Eat-All-You-Can-Restaurant in Cebu: Buffet with Authentic Chinese Lumpia at Chik Chow`
I recently discovered another interesting Eat-All-You-Can Restaurant in Cebu. Chik Chow Food Express in General Maxilom Avenue is the only All-You-Can-Eat place that serves an authentic Chinese Lumpia. This place also boasts of delicious lengua estofado and roast pork. Chik Chow Food Express is a must-try for people who are looking for an affordable Eat-All-You-Can place in Cebu.
The Food at Chik Chow
An Eat-All-You-Can restaurant is only as good as their best dishes. Chik Chow does not boast of having the most number of dishes, but their specialties are really good. The restaurant offers some dishes that will surely give you a #happytummy. Here are some dishes at Chik Chow:
Two Kinds of Rice
At Chik Chow, there are 2 kinds of rice: the plain rice and Chik Chow fried rice. The restaurant's fried rice is very good with pancit, lechon belly, and other "dry" food. I mostly ate plain rice because the restaurant's specialties have sauces that are more appreciated with the good old plain rice.
Meat Specialties at Chik Chow
A lot of us love meat and for me, the meat dishes should be one of the highlights when you eat at a buffet restaurant. Chik Chow Food Express gives you a lot of yummy choices when it comes to meat. Here are some of the sumptuous meat dishes at this restaurant:
Lengua Estofado
According to the owner Ervin "Chik" Lim, his dad's Lengua Estofado has always been a favorite among friends and family. When they opened Chik Chow, they made sure that the Lengua Estofado should be served every day. I can say that they really have one of the best lenguas in town. I really like eating lengua or tongue because it is meaty and flavorful. Their version is really tender and the sauce is just perfect for the rice. If you love this Spanish ox tongue dish then Chik Chow Food Express will be synonymous to All-You-Can-Eat Lengua Estafado. At 288 for lunch, it is definitely a bargain since this dish does not come cheap in other restaurants.
Roast Pork
If the beef tongue is too exotic for you then your favorite dish here would be the roast pork. Just like the lengua, this is another Lim family favorite.All Meat Dinuguan
The Dinuguan at Chik Chow does not use any innards. The blood stew features only use meat. It is spicy and sour which makes it another great dish with rice.
Skinless Longaniza
When I ate here, I had at least 2 longanizas. It really looked appetizing even for a buffet dinner.
Lechon Belly
One difference between their lunch and buffet dinner is the inclusion of their lechon belly. The lunch buffet is 288 while the dinner buffet is 388. According to the owners, they roast their own lechon belly.Seafoods
Not everyone is into eating meat. Some people go to buffets for seafood. Chik Chow also has some offerings for seafood lovers.Seashells
When I ate there they had some mussels or tahong. On some days, they would serve kinason or whatever seashell is available in the market.Seaweeds
They had some delicious and crunchy lato when I dined at the restaurant. On other days, it could be another type of seaweed like guso.Crispy Baby Anchovies
One of the best local appetizers is the crispy fried dilis which I usually enjoy with some onions, tomatoes, and vinegar. Chik Chow's version of this dish is pretty fun to eat.
Sweets
For desserts, they have banana-choco, fruit salad, watermelon, and pineapple.Chinese Dishes at Chik Chow Food Express
Chik Chow wants to pride itself with its Chinese dishes as well. They have some dishes that will definitely delight our Chinoy friends.
Chicken Feet
They serve some tender and well-flavored chicken dish. If you love this chicken part, you can have this the whole night at this Eat-All-You-Can restaurant.
Pancit
Chik Chow also serves a delicious Chinese noodle dish, making this place a good restaurant to celebrate a birthday.Chinese Lumpia
The owners are really proud of their authentic Chinese lumpia. It has 23 ingredients, including peanuts, garlic, and different kinds of greens. They really follow a family recipe that even the one who mans the lumpia station is part of the Lim family.
Here is a demo by Jesi Lim on how to make their special Chinese Lumpia.
Kalami Cebu Verdict
Aside from the lumpia, I feasted on the memorable lengua and the all-meat dinuguan. Their meatballs in white sauce (I failed to take a photo!) were awesome too. In a buffet, I usually just pick 3-4 dishes that I focus on. Chik Chow has specialties that you want to go back to again and again. I will definitely come back here sometime in the future, but most likely during lunchtime because I am so partial to the lengua and lumpia.
About Chik Chow Food Express
Chik Chow opened last month. It is an affordable eat-all-you-can buffet restaurant that offers some Chinese, Filipino, and Spanish favorites. It is owned and operated by the Lim family who transformed their house in Mango Avenue into a restaurant. The one managing the business is Ervin, but the kitchen is ruled by his dad Edgar. They had these recipes for years and they usually enjoy their father's specialties during celebrations like birthdays, Christmas, and New Year. Now, Cebuanos will get a chance to taste what the Lim's were enjoying in the past years.
Chik Chow also accepts short orders for their specialties. Each order is good for 20 people. They offer the following dishes for orders:
- Lengua Estofado (Php 1,500)
- Roast Pork (Php 1,400)
- Chicken Feet (Php 700)
- Meatballs in White Sauce (Php 1,200)
- Panga (Php 1,300)
- All-Meat Dinuguan (Php 1,200)
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