Cebu is a swirling vortex of food.

I remember – as it has been engraved in my very heart and mind – Richard Gere saying to Winona Ryder in a movie, “Food is the only beautiful thing that nourishes.”

From then on, I decided to use that as an excuse to splurge on food and eat too much.

Cebu is home to many local and international chains of restaurants. Whether you are into Spanish paella, Italian fettuccini (I love Italian ice cream, by the way — Tiramisu-flavored to be exact), Mexican quesadilla, Japanese tuna sashimi, good old American cheeseburger, or world-famous Cebuano lechon, it is a food feast here. It is a feast!

The local cuisine in the many Filipino restaurants available is something you will never forget – succulent baked scallops, juicy crabs, tasty barbeque, refreshing fruits, and much more. In hidden corners, gastronomic pleasures are waiting to be discovered.

In Cebu, we relish not only the food but the distinct charm of every place, whether it is a simple food station by the street or a grand restaurant in a mall or hotel. Most of all, it is also a celebration of the company you keep.

The food experience is magnified not just by the abundance of great food, but the passion and ingenuity of chefs, and the warm, infectious atmosphere of Cebu that nourishes beyond the physical.