Come to the "House of Roasts"

If you've driven through Orchid St. lately, you've probably passed by Chez Toztar "House of Roasts", a new addition to the restaurants along this "food street". We were there during their grand opening last June 15 and we were welcomed with open arms right upon entering this stylish restaurant. 

Chez Toztar

Grand Opening Freebies?

They're on Facebook!

One thing unique about Chez Toztar is that they grow their own vegetables and herbs in their hydroponic garden (hydroponics: a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil). It's the first thing you'll see before entering the restaurant's main door. I think they're still working on completing the garden. It would be very interesting to see what other plants they'll add to it. 

Their hydroponic garden

Chez Toztar's interior wasn't what I imagined it to be. I was thinking wooden tables and chairs and warm colors. It was the exact opposite, white walls with blue lighting. Interesting, huh? The interior was nicely done! 

Cool! and I like the green in the middle!

I'm sure they all love the design too

They quickly sat us, handed out the menus and wow, a lot of food choices. Good thing I already knew what I was going to order since I've already seen some of their dishes on their Facebook page. 

Roast Beef! Sadly, it was not available that night so I got Beef Shanks in C-3 sauce (188pesos), Chester ordered Baby Back Ribs (178pesos). In my previous posts, I don't really mention the beverages we ordered since it's always the usual soda or iced tea but this time, I think their "sodas" are worth mentioning. They have Flavored Fizz Sodas (50pesos), a healthier option than the regular sodas we know. I had the Lemon Lime and Chester had the Green Tea Strawberry-Kiwi. They were so good!

Healthier option indeed

Their Flavored Fizz Sodas are served in these huge and pretty glasses

I loved the cream sauce of the Beef Shank but I found it a little tough which is common for this kind of cut. Wish there was more meat in it though, mine had more bones in it than the actual meat. Well, I had the rich cream sauce to go with my rice... Mushrooms, Corn, Cream and Cheese! haha!

Beef Shanks in C-3 Sauce

My Beef Shanks were almost all bones and Chester's Baby Back Ribs were enough for two so he shared it with me. I just love it when the meat falls off the bone! The sauce was sweet and tangy which I think goes perfectly well with the ribs. Chester said it was too sweet for his taste but not for me. Overall, we liked this dish very much.

Chef's Version of Baby Back Ribs

There are so many other dishes to try at Chez Toztar, we had a pleasant dining experience there although the service wasn't fast but that's understandable because they just opened. I'm still eyeing that Roast Beef! 

German On a Narrow Street

If it isn't already obvious, I love restaurants tucked away in narrow streets and quiet corners. There's a certain charm to them that you wouldn't find in regular restaurants. If you go around Cebu, you'd be surprised to see a lot of these hole-in-the-wall places just waiting to be discovered. Last night, we had dinner at Der Kaiserhof, a German restaurant which also offers other European dishes. It's located along Rahmann st. (formerly San Jose st.) in Mango Avenue. 

Der Kaiserhof

Beautifully designed interior

Romantic and Warm

Bar

I don't have a lot of experience with real German food so I can't compare it to others. There was a lot to choose from on their menu and it all sounded really good which made it difficult to decide what to get.

Menu Cover

I know that German cuisine is often portrayed as schnitzels and sausages but we didn't order those. I had Lasagne Al Forno (195pesos) while Chester had Baked Fish Fillet (275pesos). Even though we waited quite a bit for our food to be brought out, we knew that it was made fresh so that didn't really matter to us. When the food finally arrived, we were astounded at how huge the servings were. 

The Baked Fish Fillet was served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I don't really eat fish but Chester insisted that I should taste it. He said it was the best Baked Fish Fillet he's ever had. It was pretty good and their mashed potatoes were so delicious and creamy. 

Baked Fish Fillet

Free white wine when you order Baked Fish Fillet (part of their week long anniversary celebration)

The Lasagne Al Forno was still bubbling hot from the oven when it was served. Just one word: perfect! I've tasted many different lasagnas over the years and I think it's safe to say that I'm officially obsessed with Der Kaiserhof's version of it.

Lasagne Al Forno

It was our first time at Der Kaiserhof and it immediately became one of our favorite restaurants in Cebu. Excellent food, ambiance, staff and location. We loved everything about this hidden gem!

Soul Food

Away from the city center, Soul Bistro is a warm and welcoming restaurant located in Banawa. It is casual and simple but I love their keen eye for detail. When I saw their toothpick holder, I immediately got the impression that the owners thought of even the smallest details. The interior was painted in warm colors and comforting tones and it definitely worked on my appetite!

