Ecila Bistro (Ayala Center, Cebu)

A trip to Cebu ought to be filled with fun and food, but the Queen City of

the South decided to treat me otherwise. Hunger and UV rays, and dry hair to boot. Okay, I get it. I’m so not fit to be a travel blogger.

But I can still talk about the food.

The Ayala Center Cebu open area was a bombardment of gastronomic sights, none of which I got to try: FacLaguna Café, Café Verde, Spaghetti tory, Dessert Factory, Siam, Sunburst, etc. The celebrated Yakiniku Wakamatsu (not in Ayala Center) was reasonably closed when lunch came at 3:00 pm. The local suggestion was well taken: Ecila Bistro at Ayala

Center.

Ecila Bistro was obviously empty, save for a lone lady with a laptop

 who might as well have been the owner. American fares at reasonable prices might be its theme, but what we needed then was pronto service. Check.

The oreo and choco banana shakes looked incredible and magnanimously sweet.  After all with Hershey’s chocolate syrup, fresh milk and an empty stomach, what wouldn’t look the least bit good?

The gambas tasted like my mom’s cooking – butter, knorr and garlic. Why, it even looked like it! Shoving one shrimp after the other, it was a miracle that Kremil S was not needed after my meal. Maybe it was all that butter that offered my stomach the much needed protection.

The Rockefeller Oysters looked gorgeously edible, even for the non oyster lovers. When I saw the spinach layer, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a shell, until someone yelled: “Oh I thought it was garlic on top!”

Me: “It’s not? I thought so too. So what is it?”

Oyster eater: “Chorizo bits!”

Me: hands down, sips on shake. “I think I’ll wait for my salmon.”