Lively Filipino music, rich and boisterous laughter and the clanging of utensils were in perfect harmony during the blessing and grand opening of Lantaw Native Restaurant Dumaguete. It seemed like one giant feast that brought together families from all over the city. And as the night progressed and the moon steadily lit the restaurant’s skyline, the crowd excited to taste the savory native delicacies unique to this new restaurant just kept getting bigger and bigger.
Much has been said about Chef Andy Hunziker and his food. He started out a small garden grill restaurant in Cebu City back in the late 80s and gained quite the local following. Years later, the chef made his way to a new home here in Dumaguete City. The space is called Andy’s Golden Grill, which has much of his dishes from his old menu and a few new ones as well. I’ve heard friends say that his dishes were worth the trip to its location at Senor Sto. Nino Drive, Mangnao, so we decided to check it out ourselves.
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.
Food Trip Dumaguete 