Cebu Living: 2018 January

CEBU LIVING

JANUARY 2018

CLAYTON TUGONON The new CITEM head puts the country’s food security first

MODEL MOGUL

Visionary Shanna Lopez transforms plans into reality page 04

LIFE OF THE PARTY

Christian Buhisan is shaking up the nightlife with his new craft bar page 08

THE PYRAMID

Cebu’s own Louvre is attracting curiosity and appetites page 19

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CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE

PHOTO BY JIM UBALDE

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SOCIAL DIARIES A hilltop wedding gets the Southern treatment

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PROFILE The NEXUS Realty CEO is armed with a killer smile and dress sense

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COVER STORY Clayton Tugonon is focusing first on local food production

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FOOD The Pyramid is bringing luxury within the Cebuano budget

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RECIPE Treat Street’s famous chocolate pie

CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS ADRIAN DIONGZON, LIANA SMITH BAUTISTA HAIR RHEA PAJOIRAY OF BENCH FIX MAKEUP NICKO DE LA PENA PHOTOGRAPHERS NAPOLEON BOJOS JR., JIM UBALDE BOARD CHAIRPERSON ALEXANDRA PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ FINANCE ADVISOR AND TREASURER

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GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA EDITOR AT LARGE JUDE BACALSO ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR BEA CELDRAN ASSOCIATE EDITOR ALYOSHA ROBILLOS CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM GRAPHIC ARTIST LARA INTONG

Jude A. Bacalso Cebu Living Editor at Large

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ON THE COVER: IMAGE BY JIM UBALDE

CEBU LIVING

Money makes the world go round, and during no other season does it prove truer than now. The end of the year frenzy is palpable, and it is both a welcome tradition as well as a nightmare.

To help you navigate the coming year is our Money Issue, because magazines also have to answer the question “How does one make money?”

We’ve gathered a most diverse group of Cebu’s entrepreneurs, from the daywalkers to the night shifters, to dispense tricks of the trade that a budding businessperson can apply to their own startups.

Christian Buhisan is shaking up the after-hours with a steady stream of parties aimed at the millenial and Gen Edge crowds while Shanna Lopez is bringing her youthful vibe to the whirlwind world of real estate.

But it’s time for that other question about money: What does one make of it? Our cover boy Clayton Tugonon, the spanking new executive director of CITEM, knows that after you’ve made enough from a successful foray into a business, the next step is the business of making other peoples’ lives better. You’ll love his candid reflections on money matters, and why what really matters has truly changed for him.

Happy New Year, everyone!

J. FERDINAND DE LUZURIAGA LEGAL ADVISOR ATTY. RUDYARD ARBOLADO HR STRATEGY HEAD RAYMUND SOBERANO VP AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER IMELDA ALCANTARA SVP AND GROUP SALES HEAD FELIPE R. OLARTE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER JULIE ANDREA SANTIAGO AVP FOR SALES MA. KATRINA MAE GARCIA-DALUSONG SALES SUPERVISOR JOY SANTOS-PILAR KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ABBY GINAGA, THEA ORDIALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANDIE ZUÑIGA, CHARM BANZUELO, LIZA JISON, HIROMI JURADO SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, NERIZA HARINA CUSTOM SALES SUPERVISOR POLO P. DAGDAG MANAGING EDITOR ANGELA VELASCO ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR PAM BROOKE CASIN SENIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT PAULINE MIRANDA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS KHEENA ALELOJO, CHRISTELLE TOLISORA, KRYSTIN PAPAGAYO SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE SHANNA MALING, SARAH CABALATUNGAN ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE INA MATEO GRAPHIC ARTISTS RACHELL FLORES, KATRICE MONTES, YAYIE MOTOS, NICO ORTIGOZA, JAYCELINE SORIANO MARKETING AND EVENTS MANAGER JELLIC TAPIA EVENTS MANAGER

NATIONAL BOOK STORE, SM CITY CEBU NATIONAL BOOK STORE, AYALA CENTER CEBU STARBUCKS COFFEE RADISSON BLU HOTEL MARCO POLO HOTEL

NATIONAL BOOK STORE, SM SEASIDE CEBU NATIONAL BOOK STORE, ROBINSONS GALLERIA CEBU MOVENPICK HOTEL CEBU CITY MARRIOT HOTEL BO’S COFFEE

