Carinderia - Delicious food joints I've been missing out on since arriving in Cebu
Written by: Ely S.
When it comes to food, I'll admit I'm a little picky. But its not entirely my fault.
Let me explain...
I grew up in Sydney, Australia where almost everyone is a self proclaimed foodie or a real certified food critic. When you travel with Australians, you will notice that they complain about everything. In fact, I read a recent article on this exact same topic explaining why Aussies are the biggest complainers in the world.
The reason is because Australia is a spoiled nation when it comes to... pretty much everything but especially food. Ask any expert and they will proudly tell you that Australia has better Italian food than Italy, better Vietnamese food than Vietnam, better espresso than France. better Japanese than Japan. And its probably all true.
Living right in the centre of Cebu City's top entertainment and dining hub, packed with cafes, bars and restaurants, I'm often spoilt for choice. Whenever I'm hungry, I simply go down and quite literally cross the street and I'l be faced with options ranging from fast food to casual and fine dining. Then there's foodpanda... same food.. delivered to your door.
Only problem is, after a while everything starts to taste the same. (See? Complaining already:) )
My Carinderia Experience
A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to try something different. Beside my condo is a small alleyway that leads to a 7 Eleven which I frequently walk to for load top-ups or drinking water. And on the way, are numerous eateries along the street which I notice are often packed with people during most hours of the day and late into the night. Its never occurred to me to eat there because frankly it just didn't look inviting. Until one night around 9pm I was walking past with a friend and she suggested that we eat. And although I wasn't hungry, I just followed her lead and we walked straight into one of the eateries (Carinderia). I don't quite know the name but from memory its an orange building or one with orange painted walls or maybe even the one next to that.
As we walked in, I was immediately met with stuffiness and humidity, feeling droplets of sweat running down the sides of my neck. The dining area had a number of scruffy looking plastic tables all lined up with their plastic stools and a little fan blowing in the background which made absolutely no difference to the circulation of the air. The carinderia was half full at the time but steadily filling up.
I could smell the food and noticed the variety of dishes on display behind the glass shelving as well as in the pots and trays at the front; (almost like a buffet type of setup). The food looked surprisingly good and there was so much to choose from that I was a little overwhelmed because I wanted to try everything. So I let me friend choose and we ended with four dishes.
With drinks, this meal cost us P198 in total.
By the end of it, I was converted. The food was tasty and there was a selection large enough to satisfy anyone's cravings. It was somewhat fresh (because of the constant flow of people, the food had to be regularly replenished so it didn't sit there for too long.) and it was very cheap!
Now, this may not be the usual instagram friendly dining experience, but it's certainly a unique dining experience non the less. The dishes will not be presented nicely, it will most likely be slapped on with a ladle onto a mix and match plastic saucer or bowl. It's not restaurant food but its not any less tastier. It's simple and unpretentious. To me it's like home cooked meals/dishes. Function before form ;)
The atmosphere was unique. It was laid back yet always on the move. People coming in and out by themselves or in a group, similar to a foodcourt environment.
Overall it was a great dining experience which will definitely not be my last. Often we miss out on experiences because of perceptions programed into our minds. We preoccupy ourselves with the comfort of what we already know that we fail to see what else is out there.
Today, make an effort to try something new and see what happens. You might just be surprised.
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