Eating pork entrails at makeshift eateries!

Cebu has plenty of dining spots from fine dining to gourmet restaurants, street food stalls to hole in the walls. Of course there are also the famous barbecue and grill spots too, Larsian and Matias to name a few, and the ever growing Japanese and Korean restaurants. You can read my blog about samgyeopsal (popular Korean dish) here!

And if you are the type craving for those deep fried pork mesentery, pig's tongue, pork intestines and stomach linings and other entrails then there are a lot of places to go to along the sidewalks of the city. These are the famous pungko-pungko or duko-duko eateries of Cebu. One of the many popular place is a small makeshift eatery at J.Llorente street near the vicinity of Hi-Precision Diagnostics at Fuente Circle.

The place is always pack with people from all walks of life. One would wonder why? Is the food really that good? Well, yes, the food does tastes good for a chicharon bulaklak and other deep fried pork entrails. But definitely not for an everyday lunch or dinner venue.

Been there three times, twice with my girlfriend (both times for breakfast) and once for lunch with my team (office mates) and that was the last time I was there.

Expect to sweat and elbow to elbow seating with these kind of eateries. There are no utensils so you have to eat with your hands and if you prefer you can wrap your hands in plastic cellophane.

If you plan to go there, get ready to enjoy a different kind of experience. Once you are seated, make sure to have the table cleaned first as there are no plates too. Take note that you have to wait for the other patrons to finish before you can take his place and be seated. You will be given at least two pieces of plastic cellophane, one for your hands and the other one for you to place your food with. Then you just dig in the basket of deep fried entrails and start eating.

Occasionally I enjoy eating these kind of food, and there are really times that I would crave for these. But I do not recommend eating these often. Firstly, they are very unhealthy. Secondly, as you are eating with your own hands with a plastic over a table with strangers eating with you and digging at the same basket of food, it can be very unhygienic. Thirdly, as already hinted, the place is not clean. Lastly, it is not that cheap, depending on how many you eat. However, it is delicious and an experience you should not miss if you are Cebuano or a tourist visiting the island adventurous enough to try out street food.

  Use the plastic as a makeshift plate. Place it on top of the table.

 

 Puso (Steamed rice wrap in coconut leaves)

 

Food is served on the table for everyone to share. Just pick the food you want to eat, and take note you are sharing these with complete strangers.

Vinegar with chop onions and chili

Chicharon Bulaklak (deep fried pork mesentery)

It is always a gastronomic experience and a lot of fun to eat at these places. However, the last time I was here, I felt so bloated afterwards and felt sick, maybe because I ate a lot. So I do not plan to go back eating this for a long time. After that last experience, I decided to avoid deep fried recipes and meat for a while and start eating a more healthier choice of food, starting with salads!