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SOCIAL DIARIES SOCIAL DIARIES

By JUDE BACALSO

A DOWN-HOME AFFAIR A hilltop wedding gets all the signature pomp and pageantry of the South

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SOCIAL DIARIES

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: HANNAH LOIS KANGLEON WALKS DOWN A GARDEN AISLE, THE PASTOR AND THE GROOM AWAIT THE BRIDE, FLOWER GIRLS

The lush elegance of a plantation, beautiful French Creole architecture, and personalized pomp and pageantry are hallmarks of southern hospitality—the same vibe that provided the setting to the wedding of Kristoff Armand Espina Tan and Hannah Lois Kangleon, which was officiated at the sprawling Espina estate on top of a hill in Monterrazas.

“Toby and I met in Velez,” shared Hannah.

“We were classmates all throughout our four years in college and in medical school in CIM, but we became a couple on our third year in nursing school.”

Both training under the department of surgery, husband and wife also descended from doctors: Toby is the son of Dr. Armando Tan, a surgeon, and Dr. Charisse Espina Tan (OB Gyne), while Hannah’s parents are Dr. Rogelio Kangleon, also a surgeon, and Dr. Carol Kangleon, the dean of Cebu Velez College of Nursing.

Their wedding was coordinated by Cebu’s top wedding planner Snoogie Reynes-Mata, with videography by Franz Arrogante and music by Cebu’s best wedding band On The Cover. The entourage’s gowns were designed by Roni Yu and the suits by Edwin Ao.

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PROFILE

BOSS LADY Shanna Louise Lopez’s clarity of vision is matched by her capability to turn her plans into reality

By LIANA SMITH BAUTISTA Images by JIM UBALDE

If made to imagine an up-and-coming real of estate mogul, you probably wouldn’t think a woman in her early 30’s, wearing a killer dress sense and sassy smile. But Shanna Louise Lopez, powerhouse and CEO of NEXUS Real Estate Corporation, is in a class of her own.

Riding on a high from her company’s recent creation of two subsidiaries and thus securing its position in the market, Shanna talks the talk and walks the walk when it comes to leading a balanced lifestyle.

You were on a very different career path before you decided to go into real estate.

Why the shift?

I actually took a pre-law course back in college since I had dreams of entering the legal profession. But before I could enroll in law school, I decided to help my mom run a couple of our businesses. Then I got hooked on the challenges of running an enterprise. I learned to look forward to the unique tasks that present themselves in the course of any business endeavor.

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At one point, I decided to try my hand at flipping a few houses that were part of our portfolio, and I was surprised at how fast I was able to sell them at the margins I had.

From then on, I found my calling. I took the helm of our property development arm, with plans of making it a major industry player.

Was it difficult to change gears?

I’ve learned to love what I do, and I have started to believe in the adage. “A man’s home, no matter how humble, is his castle.” This is why I chose to join the real estate development business. I truly feel that it is both a business and a vocation as it allows me to provide families with one basic need: housing. The business allows me to earn my keep while I also do my little share of nation-building.

You’ve been vocal about your love of Cebu. What’s your vision for our city?

Cebu’s rise as a major destination for new real estate development projects

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PROFILE

Hair by RHEA PAJORAY OF BENCH FIX Makeup by NICKO DE LA PENA OF MAC

“What will set us apart is that our 21st century modernity will always have the idyllic and island feel that is uniquely Cebuano.�

bodes well for its economic growth. As per its report, the local government has recognized that real estate [has been] the fastest growing local industry for the past two to three years. My only concern is that both private and public sectors must come up with a more comprehensive and long-term development plan to make sure we will not end up with the usual problems of other highly industrialized cities in the Philippines such as flooding, illegal settlers, high crime rate, etc.

I think it is safe to say that Cebu will rightfully take its place as a major growth and destination center within the Southeast Asian region a few years from now. We shall have the necessary infrastructure and amenities to further increase our capacity to absorb foreign investments and tourists. But what will set us apart is that our 21st century modernity will always have the idyllic

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and island feel that is uniquely Cebuano.

You seem to be a woman with her roots firmly planted in home soil but who also has a global perspective. Would you agree with this assessment?

Yes. Globalization plays a big part on how society evolves and how businesses grow at the same time. We have to have a broad perspective and not just limit ourselves to what we know and see locally.

