Cebuano Food Fusion at ETTAS Eclectic Restaurant

Food fusion is like love. You have to take the chance and hope for the best. Everyone is scared when we hear or see the word fusion especially when it comes to food. We, Filipinos, are mostly traditionalist when it comes to food. We follow our family recipes down to a T. We stick to the familiar ingredients that we've grown up with. Any variation is subjected to doubt and questions.

Are you ready for some Food Fusion at ETTAS?

During one of my vacation stays in Manila, I decided to cook mongo soup for my family. I added calabasa to my soup since it was something that I've learned from living in Cebu. After slaving in the kitchen for hours, I was ready to serve it for lunch. And I was excited to present it to the family. 

But lo and behold, my parents were wary about it and started to list down the things I should have done. I just smiled and thought to myself that they weren't used to this type of mongo soup. Just imagine what their reaction would have been if I added coconut milk to the broth. 

It's a similar experience when one goes through the menu of ETTAS Eclectic Food + Drinks Restaurant. Reading the description of the different dishes that they offer would make you pause and think. Your reaction might be similar to my parents'. 

Open-style restaurant

You'll recognize the individual food but they're usually combined with other specialties to provide layers of flavors and textures. But what's a little food adventure once in awhile? 

I couldn't decide so I went with my instinct and asked the waiter for his recommendation. As per him, one of their bestsellers was the Dinuguang Lechon Kawali. It's the retaurant's take on the classic dinuguan but they added pechay, cherry tomatoes, chicarron, and lechon kawali to have that crunchy element. And to make it truly Cebuano, there was a hint of lemongrass to the dinuguan sauce.

The lemongrass makes it Cebuano.

I don't usually eat a lot of rice but that night I had two cups of garlic rice because it tasted better with the dinuguan.

For our second dish, we decided to order the Crispy Sisig. What made it crispy? The chicarron, of course! No need to add any seasoning to their version of sisig. The way it was cooked and flavored was just right. 

The usurpation of a classic Kapampangan dish

And finally for our last dish of the night, we decided to play it a little safe and we had the 6 pieces Caramelized Wings. Their wings were gratifying because it was the way that I liked my wings to be. Fried inside and out, not smothered with too much sauce. The caramelization of their sauce was done properly and the chicken was lightly coated with it.

The Wings challenge

Their serving portion is good for sharing. Prices for their Appetizers range from PHP 120 to PHP200. Entrees are also affordable, depending on what you have, the dishes are from PHP200 to PHP500.

They also have a wine bar, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Frozen Iced Tea

The ambiance exudes a family-friendly atmospehere that when we dined there, majority of the other guests were groups of families or friends. 

I would definitely come back to ETTAS and try their other offerings. Hmmm, I think I would like to try either their Ginataang Kaldereta or the Pork and Bangus Adobo. Just thinking about it makes me hungry.

Who's afraid of a little food fusion? If it's by ETTAS Eclectic Restaurant, don't be. 

ETTAS is a sister-company of Chikaan Restaurant and Creative Cuisine Catering. When I found about it, I knew my tastebuds would be in good hands. 

They are located at the 4th floor, The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu. Their opening hours are from 11AM to 10PM.