Cafe Laguna is considered a landmark in the Cebu dining scene. For several years, they have catered to the exacting tastes of Cebuanos and have been successful.
The family-owned enterprise has ventured from the Filipino menu that they are known for and opened several restaurants that address the growing food adventurism that their valued customers are experiencing.
When I relocated to Cebu a decade ago, Cafe Laguna's food offerings were a comfort to me since their cooking style is similar to the Luzon way of preparing Filipino dishes. The Urbina family's roots can be traced to Laguna. Maybe that's why their cooking is more akin to Tagalog food tastes than Cebu's.
I love eating in Cafe Laguna so much that I wrote a separate article about their Tempting Merienda offerings.
Over the years, the consistency in taste and the standards that they have set are still in place. A major observation that even their most loyal customers notice is the long wait for your orders and the somewhat slowness in service. I know how successful they are but they have to take note of this major flaw since, in the recent years, there has been an abundance of restaurants that have taken advantage of this.
From among their varied offerings, I have created the best 5 tasty dishes you have to try when you dine in Cafe Laguna. Best to try Cafe Laguna to determine what your favorite dish will be.
1. Bouillabaisse - I first read a description of bouillabaisse in a Harry Potter book. It made me curious and hungry. It's a fish stew that originated from France but Cafe Laguna made their own version. The creamy and flavorful stew has white fish, crab, cabbage, and squid. I tend to eat a lot of rice because of this. The silkiness of the soup texture adds to the delight of the diner. There is never a time that we didn't order bouillabaisse, except maybe during Merienda time. Even my parents became recent fans during their Cebu vacation. We had bouillabaisse twice in 3 days.
2. Fried Chicken dishes - I recommend that you order either the Cafe Laguna fried chicken or the pandan chicken. Both dishes highlight the expertise that the restaurant's chefs have when it comes to frying chicken. The meat is juicy and not dry. Plus the skin has that slight crunchiness when you bite into it. I only wish that they'll make their own dipping concoction to go with the fried chicken.
3. Seafood platter - And when I say, platter, it's a big platter of seafood bestsellers. You have mussels, crabs, squid, with bagoong and veggies. The food preparation is very simple. Mostly it's either steamed, grilled or blanched but the food is still delicious and satisfying.
4. Kare-Kare with bagoong - What I love about their version of this dish is that they didn't limit it to just oxtail or tripe but they also included chunks of beef meat. The peanut flavor didn't overpower the dish, it complimented it. Even the bagoong that they used added that extra punch to the dish.
5. Crispy Pata - this fried pork dish is considered a luxury and typically ordered when celebrating a special event. Cafe Laguna's version is luscious and delectable. An all-time mouthwatering choice.
My homesickness is often cured when I go to Cafe Laguna. It gives me happy food memories.
Have you eaten in Cafe Laguna? What are your food experiences?
Honorable Food Mentions:
The family-owned enterprise has ventured from the Filipino menu that they are known for and opened several restaurants that address the growing food adventurism that their valued customers are experiencing.
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| A Cafe Laguna feast |
I love eating in Cafe Laguna so much that I wrote a separate article about their Tempting Merienda offerings.
Over the years, the consistency in taste and the standards that they have set are still in place. A major observation that even their most loyal customers notice is the long wait for your orders and the somewhat slowness in service. I know how successful they are but they have to take note of this major flaw since, in the recent years, there has been an abundance of restaurants that have taken advantage of this.
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| Cafe Laguna's SM Cebu's branch |
From among their varied offerings, I have created the best 5 tasty dishes you have to try when you dine in Cafe Laguna. Best to try Cafe Laguna to determine what your favorite dish will be.
1. Bouillabaisse - I first read a description of bouillabaisse in a Harry Potter book. It made me curious and hungry. It's a fish stew that originated from France but Cafe Laguna made their own version. The creamy and flavorful stew has white fish, crab, cabbage, and squid. I tend to eat a lot of rice because of this. The silkiness of the soup texture adds to the delight of the diner. There is never a time that we didn't order bouillabaisse, except maybe during Merienda time. Even my parents became recent fans during their Cebu vacation. We had bouillabaisse twice in 3 days.
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| Cafe Laguna's version Bouillabaisse |
2. Fried Chicken dishes - I recommend that you order either the Cafe Laguna fried chicken or the pandan chicken. Both dishes highlight the expertise that the restaurant's chefs have when it comes to frying chicken. The meat is juicy and not dry. Plus the skin has that slight crunchiness when you bite into it. I only wish that they'll make their own dipping concoction to go with the fried chicken.
 |
| Fried Chicken a la Cafe Laguna |
3. Seafood platter - And when I say, platter, it's a big platter of seafood bestsellers. You have mussels, crabs, squid, with bagoong and veggies. The food preparation is very simple. Mostly it's either steamed, grilled or blanched but the food is still delicious and satisfying.
 |
| Seafood Platter |
5. Crispy Pata - this fried pork dish is considered a luxury and typically ordered when celebrating a special event. Cafe Laguna's version is luscious and delectable. An all-time mouthwatering choice.
 |
| Crispy Pata |
My homesickness is often cured when I go to Cafe Laguna. It gives me happy food memories.
Have you eaten in Cafe Laguna? What are your food experiences?
Honorable Food Mentions:
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