As a local company supporting sustainable local products, we adhere to global standards for our projects. The use of natural over synthetic materials and the practice of environmentally responsible and resource-efficient construction methods have been applied to our ecoconscious advocacy.

all the businesses to a different level. On a more personal note, I look forward to settling down and starting my own family.

What challenges do you plan to take on next?

I have multiple expansion projects on the planning board [that are designed] to take

Do you have a personal philosophy you live by?

I’ve always believed in leading a wellbalanced life. Work, play, travel, exercise,

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Who are the people and what are the things that inspire you to do what you do?

First and foremost, my mom and my sisters who have always supported me in all my endeavors. It also helps when you have a team behind you who shares the same enthusiasm and passion towards the same vision. I’ve also had several buyers who personally came to thank me and tell me they have found their dream home through our projects. Apart from my work life, I keep myself busy by engaging in community and environmental projects.

and spending time with the people who matter most will bring out the best in any person. Life is too short, that’s why it is essential to find what makes us happy. If you love what you are doing and commit yourself to excellence in everything you do, you will be successful.

What do you wish the youth of Cebu knew?

With all the recent economic developments set to transform Cebu into a mega city within the next few years, I hope the youth will not forget their roots and the values that have shaped the heritage of being truly Cebuano. I hope they won’t be caught in and lose their identities to social media entrapment, that they will grow into strong individuals ready to take on the challenges life gives them. As a guiding principle, it is always important to respect elders and put God in the center of their lives.

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LICENSE TO PARTY Craft Café’s Christian Buhisan on what it takes to turn a bar into party central

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“Whatever you think you want to do, just do it. And if you think there’ll be challenges, there’ll always be ways around them. You just have to work a bit harder.”

By LIANA SMITH BAUTISTA Images by NAPOLEON BOJOS, JR.

Ask a group of twenty-somethings where the best place in Cebu is to get your party on, and at least one is bound to mention Craft Café in Banilad Town Center. By day, it’s a great place to enjoy coffee and free WiFi, but at night, the art comes off the walls and the party starts. And at the center of it all is co-founder Christian Buhisan.​ It isn’t uncommon to find the selfconfessed extrovert circulating among his patrons. In fact, it’s a rare night that he doesn’t find himself chatting up at least a few of the people in this seen-and-be-seen hotspot. “I actually say hi to them almost every day,” Christian says. “‘Hey, how are you guys doing? Are you having a good time?

Do you need anything?’”

Fortunately, entertaining people is something Christian’s had a lot of practice in. “When my parents would have guests in the house, I would be there entertaining them, talking to them.”

More difficult for him is the work behind the scenes. “It was challenging [to learn] how to balance everything. I’d be talking here for accounting, then someone would be like ‘Sir, naa’y problema dinhi sa inventory,’ and I’d go ‘Okay, wait, I’ll be there.’ I really had to learn how to say, ‘Wait, I’m going to finish this, then I’ll do this then do that.’”

Although there was a bit of a learning curve, not all things about managing a bar were new to Christian as Craft isn’t his first venture of this nature. He and a group of

schoolmates had opened the now-defunct Barcode right after graduating from university—something he now describes as “a college project.” Through Barcode, he met and became friends with his co-founder, Alchology and PUMP club owner Elton Tio. A shared love of good company and good alcohol ensured that when Christian proposed the idea to partner up and open a new bar, Elton immediately agreed.

Craft Café opened in 2015 in a shared space with My Greek Taverna. “Since we had to match [the bar] with the Greek food and since we were at the [Banilad Town Center] mall, we had to somehow make it alive during the day and not only ‘night-genic.’ So we were like, okay, let’s make it a café during the day and more of a chill bar at night.”

The party didn’t come to Craft until a few months after they had opened, though, with a little help from Christian’s friends and key influencers from Cebu’s party scene, whom they invited to come, try their booze, and chill out. “For how many months, we played without DJs. We’d just plug in a cell phone and play music. My friends would be playing party music, and they’d invite friends, and those friends would invite friends, and it just became a huge party.

And now it’s a party place. You can’t imagine how such a small place can have, on a Friday or Saturday, 200 to 300 people inside and another 200 outside.”

He also credits their selection of single

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malt whiskeys and craft beers as the major draw for many of their loyal customers. “It’s interesting because we had zero knowledge about craft beers,” he admits. “Then Cebruery came and explained everything to us, even how to make it.”

