A week ago, I signed up for an adventure to Cebu and get my tastebuds busy for the weekend. It’s not my first time in the city but my first time to go to Cebu on a “non-Sinulog” week. When I was younger and loved the party scene more, Sinulog was one thing I looked forward to. Gone are those days. Signs of maturing? Hahaha! What delights me more now is sampling the native specialty cuisine of Cebu. Hence, my itinerary to Cebu was mainly about my discovery of the mouthwatering world of “Sutukil.”

At Isla Sugbu Seafood City inside The Grand Convention Center of Cebu, I had the privilege to learn and watch the ways of Sutukil.

In definition, Sutukil is a conventional style of cooking rooted from the Visayan culture. The word is a combination of three different types of cooking, particularly with fresh seafood. “Su” came from the word “sugba” or “to grill”. It’s easy as picking from the fresh seafood selection, grilling it, then eating it. “Tu” is from the word “tuwa” or “to stew”. Similar to the home-cooked Filipino food Tinola that we know, you simmer the seafood in broth and mix it with leafy vegetables. “Kil” stands for “kilaw” or “eating raw seafood”. Imagine raw fish or shrimp that’s soaked in vinegar, presented like a salad. This is our local sashimi.

Sutukil is a straightforward method without pretension. For seafood lovers, this is practically the best way of serving your seafood. No wonder it is so famous in the Queen City of the South a.k.a. Cebu.

To experience Sutukil, there’s no other place better than Isla Sugbu Seafood City.

I’m talking about authenticity but made more sophisticated. Ensuring fresh seafood to be served at its best shape, Isla Sugbu has a “mini market” inside the restaurant where customers may choose their fresh or live seafood before sending it to the open kitchen. Seafood and meet are orderly lined up on its tray, kept fresh on a bed of ice. Live seafood on the other hand are kept in aquariums, accessible for customers to as part of the mini market. The restaurant offers strict food safety measures that assure you not only fresh but clean seafood dishes.

Isla Sugbu Seafood City is operated and managed by 101 Restaurant City Inc., headed by President Winglip Chang.

To demonstrate Sutukil method of cooking, celebrities Jericho Rosales (yellow team) and Mylene Dizon (blue team) joined the ultimate Sutukil cook-off challenge with their partner chefs.

Sutukil dishes they had to cook were: Grilled Salmon, Prawn Soup and Kinilaw na Tanigue.

And our votes went to the blue team of Mylene Dizon!

Package A: Fish Sugba, Shrimp Tinuwa and Fish Kinilaw

Package B: Squid Sugba, Shrimp Tinuwa and Fish Kinilaw

Package C: Fish Sugba, Fish Tinuwa and Shrimp Kinilaw

Package D: Squid Sugba, Fish Tinuwa and Shrimp Kinilaw

Each Sutukil package includes free appetizer, dish of the day and rice platter.

Php1,600 (net) for 4 pax/package

Isla Sugbu as a seafood restaurant is not limiting you to Sutukil dishes. A la carte items are as appetizing as the following dishes:

With my Sutukil experience alone, I was motivated to discover more what the Visayan culture has to offer. I won’t deny that I was invited to feature Isla Sugbu Seafood City. However, I wasn’t forced to say what I mean to say about my experience. Staying true to my words, Sutukil is a Filipino food adventure in Cebu I’d love to share once again with my family and friends. The ambiance is very welcoming to big groups, encouraging families to dine and delight.

What do you think of Sutukil at Isla Sugbu Seafood City, Cebu?
Share with me your thoughts! 🙂

 Cheers,

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Location: Grand Convention Center of Cebu, Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City, Philippines

Contact: (+63 32) 260-8000

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandCon