I was thrilled to have played “Chefs vs Cebu City” with cable operators across the country, along with Sabrina Artadi, but I also went out of my way to try out some of the best places to eat in the Queen City of the South. It was certainly worth it. Here’s the first of (hopefully) three accounts of these adventures.

Thanks to my writer friend, Mina Esguerra, I was introduced to the bubbly Jude Bacalso, Cebuano celebrity, travel and food expert and walking encyclopedia. Together with our gracious host, Waterfront Resident Manager Carlo Sainz, we set off to try Kusina ni Nasing, a place even Cebuanos hardly heard of. From the outside, the place looked like your typical roast liempo and chicken place, but I quickly found out that Jude brings people to where only few can go. We went to the back room, which contained only one table and there we began our food journey.

Here is what we had: Roast Liempo, Grilled Tuna Collar, Eggplant and Tomato Salad, Baked Bangus and Purple Rice. None of these may immediately pop out to you, but much like its appearance on the outside, it was genius going incognito. The Roast Liempo was very flavorful, obviously meticulously seasoned and certainly didn’t need a sauce. The meat was tender and the skin crispy. Goodness all around. The Grilled Tuna Collar astonished me. There was no fishy taste at all and even when I put my nose right next to it, I couldn’t smell anything but the combination of the basting marinade and slightly-charred meat. The meat was still juicy and once again, very flavorful. The Eggplant and Tomato Salad was dressed simply in spicy vinegar, where Nanay makes her own blend of coconut vinegar, chilies and black pepper. The eggplants cooked well, the tomatoes were fresh and once again perfectly-seasoned. Carlo silently kept grabbing more of it as dinner went along. I suspect our young friendship prevented him from lifting the plate and chugging the entire thing into his mouth. The Baked Bangus was a late addition to the table, added at the urging of Nanay and I’m glad we gave in. The bangus was tender and nicely-cooked, flavored with a sweet soy sauce, garlic and spring onions which were cut into big pieces. The onions actually tasted great, very savory and definitely added a nice flavor to the fish which was baked in banana leaves. Another winner. The purple rice, as it turned out, was the same rice used to make Puto Maya. While it didn’t add much in the way of flavor, it did start a number of interesting conversations.

When Jude asked me if I enjoyed dinner, I insufficiently answered with, “Yes, everything was delicious.” I couldn’t give him a better one at that moment becuase I couldn’t quite put my finger on the reason I was blown away with such a simple meal. Then, when Nanay began relating her thoughts on some of the food, it dawned on me. We were in the kitchen of a modernist chef. Whether she knew it or not, she was. She seasoned all elements of each dish, not counting on a sauce to make everything right later on. She employs only the techniques needed to enhance the freshness of her ingredients. She thinks of using basil soon. She asks if quail is being served in Manila. She doesn’t change the way she cooks in an effort to impress a visiting chef. Culinary students and aspiring chefs can learn a lot from this. Sometimes, the best chefs are armed with tsinelas, duster, an open mind and a real love and uinderstanding of food.

Next time I’m in Cebu, I’m going back. This time, I’m bringing my notebook.