Although they now offer beer from other breweries, Cebruery beers are still some of Craft’s most popular offerings. “The topselling beer would be the Boracay Blonde. It has a catchy name, [and] it’s light. Everybody tries one different beer, and then they get that beer.” Christian’s own favorite is a bit of an acquired taste, made from green mangoes.

“The Guimaras Gose—the sour beer!”

Still, it’s clear he has tried everything Craft offers to its patrons. He is, in some ways, his own bar’s ideal customer—and that’s part of why it’s been such a success. “I don’t see it from a business perspective. I see it as if I were the customer. Like, what do I want?

Where would I want to go? How do I make sure that what I want to drink is the same as a customer’s? The customer is still always right, so [the ultimate question always is] what does the customer want?”

This question still drives Christian, who is

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working on new concepts that he hopes will change the night scene in Cebu. “We have a couple of projects upcoming, definitely one at the end of this year, and another one next year.” He isn’t ready to share too many details about them, except that one of the concepts would be of a place where people will be encouraged to dress to impress. “It’ll be interesting,” he says. “It’ll be a challenge, something new.”

Of course, Christian is used to taking challenges head on. “Whatever you think you want to do, just do it. And if you think there’ll be challenges, there’ll always be ways around them. You just have to work a bit harder.”

DUM IAM INTIQUAM O CATUUSUM PRARTERUM SENA, QUI PRAVERUM MORI TA NORENA, MIS IN VIGNOVERE ESCIT POTE NUM ESILNER FECTERFICAE CO UT VIDEM, NON TEMUR.

CHRISTIAN BUHISAN’S SELF-CONFESSED BEING AN EXTROVERT WORKS TO HIS ADVANTAGE

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METAMORPHOSIS Even after more than 20 years in the design industry, Clayton Tugonon continues to transform not just the furniture landscape but also himself

By JUDE A. BACALSO Images by JIM UBALDE

It is a strange time for Clayton Tugonon.

After three decades in the highly competitive and high-profile furniture industry, the man famous for using indigenous material in his signature mosaic inlays has quietly entered history books as the first man, the first Bisaya, and the first industry insider to be appointed executive director for the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

“I had always thought CITEM was about design and furniture and accessories,” reveals the multi-award winning Clayton, who has received accolades from the Department of Trade and Industry’s export promotions arm for the Manila FAME and Cebu X furniture shows.

His creative eye has always been different. “I used to help out when my father started Raphael Legacy Designs in 1987. I loved sketching even back then.”

Straight out of law school, he innovated the fossilized Philippine stone inlay method, which was in vogue then, by introducing what is now called the mosaic

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method: wood and stones inlaid on a base, the gaps between them emphasized.

After marrying his wife Joji in 1994, Clinton established his own design firm, Classical Geometry, a year after. “He did not bring any design from his father’s company into Classical Geometry; he made new ones,” Joji says. “It was a conscious effort on his part not to compete with what Raphael made.” That means no classic rattan pole furniture for the new company. Instead, they used rattan core and twigs, even palm twigs, which are then all hand-laminated into resin. It was a design decision that proved to be timely, as stone furniture exports were dipping during the ’90s. The new aesthetic caught on, giving birth to the Una Cebu Car, modeled after a 1959 Porsche but whose exterior was made from coconut flower stalks inlaid on fiberglass.

Not unlike the car, Clayton’s design aesthetic has always been an amalgamation of the cutting edge with the organic. In his showroom are wall-mounted lamps

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CLAYTON TUGONON’S DESIGNS ARE A MIX OF THE ORGANIC AND THE AVANT-GARDE

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that look like cross-sections of filaments, arranged in a random and yet organized pattern that can only be attributed to nature. “Termite mounds,” he says, with a proud smile. Abandoned in tracts of land owned by Joji’s family in northern Cebu, he poured resin into them to make molds, and literally fashioned laminates after them to be used in light fixtures. Another light installation looks like headless snakes suspended from the ceiling on thin wires.

“Balay sa tamasok bitaw na,” he says, and suddenly it becomes apparent: these were the homes of the yellow stem borer, the plantation pests that created subterranean tunnels in their farm in Bogo.

He soon developed an aesthetic that was wholly his own and began filling his design studio with strange-looking pieces that glowed from the inside.

