Kalami Cebu! - A Gastronomic Guide to Cebu

Cebuanos love dimsum.  I grew up loving steamed rice, siomai, siopao and lumpia Shanghai. I am not alone. Apparently, this love affair between Cebuanos and dim sum started in 1969.  In 1969, man landed on the moon.  Filipina Gloria Diaz bagged Miss Universe that year. On that same year, Cebu was introduced to Hong Kong-style dim sum with the opening of Ding How.

Today is March 25, 2017, and if you are a Cebuano foodie then the most important event today would be the opening of Tim Ho Wan at the Upper Ground Level, Mountain Wing of SM Seaside City Cebu.  It is the restaurant's 7th branch in the Philippines and the first ever outside Metro Manila.  Cebuanos can now enjoy the famous Baked Bun with BBQ Pork that helped Tim Ho Wan (Mongkok, Hong Kong) earn the coveted star in the 2010 HK and Macau Michelin Guide.

 Call me old-fashioned but when it comes to food that I crave for when I live away from Cebu, Dim Sum from Harbour City is on my personal Top Ten list.  I just consider steamed rice with some spring rolls and siomai as the best lunch option on some days.  This love goes back to over 25 years  ago when I discovered this type of food in the old Ding Qua Qua near STC in Mango Avenue.  Even up to now, I always associate this type of food to good times with family and friends.

It has been quite a while since I have last eaten Steamed Rice .  I am not talking about cooked rice. Steamed Rice has a different meaning for Cebuanos.  Steamed rice is the ultimate rice dish found in dim sum places in Cebu.  The Cebuano favorite is made of fried rice topped with a rich sauce that has pork, shrimp, and peas.  A new dim sum place opened in Robinsons Cybergate and since I was craving for dim sum, I invited some of my workmates to eat at Tsim Sha Tsui.