As we continued our exploration of Cebu’s urban dining delights, we were guided by our hosts to Casa Verde, one of the province’s most popular restaurants.
Located at Cebu’s Information Technology Park (IT Park), a hub to the province’s business process outsourcing (BPO) companies, Casa Verde offers an American-style menu, quite similar to known bistros like TGI Fridays and Burgoo. A look at their menu would reveal a core offering of soups, salad, pasta and steak. What was surprising with Casa Verde’s menu was its much lower price range than its bigger, more known counterparts. Hence, feeling encouraged by their promising menu, I proceeded to sample their steak and pasta meal.
I was pretty impressed with the description of this particular dish. The restaurant’s menu described the beef as US Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified, with the pasta cooked aglio olio (olive oil and garlic) style. What impressed me further was the price tag at about 160 pesos. I then ordered this dish and I certainly got what I paid for. While the steak was pretty much OK for something at this price range, it would probably be best to recommend this dish for foodistas with small appetites.
So, still a bit hungry, I proceeded to order the restaurant’s bestseller, Brian’s Ribs. Knowing I won’t probably finish it, being just a little bit hungry, I split the dish with a friend. I soon found out, much to my happiness, why this dish was considered as a bestseller. The portion, priced at slightly over 150 pesos, was outrageously huge. It was a rib that could fill an entire plate!
What was extraordinary about this particular dish was its rich flavor. The sweet, smoky taste just seeped through the ribs, and it was a joy to savor. (The meat of the ribs was just so tender; it almost melted in my mouth!) It was one of the best barbecued ribs I ever tasted, and it single-handedly made my trip to the restaurant worth it.
Of course, the restaurant did feature some more standouts, like their French Onion soup, which was served on top with melted cheese, as well as their Surf and Turf (shrimp and steak). What did impress me in Casa Verde nonetheless was not just its good food, but also its reinforcement of Cebu’s cosmopolitan character. With an ambiance that set the mood for a special dinner, coupled with a menu that was equally good, Casa Verde truly did not disappoint, and it was certainly one of Cebu’s gastronomic delights.
(to be continued)
Note: I would like to say thanks to http://misswilhelmina.com for being the source of this entry’s picture.
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