Even the use of his pieces seem dichotomous: a low, egg-shaped table made from hand-inlaid rattan twigs in resin has appeared in American singer Ciara’s markedly sensual video of her 2009 hit Never Ever. But it was also Clayton’s imagination that took centerstage at the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) held in Cebu, when he was tasked to make the altar and lectern from—as Cebu Daily News writer Nestle Semilla called it—the wounds of [typhoon] Yolanda.

The strongest typhoon in recent history also saw Clayton and Joji spearhead the Bancart Project, donating 600 brand new outrigger canoes to the fishermen of San Remigio who had lost theirs. The couple’s charitable streak does not end there: their

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“Our rice fields have become subdivisions. When will we realize that once there are no more trees, you cannot eat your subdivisions?”

relationship with the Kythe Foundation and SM Cebu is now on its eighth year, and their popular Adopt-a-ChristmasVillage project has raised 30 million for indigent kids with cancer.

“I got the call that my CITEM appointment was finalized by the President when I was on my way home from a mass at the IEC,” Clayton says. That was when he realized that FAME was only one of the major projects of CITEM. “The biggest seller, in fact, is the food line. We brought 20 exhibitors to Taiwan, and our sales reached 1.5 billion in four days’ time. If the food industry in the Philippines becomes stronger, the trade deficit will be diminished. Why? We have so much food in the Philippines that only we are able to produce. Number one [source] is our miracle tree, the coconut: [it produces] virgin coconut oil and coco sugar. Palm oil was popular before people realized that between it and VCO, the latter has more healing properties. Coco sugar, too, because it has a very low glycemic index.”

With his team’s performance graded by the DTI based on their sales, it is a critical part of his job to curate the items and exhibitors they introduce to the world. “One lucky lady is Carolyne Go of Magic Melt, the Cebuano bakery founded in 1990). They synthesize mango byproducts, from seeds to peelings.” The result is mango flour, which is a glutenfree alternative to wheat flour. “At one show, we introduced their mango flour soba. Gikan saliso. The buyers could not

get enough of it!” Clayton adds that the main selling point is the upcycling, the turning of waste to money.

“The problem is this: if he or his children needs a pair of shoes, a farmer would cut down a coconut tree to sell; he forgets that his children and grandchildren would have benefited from the tree. People just want to cut trees. Don’t cut your trees, make coco sugar! Our rice fields have become subdivisions. When will we realize that once there are no more trees, you cannot eat your subdivisions?

“The Philippines was the number one producer of rice. Now, we are buying rice from the countries we exported to. There is no focus on agribusiness, when the basic foundation of a nation is food.”

A year into the position, Clayton has become more adamant about his stance on food production. “This job has made me realize that we have to plant trees, fruits, and vegetables and grow other things. A person could buy a table or chair from me or other exporters maybe once a year—twice, if we’re lucky. But people buy food every single day. It’s the nucleus of a nation.”

It is the same song about pride of country and philanthropy that he’s always been humming. This time, though, Clayton has added a new set of lyrics. And this time, he’s in a better position to get others to sing the same tune and make the chorus of voices even louder and more reverberating.

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“A person could buy a table or chair from me or other exporters maybe once a year— twice, if we’re lucky. But people buy food every single day. It’s the nucleus of a nation.”

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FOOD

By ADRIAN B. DIONGZON Images by NAPOLEON BOJOS, JR.

OLD SHAPE, NEW FORM Rising within a business district, The Pyramid causes a commotion and gathers a crowd

“What is this place?” exclaims a flight attendant who has been gone from the city for a couple of months due to work. During her absence, the newly risen The Pyramid had created a stir and attracted many curious queries from all over the web: What is that?

Where is it in the city? Is that a restaurant?

And the most Cebuano question of them all: Is it expensive to go there?

Barely three months after its inception, The Pyramid has become the new chill out and dining destination everyone is itching to try—and to take a selfie at, while they’re at it. Its design is a combination of the monumental structures of Egypt and the iconic I.M. Pei-designed facsimile in the Louvre in Paris.

Owner Kobi Choi shares The Pyramid’s genesis: “I was sitting at a corner of a wine shop and thought of how Cebuanos love to unwind and drink wine early in the evening. At that moment, I immediately researched where wine originated and learned that it was in Egypt. And if you think of Egypt, you think of pyramids.”

