasalubong.

Kamias shake P95

My friend Ana insisted that I try their Kamias drink. Despite the fact that I don't like sour drinks, I decided to try one and boy, was I glad I did. Really refreshing, right amount of sweetness and did not have the cringe tingling sourness of the raw kamias fruit. There is some sourness but it was not too much that it overwhelms you. Really, really excellent.

Of course, we were there for the lechon. 

which to choose? 

Aside from the obvious, the waiter couldn't tell us the difference between boneless and with bone-in Zubuchon. I gather it has something to do with "dark meat" vs "white meat"? Nevertheless, only the Boneless Zubuchon was available so that settles that. 

Zubuchon Rice Meal P160

The lechon meat was not as salty as the other ones I tasted in Cebu. The skin was a bit thick but still crunchy and nicely flavored. Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the layer of fat sticking to the skin. It was oily. I couldn't help but compare it to another store selling lechon which is CNT. At CNT, the skin is like really sinfully bad potato chips with little fat. Maybe the fat on Zubuchon lechon has something to do with the pigs coming from non-commercial piggeries?

Mungo with Zubuchon Meat and Chicaron Bits P190

The mungo is good for 2, packs a good flavor and plenty of meat but a bit watery.

Slow Cooked Adobo Rice Meal P110

Nicely caramelized bit of pork. Reminds me of my mom's adobo when she would simmer it low for a couple of hours until all the sauce is cooked out. Unfortunately, it was too much fat that you really couldn't taste the meat itself.

Sylvannas

I couldn't remember how much the Sylvannas were but it was really nice. I like the original one - not too sweet and just the right amount of crunch. The oreo one was also good but the original one was the best. 

rice meals good for 1

The Verdict? 

For the ambiance, cleanliness and variety of the food not to mention excellent Kamias shake, I would go to Zubuchon. For lechon pasalubong? I will still go to good ol' CNT. 

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They have 4 branches throughout Cebu for dine in or just to buy kilos of lechon for pasalubong. However, if you don't have the time to go, they have a small kiosk at the pre-departure lounge of the airport where you can buy pre-packed 1 kilo lechon to take home or eat a simple meal like the one above. They would even pack the meal for you should you want to eat on the plane. Note that the prices at the airport is about 30% more. 

Location: 

Zubuchon Escario

Escario Bldg. Escario St.

Cebu City

Tel #: (032) 583 – 5699

Zubuchon Capitol

Capitol Site, Cebu City

Tel #: (032) 254 – 7342

Zubuchon Mango

Mango Ave. Bldg

Cebu City

Tel #: (032) 239 – 5697