Soul Bistro's facade

Cozy up with Soul Bistro's food

It's all about the details

Having a small dining area doesn't necessarily mean cramped

Here's their menu:

Decisions, decisions

It took me quite a while to decide on what to get. I wanted to try their Fettuccine with Meat Sauce then I saw that they have Chicken Cordon Bleu with Cream Sauce, I was torn. It's funny that I ended up ordering Grilled Pork Belly with Balsamic Dip (149pesos). I ordered this because I got curious with the Balsamic dip and wanted to try it. Chester had a hard time choosing too but finally settled for Tenderloin Tips with Mushroom Gravy (169pesos). Rice is not included. You have four options for the rice, Plain (15pesos), Garlic (25pesos), Brown (25pesos) and Barcelona (40pesos) or you can have Baked Potato (45pesos) or Mashed Potato (45pesos). By the way, there's a free soup for every meal.

Egg soup!

The Grilled Pork Belly itself was full of flavor but the Balsamic dip which I was so curious to try ended up to be a disappointment. I could eat the grilled pork without the dip, it didn't make a difference at all. The meat was so delicious so I didn't care if the Balsamic dip was bad. I still enjoyed my food.

Grilled Pork Belly with Balsamic Dip

Chester's Tenderloin Tips with Mushroom Gravy was cooked perfectly although there isn't much to rave about. 

Tenderloin Tips with Mushroom Gravy

For dessert, we ordered their Tiramisu (65pesos). It didn't taste anything like a Tiramisu, not a hint of coffee and liquor. They didn't use ladyfingers but the texture of the cake was quite similar to ladyfingers. There was a custard cream and chocolate in between each layer topped with more cream and chocolate shavings. This is probably their own version of Tiramisu and I loved it! Yes, even without the real flavors of Tiramisu. 

Tiramisu... or is it?

Soul Bistro's aim is to create a better world one meal at a time and it's good to know that a part of the restaurant's net sales is given to their partner charities. That has made our dining experience there more satisfying. 

Cheers!

Zamboanga Preciosa

Back for the first time in 8 years... Been saying that a lot, I just couldn't get over how long it has been. I spent most of my childhood summers in my mom's hometown and the last time I went there was the summer before my senior year in high school. So yes, it felt GOOD to be back!

The only thing that's great about flying at 4:50am is being able to watch the sunrise at 36,000 feet! 

Touchdown ZAMBOANGA

From the airport, we passed by my lola's old house in Sta. Maria where I spent most of my childhood summers. I couldn't stop smiling as I remembered all those great days when life was a little simpler. Lola was like a magnet that pulled everyone in the family together, her house was the headquarters. Imagine having 10 children plus the grandchildren. Everyday was a party! Things changed when she passed away, it seemed like everyone got busy with their own lives. Nostalgia had hit me hard and even when we got to my aunt's place, it kept hurtling on. 

We finally got settled in and it was time for breakfast, Satti on the table! Satti is a common breakfast meal to the locals of Zamboanga. Beef, pork or chicken on a stick served with cubed rice floating on a thick, sweet and spicy sauce. I only like a few spicy dishes and Satti is one of them. 

Chicken Satti

Other than being able to spend time with the family, one thing that I was looking forward to was to eat all my favorite merienda items in Zamboanga. Number one on the list is Tsikalang, glutinous rice shaped like a twisted donut, deep fried and then covered with caramelized sugar. My favorite!

Here are some of my other favorite merienda items in Zamboanga:

Tamal/Tamales: Similar to Spanish tamales, a steamed delicacy made of glutinous rice stuffed with glass noodles and wrapped in banana leaf. It's usually sold by two's and held together with a string. 

Saging Rebosao: Stripped bananas caramelized in sugar. The ones we have in Cebu are made of whole bananas served on a stick, I find Saging Rebosao more fun to eat!

Suman Kamanting: Cassava cooked like suman. This is one of my mom's favorite delicacy too, she told me it reminded her so much of my lola.

I wanted to try them all! LOL!

Chillin' with our coke in a plastic!

Having merienda at the back of the multicab!

Zamboanga hasn't changed a lot in the last 8 years, one place that's new to me though is Paseo del Mar. You can take a walk along the break-water and smell the sea breeze or watch the beautiful dancing fountain. On the weekends, this place gets really packed. I love that there are a lot of restaurants lined up where you can enjoy your food and the scenery as well. Nothing beats dining by the seaside. 

Dine or just chill.

The dancing fountain

Badjao kids ready to dive for some coins!

One of the places I couldn't miss to visit is the Barter Trade Market, this is a popular shopping center especially for tourists. Here you can find unique items for sale, from chocolates, biscuits, malong, bags and RTW from neighboring countries Indonesia and Malaysia. It's a great place to go shopping for pasalubong!

Such beautiful colors. 

The famous Maggi Kari

Barter Trade, Check!

I don't know why it took me so long to visit Zamboanga again. I missed the food, tricycle rides, the warmth of the place and most especially my family there. I missed you, Zamboanga.

Joyride! 5 days wasn't enough. I would love to visit again soon!