He then collaborated with Korean architect Lee Tae Yeon to finalize the design of the building, and after eight months of non-stop construction and meticulously choosing the right materials and lighting, the outcome is a modern ode to antiquity. The Pyramid itself has an area of 400 sq.m., and it sits within a lot that has an area of 1600 sq.m., in the middle of the Cebu IT Park’s highrise buildings, just across E-Bloc 3.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MEDIUM RARE STEAK AND VEGETABLES, DOUBLE TROUBLE BURGER, AND A PEEK INTO THE MINIMALIST INTERIORS OF THE PYRAMID

Its all-white interior is complemented sleek furniture, an eclectic mix of modern midcentury aesthetic and industrial chic. Furniture designer Kathryn Sy explains that this design choice is meant to accentuate and give character to the interior’s open space. People have the luxury of choosing their seats, depending on their mood and the purpose of their gathering.

The combination of high chairs and low seating create the illusion of slopes, but those who just want to relax and catch up with friends can opt for the traditional tufted leatherette lounge chair. The Claude Hexa, a low table, comes with a polished granite table top in an unusual hexagonal shape and has round bars as its base, all finished in gold. Craftsmanship is also evident in the fragmented triangular patterns featured in the copper tri-chair. All pieces were designed by Play Furniture Studio.

Meanwhile, the mezzanine area’s glass framed walls and spiral floral lighting is a perfect spot for Instagram posts.

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FOOD With The Pyramid’s ties to wine, a wide array of bottles of the drink is visible as soon as one enters the bistro. General manager Ressa Jimenez says that while the place may look intimidating, especially with all the imported wines, drinking here costs well within the average spending budget.

“Cebuanos have become wine lovers. We want everybody to enjoy our wines so we make them as affordable as possible.” Among the wine types that they offer, she suggests their Merlot, which is perfect for pastas with red sauce, and the Cabernet Sauvignon—her personal favorite—paired with the all-time Filipino favorite crispy pata.

Inspired by the world’s largest art museum, it is not surprising that The Pyramid doubles as a gallery, featuring a curated selection of pieces. On display currently are works from Korean artists, but the place is open to exhibiting art from Cebu’s most talented visual talents as well.

Beyond its obvious charms, The Pyramid

LEFT: AMONG THE PYRAMID’S VAST SELECTION OF WINES, IT STILL CARRIES BOTTLES WELL WITHIN THE CEBUANO BUDGET, BELOW: THE PYRAMID LIGHTS UP DURING DUSK

also takes pride in promoting a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Reesa, who has been doing yoga for more than a decade now, leads a free yoga session together with certified yogi instructor Jeff Barrientos daily at 7 am.

From welcoming the sunrise on the mat to enjoying dusk with a wine glass in hand, one can find a reason for making a pilgrimage

to The Pyramid and witnessing its glass façade transform in the light throughout the day.

The Pyramid, Cebu IT Park.

Open 10 a.m. to 3 a.m., Sunday to Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 4 a.m., Friday to Saturday

Adrian is the new Cebu and TV entertainment head of ABS-CBN. He juggles his time between doing work for TV, contributing to magazines and newspapers, and styling for fashion shows and ad campaigns.

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FOOD

By BEA CELDRAN Images by JIM UBALDE

FRESH PERSPECTIVES ON CLASSICS SushiSake’s innovative take on Japanese cuisine surprises the palate

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“Cebu has always been spoiled when it comes to Japanese food,” says Cebu Living editor Jude Bacalso, who is seated at the head of a long table at SushiSake, Radisson Blu’s latest addition to their roster of restaurants. In unison, my hosts agreed; Cebuanos are very discerning when it comes to Japanese fare. And much like California during the ’80s, Cebu experienced a penetration of Japanese cuisine around the same era due to the influx of Japanese tourists who had discovered Cebu’s diving spots, long before the rest of the Philippines had the chance to jump on the bandwagon.

Drive around Cebu City and you’ll notice a number of hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurants that have been around since the early ’90s. However, luxury dining is following suit: Hotels like Radisson Blu are elevating quintessential staples like okonomiyaki and ramen and focusing on sushi and maki fusions.

