Dinuguan, halo-halo ‘Taste of Cebu’ hits

The dinuguan (pork blood stew) with puto (steamed rice muffins) and halo-halo were a hit among tourists and Cebuanos who sampled food and delicacies yesterday in the foodfest “Taste of Cebu.”

The two-day event at the Ayala Terraces opened yesterday offering Cebu specialties prepared by top tourist establishments at reasonable prices.

The event organized by the Hotel, Resort, and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) also showed the hotel industry’s culinary disciplines, said Hans Hauri, HRRAC president.

“Being that it is the peak of tourism season in May we wanted to take the opportunity as the HRRAC together with our suppliers in the academe to showcase what Cebu does best, and that is food. Next to service, it must be the friendliness of Cebuanos,” he said.

“We called out member hotels to bring out the best in culinary arts to showcase here, sell it at a reasonable price and make people happy,” he said.

Different stalls displayed specialties from 14 member hotels, resorts and restaurants in Cebu.

Chairs and tables were set up under tents in a warm summer afternoon.

Laguna Garden Cafe’s halo-halo was one of the best-selling dishes.

Several tourists, mostly Koreans , were seen enjoying what must have been an exotic dish for them—dinuguan with puto.

Radisson Blu offered its homemade ice-cream.

Imperial Palace Cebu sold lechon tacos. Other participants served adobo and lechon kawali with rice.

Prices ranged from P50 to P150, which are way below menu rates if the food was served in the hotel outlets.

Hauri said some of the proceeds of the event would go to the charity of Children’s Hour.

Hauri said he hoped that the “Taste of Cebu” would become an annual event.

The launching was attended by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and heads of different hotels, resorts and restaurants.

The culinary event ends today. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus