Cebu is easily one of the top tourist destinations in the Philippines. From the city, you can go diving in the north, or swim with the whalesharks in the south. Within the city itself there are a lot of things you can do, too, and one of these is to go on a food trip in Larsian, the barbeque heaven in the Queen City of the South.
The entrance to Larsian. ©Ian dela Peña
Larsian is the place to go for those who love grilled Filipino food, like pork or chicken barbeque, isaw (chicken intestines), pusit (squid), chorizo, chicken skin, and liempo, among others. It is one of the few places in Cebu that has stood the test of time.
Larsian today used to be the site of a popular eatery named Larsian in 1970s, which was owned by a military Colonel. The colonel’s mother was named Pilar and her twin sister, his aunt, was named Siana. A combination of their names came up with “Larsian.”
When my friend and I went inside the place, we were greeted by a lot of vendors in front of their stalls lined up on both sides of the entrance cajoling their customers to buy. There were so many vendors and so many stalls that we had difficulty choosing, since most of them offered similar choices.
Yummy barbeque! ©Ian dela Peña
We finally picked one which advertised free kimchi and soup, and we ordered their bestsellers–grilled squid, isaw, and pork barbeque. We had quite a few of their famous hanging rice, too, what the locals call “puso” (accent on the last syllable). There were no utensils; we were offered a plastic bag for our hands, and that was it!
Larsian gives visitors to Cebu a glimpse of what the locals love to eat. It is already open by 5pm and gets filled up around 7-8 pm. Eating would last until the wee hours of the morning due to Cebu’s vibrant nightlife.
How to go to Larsian:
Larsian sits right in the heart of Cebu City, a few meters from Fuente Osmeña Circle, Robinson’s Cybergate, and Chong Hua Hospital. From Colon, take any jeepney numbered 06C, 07C, or 07E. Tell the driver to drop you off near Larsian and he will be glad to do so. From Ayala Center Cebu, take the 14D jeepneys and stop at Fuente Osmeña Circle where Larsian is just a few meters away.
Have you eaten in Larsian? How was it?
Photo credit: Ian dela Peña of Brownman Trips.
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