Food brings people together. While Filipinos are notorious for their close-knit family orientation, it is our love for food that almost always unites us. No matter how big or small the milestone, we find the means to celebrate our little successes over good food.
Along with fellow foodies and content creators from Cebu, we recently got invited to a food crawl to sample and experience first-hand the offerings at several food chains under the UCC group in Bonifacio District in Kasambagan, Cebu.
I’m not much of a Japanese food fan, but you can say I am always game at trying out something new everyday. This food crawl, for me, was a fun way to experience the ingenuity of Japanese cuisine.
But before I get to what had transpired that day, here’s something you need to know.
What is a Food Crawl?
They say that a food crawl is the ultimate gastronomic experience that a true foodie gets to experience at least once. A Food Crawl is a themed food “trip” wherein a group of food enthusiasts visit a series of restaurants or food chains to taste their best meals. An exchange of ideas and thoughts about the partaken food would be a great way to conclude a food crawl.
Now, let’s dig in. First stop, Curry House Coco Ichibanya.
Also known as CocoICHI, it is a Japanese food chain that specializes in Japanese-style curry rice. Founded by Tokuji Munetsugu, the restaurant claims to be the #1 Japanese Curry House in the world.
We always want satisfaction on our meals, right? At CocoICHI, there are four (4) exciting ways to enjoy a meal:
- Rice Type – You may opt for a Japanese or a Multi-grain Rice.
2. Rice Size – If you’re on a diet, you may pick 150g. If you’re up for something bigger, go for the 550g.
3. Spiciness – Depending on your heat tolerance, the level of spiciness ranges from Level 0 to Level 7.
4. Toppings – If you want to add a little more on your plate, you can opt to add toppings.
I ordered Pork Cutlet Omelette Curry with a spiciness level of 4. I realized, I could have gone 5 or 6, just for kicks.
Mitsuyado Sei-men, House of Tsukemen was our second stop.
Taking pride of their freshly made ramens, Mitsuyado Sei-men is considered by many to be among the best dipping noodle house and top ramen restaurants in the country.
Other than that, it also has a unique interior that will surely invigorates your dining experience.
Mitsuyado Sei-men was also kind enough to show us how their ramens are meticulously made from scratch.
Yuzu Tsukemen was served to everyone and for us to enjoy and appreciate the noodles, cold and al dente ramen was served along with the side dish of our choice. In my case was a spicy tuna along with a Japanese tea.
After finishing 2 hearty meals from CocoICHI and Mitsuyado Sei-men, a caffeine-fix paired with delectable desserts would surely complete everything. We capped our Japanese Food Crawl at UCC ClockWork.
Compared to other Ueshima Coffee Company chains, UCC Clockwork has adopted the Third Wave Concept. It offers a variety of high quality local and international single origin coffee.
During our visit, they indulge us with their famous Japanese-style coffees and delectable desserts. Ichiban, Kori Kohi and UCC Sumiyaki Syphon Blend accompanied with their best-selling French Toast Tower and Mango Clair.
Our Japanese Food Crawl at the Bonifacion was just a quick one but it surely filled our tummies to brim. I guess I have more reasons to wander in this side of town.
Until then!
P.S.
Thanks to Miss Beyee of LifeIsBeyeeutiful and Carlo of Kalami Cebu for the additional inputs.