Helmed by chef Jefferson “Jeff” Yalung, who has worked for over a decade as a sushi chef in international hotel chains such as the St. Regis and The Westin Hotel in Dubai, the 21-seater SushiSake opens its doors only for dinner, from 6 p.m. to

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FOOD

ABOVE: DAISO SALAD COMPOSED OF WHITE RADISH, IKURA, BONITO FLAKES, AND CUCUMBER; A PLATE WITH THE SURF AND TURF ROLL, SPECIAL CALIFORNIA MAKI, AND THE DYNAMITE ROLL

THE VIP SET INCLUDES TUNA, SALMON, AND GROUPER SASHIMI AND NIGIRI, AND SPICY SALMON ROLLS

11 p.m., for an intimate dining experience that focuses on sushi and, of course, sake.

In fact, it prides itself on its impressive selection of sake that is encouraged to be paired with Yalung’s creations.

Using both local and imported fish of the highest quality, Yalung has over 50 original sushi creations—and he continues to create more with off-cuts of fish to reduce wastage. The results are over-the-top rolls and personal renditions of classics.

The Dynamite is a mix of salmon, grouper, and tuna dipped in tempura batter and deep-fried. Topped with creamy crab and teriyaki sauce, each piece literally caves in then explodes with textures and flavors once inside the mouth. Unexpected combinations, as seen in the Surf and Turf ROLL, combine unlikely elements, like the seared and torched Angus beef crust nestling a shrimp core. The Dragon has cuts of unagi mixed with spicy crab and mango, then topped with unagi again.

The Kobe beef aburi is torched before it’s served, adding a dimension to its flavor and how we normally perceive sushi and maki. However, the classics are still offered, including spicy tuna, spicy crab rolls, and the special California maki.

For salads, the chef offers his own touch with a Kaisu salad, composed of five kinds of seaweed, edamame, and carrots and served with a sumisu dressing; and a Daikon salad of white radish, cucumber,

ikura, bonito flakes, and sesame seeds, topped with a light ponzu dressing.

By special request, the VIP set is quite the spectacle. A VIP set in all its glory is served with a spherical ice sculpture as its centerpiece, then surrounded with pieces of tuna, salmon, and grouper sashimi and nigiri, and spicy salmon rolls. SushiSake sources its fish from flexible suppliers of seafood, depending on their availability to assure freshness and quality of the cuts.

Dessert also features chef Yalung’s innovative creations. The sesame seed panna cotta comes with homemade coconut ice cream, a meringue, and a caramel crisp. Also made in-house, the matcha green tea mochi with red bean ice cream has the right note of sweetness and plays with textures and temperatures on the palate. Finally, the yuzu tart, with sake meringue and matcha green tea ice cream, merges the tartness of the Japanese citrus with the creamy vegetal flavor of matcha and the sucrose touch of the meringue.

Each SushiSake dish has a distinct identity, mixing cuts and flavors for a unique dining experience of what we’ve come to know of Japanese cuisine. And of course, they’re best paired with sake of your choice.

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RECIPE TREAT STREET’S TURTLET PIE

SLO-MO CHOCO Now you get a chance to make Cebu’s favorite chocolate pie

by JUDE BACALSO

Trina Ang-Kokseng’s version of the turtle cake, named after candy made from pecans dipped in chocolate, predates her wildly succesful bespoke wedding cake business and even the café named after the treat. In 2005, she began making her take on it after tasting the pie in culinary school, but made it her own with walnuts instead of pecans, and they quickly became a bestseller among friends. In 2009, she opened Cake Couture but didn’t include the pie as a regular offering until Treat Street Cafe came to be in 2014, where she promptly made it the signature pie on the menu. Ironically, the one item named after the slowpoke of the animal kingdom is her briskest seller.

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INGREDIENTS Crust 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs 6 Tbsp butter Caramel Filling 1 cup butter 2 cups brown sugar 2/3 cup heavy cream Chocolate Layer 4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup whipping cream 3/4 cup walnuts

PROCEDURE 1. Grease a 9 inch pie pan.

2. Add melted butter to chocolate cookie crumbs and mix until combined.

3. Press mixture evenly onto the bottom and sides of plate.

4. To make the filling, melt butter in a large saucepan.

5. Add brown sugar and heavy cream and whisk over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

6. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 10-15 mins.

7. Pour caramel layer into pie crust. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours.

8. Place semi sweet chocolate chips into a bowl.

9. Microwave heavy cream until it begins to bubble, then pour over chocolate.

10. Whisk chocolate until smooth.

11. Fold in walnuts into the chocolate mixture.

12. Pour over the caramel layer and refrigerate until set.

13. Top with whipped cream.

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