Destination: Dumaguete City 6200

Dumaguete is the capital city and main port of Negros Oriental. Popularly known as the “City of Gentle People”, the name Dumaguete was derived from the visayan word dagit, which means “to snatch”. It was devised because of the town’s history of frequent raids by pirates. Legend has it that the apart from robbing the town, these pirates would also snatch up beautiful women from its shores. The city’s landmark, the Dumaguete Belfry was used for the purpose of warning townsfolk of incoming raiders. It was built in the 1760s and rebuilt in the 1870s and still stands to this very day to attest the horrid past this town had to face.

Mamita’s Diner: Lechon at its Best

 
Cebu’s boneless lechon belly, the Philippines’ answer to Italy’s porchetta, was conceptualized by Mr. Marlon Gochan in 2011. Similarly prepared, the belly is deboned, stuffed with spices and herbs, and then slow-roasted over a charcoal fire. Today, the lechon belly experience is no longer limited to Cebu; Dumaguetenos can now enjoy pork prepared in the Queen City of the South’s signature style.

Café Mafioso: Good Grub for the Hungry Mob

One of my many guilty pleasures is ribs. It is what I look for in the menu of every new restaurant I go to. Lucky for me, most places in the city do serve their version of the dish. While loads of restaurants claim to have the best ribs in town, only a handful is actually worth coming back for. A couple of weeks back, my Instagram feed was flooded with photos of a hip new place downtown with a mafia-inspired dining concept. Café Mafioso piqued my curiosity after learning that they pride themselves of their “Mafioso Ribs”. After reading plenty of good reviews of the restaurant on social media, we decided to try it firsthand.