during a recent trip to cebu, i was careful not to dine in places i can find in manila. one of the unique experiences you can find in cebu is eating in houses that owners turn into restaurants… or, well, establishments that serve both residential and commercial purposes, where the proprietors live upstairs and the customers dine downstairs.

two of my favorites of this kind are handuraw and casa verde.

handuraw looks like an outdated residence juxtaposed with indie art and alternative rock music. i automatically belong there because they play gin blossoms, collective soul and stone temple pilots. 

this is handuraw:

handuraw entrance

dining area and art pieces

they also have bookshelves within the dining area

they serve buffet, aside from the usual ala carte menu.

this pizza!

you have to try the thin-crust pizza. just thinking about it now makes my mouth water. i’m serious.

thin-crust pizza

and they don’t gyp you on the toppings. each bite guarantees a mouthful of different tastes.

imitation mojos. tastes good too.

ok, we know the name mojo potatoes are trademarked under a global brand, but if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, shakey’s should be proud. handuraw has its own take on the mojos and they taste good too.

this is casa verde:

casa verde in ranudo ext.

although located in an area right in the middle of uptown cebu, casa verde is quite a challenge to locate. it is situated along a less-traveled side street off the city’s main thoroughfare. it also doesn’t help that the entrance is surrounded by foliage, but if you just keep your eyes in where’s waldo? mode, you would definitely spot the wooden sign nestled among the greenery.

casa verde entrance

non-aircon dining area

one of the aircon dining rooms

i have a staple diet here: bliss and mushrooms with pitcher of lemonade. bliss and mushrooms is a rice meal of beef tenderloin tips, bacon bits and button mushroom slices in a gravy-like sauce poured into a well of rice.

bliss and mushrooms is bliss

my friend’s staple food here is: brian’s ribs. or something that sounds like that. no, it’s not made of brian’s ribs, that’s just gruesome. it’s a hefty serving of big slabs of pork ribs, spread lavishly with their trademark tangy-sweet sauce.

brian's(?) ribs on an extra-large plate

in my last trip, i only recently discovered their potato skins. halved medium-sized potatoes, hollowed in the middle but still fleshy. topped with a generous amount of cheese, bacon bits and spring onions. served with a sour cream dip.

potato skins and glass of lemonade

you end your meal with some of their signature desserts, like death by chocolate (sorry, no photo). it may not be decadent enough for some chocoholics, because it also comes a in white chocolate variety. talk about sweet tooth. just think, it’s rocky road ice cream with a thick layer of crunchy chocolate. i actually love this one. mmmm… chocolate….

while you let all that gluttony digest for a while, why not hang around the garden or the open terrace?

by one of the house's lamp-posts

just sitting around after the meal

a lot of green

what kind of charm does a house/restaurant serve its guests? it makes you just take it eeeeeasy. somehow, you want to slow-mo your experience because it makes you feel like you’re home. and your home serves you fancy dishes.

 so if any of us have old-school houses and excellent culinary skills, let’s put up a house/restaurant. if we have more of these, maybe we wouldn’t always be in such a flustered rush.