Spiced, Battered & Fried

When I see the word "fusion" in an establishment's name or tagline, I somehow try to keep as far away from it as possible.

However, as they say, when in Rome, eat the way the Romas do.

I was in Cebu recently and decided to give Spice Fusion a try. This one came well recommended by no less than Chef Rosemarie Lim, Cebu's Culinary expert and owner of Caro and Marie culinary school.

Spice Fusion serves Asian Cuisine and most likely, you will your favorite dishes from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia in their menu offerings.

Chef Rose's referral did not fail us. We only ordered three items on the menu as portions are good to share; Radish cake, Battered Prawns and Char Kwey Teow.



Char Kwey Teow

These flat rice noodles came perfectly seasoned with bits and pieces of tofu, shrimps, leeks and bean sprouts and was delicately fragrant with just the right amount of sesame oil. Unlike what I have tried in some restos before, this one's neither too oily nor too salty.

Radish Cake

Perhaps the best radish cake I have ever tasted. It was crunchy outside and moist inside. I could detect a mixture of dried shrimps, carrots and dried mushrooms in each and every bite. This was served with a sauce made of sweet chili, oyster and hoisin.

Battered Shrimps

This ain't your usual "buttered" shrimps that is served skin on and swimming in sweet buttery sauce. This one's coated with a batter made with flour, cornstarch and egg then sprinkled with sesame seeds prior to deep frying. The shrimps are served skewered with crisp spinach fritters (ukoy). Delish!

You will find Spice Fusion at the North Wing of SM Cebu.

Delightfully New Bites at New Bombay

Visiting New Bombay at the Podium Mall was long overdue, with all the recommendations coming from friends. I'm not one for Indian cuisine, but I am an explorer when it comes to food and so when a lunch opportunity came, I purposively chose this place for a bit of wonderful change.

Naan Bread


Since it was our first time, we were at the mercy of our server's recommendations. A staple when in comes to Persian cuisine is the Naan bread and is best eaten with curries and other stews the place had to offer. This flat bread is typically made with flour, salt, yoghurt and leavened with yeast. It is traditionally cooked in ghee (clarified butter) or butter in a tandoor (clay) oven.

Nargishi (Vegetarian)Kofta

Other items we enjoyed in the menu is the Shrimp Curry and the Nargishi Kofta (vegetarian kofta). These highly seasoned items are surprisingly not hot and spicy as we would have expected, but is delightfully flavorful with a balance of fragrant spices New Bombay is known for.

Shrimp Curry

Chicken Tikka Masala



The Chicken Tikka Masala might surprise you with its bright red color - almost like the color of Chinese Champoy. These are boneless pieces of chicken that have been marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked in the tandoor oven, then stewed in a blend of coconut cream, tomato sauce and masala (a variety of spices). It was said that this was created by a chef in Glasgow, Great Britain, as the locals found the Chicken Tikka too dry for their tastes thus they created a gravy to go with it.

While the food at New Bombay is not something I see myself having on a daily basis, the food is exceptionally interesting and is surely worth a try. Check it out sometime.