Cebu’s barbecue alley needs makeover—desperately

A vendor shows his barbecue display at Larsian in uptown Cebu City. — TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—Larsian, the long smoky strip of barbecue stalls that has become a landmark in Cebu City and a must-try for tourists, needs a makeover—desperately.

Considered the “heart” of the city, Larsian near Fuente Osmeña Rotunda has become a haven for grilled food and barbecues for almost 50 years. But what is supposed to be one source of Cebu’s pride has become an eyesore for some people.

Its newly appointed administrator, Joey Herrera, said his office had gathered a lot of feedback about poor sanitation in the place, the lack of water supply, and the absence of parking spaces.

Complaints

Some customers have complained about seeing rats and flies even on food covered with plastic.

Larsian, which occupies nearly one-fifth of a hectare of property owned by the provincial government, traces its roots to a barbecue stall owned by Alvino Mondarez, a retired colonel, near B. Rodriguez Street and Fuente Osmeña Rotunda back in the 1970s. Its name is derived from the names of his mother, Pilar, and her twin sister, Siana.

Not long after, more people put up their own grill stands, offering a variety of grilled meat, from chicken parts that include skin, liver, intestines, heart and gizzard to fish and squid. They also serve “puso”—hanging rice which Cebu has been famous for.

Prices ranged from P6 to P150, with a stick of chicken intestines as the cheapest, and grilled marlin or squid, or “liempo” (pork belly) as the most expensive.

Now, Larsian is open 24 hours daily and business peaks at night. Many people eat with bare hands.

Food safety

According to a report from the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD), the vendors had been operating without business and sanitary permits. Many of the food servers do not have health cards and proper uniform, and have not attended food safety seminar.

The CCHD also listed foul odor, lack of comfort rooms and wash areas, inadequate drainage and irregular garbage collection.

Herrera said Larsian’s reputation among Cebuanos had slowly diminished in the past few years due to sanitation
problems.

“When we think of things to do while in Cebu, eating ‘lechon’ is one and, of course, a stop at Larsian. Visitors from Manila would really want to visit the place,” he said. “But for us, Cebuanos, at the back of our mind, we would say ‘Are you sure you really want to dine at Larsian?’”

Brisk business

One of the vendors, Ramilo Sinangote, does not seem to mind the situation. He has his hands full, taking orders of grilled meat from customers.

While he desperately tries not to inhale the thick smoke from the grill, Sinangote, 55, of Barangay Guadalupe, is delighted at the thought of how his food venture of two decades has thrived.

“This business has been part of my life. It helped my family a lot, especially in sending my three children to school,” he said.

Sinangote assures the public that the food in Larsian is clean and safe to eat. “This is an eatery. If what we serve are dirty, then no one will eat here,” he said.

The provincial government has allocated P2 million to rehabilitate the place after the celebration of Cebu’s prime tourist event, the Sinulog Festival, in January. Work will focus on improving the drainage system, establishing a parking lot and enhancing services.