Cebu Food Trip: The Ultimate Seafood Experience Part 2 (Linarang and Netflix-Featured Bakasi)
Saang and Linarang na Bakasi at Entoy’s Bakasihan
I’m doing a month-long series on my Cebu Food Trip last year. Today (like last Monday), I’m writing on the amazing seafood of Cebu.
Because Cebu is an island and Cebu City, its capital, is beside the sea, it would be a sacrilege to miss out on fresh seafood in any true Cebu food trip. So last Monday, I started a 2-part mini-series (it’s an inception of series!) on my seafood experiences in Cebu (check out the first one here). This article is about the not-so-usual seafood (at least to a Manileño like me) I tried. They are:
Linarang at Larangan sa Pasil
Linarang or Nilarang is a fish stew that is truly Central Visayan. While ingredients vary per recipe, the basic ones are chillies, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, onion, tomatoes, a sour fruit as souring agent, and tausi (fermented black beans). The best place to get your linarang fix, as bloggers and Sunstar.ph Best of Cebu (think of it as Cebu’s Michelin Guide) attest, is at an unassuming eatery named Larangan sa Pasil. (Pasil is an area in Cebu where there is a fish port and a market. So you know that the fish is super fresh!)
Larangan sa Pasil
This food spot is known for serving exotic fishes, such as tagotongan. It is believed that this is a kind of pufferfish. Yes, the ones whose toxin can kill a lot of people and has no cure. Interestingly, a lot of people eating at Larangan suffer no ill effects. This makes people, especially Japanese chefs who prepare the deadly fugu, scratching their heads.
I guess those are the exotic fishes served at Larangan. Are they real?
I’m almost always game on eating anything. Since there could be danger, I exercised prudence by doing some research on tagotongan. I found out that it’s not pufferfish but porcupinefish, which is often confused with the former because they’re collectively referred to as pufferfishes. Some are not poisonous so I guess those are the ones found in the waters of Cebu.
Even with this knowledge, I was still a bit nervous. I was thinking, “What if the porcupinefish served to me had toxins?” During my commute to Pasil to eat breakfast, my heart was beating fast. I just thought that if vlogger Erwan Heussaff, journalist Kara David, and many locals ate this and survived, I should, too…I hope!
Huge Cauldrons of Linarang
So I got my potentially lethal linarang. Its broth is slightly thick and hearty, with a nice ginger flavor (I doubt there’s coconut milk and fermented black beans in it; didn’t see the cook put them in it). The chillies add a nice spicy kick (and there are even birds eye chilli on the side). And the fish was incredibly tender!
Linarang at Larangan sa Pasil (P80)
I easily finished my bowl of linarang and nothing happened to me. Thank God! But I was doubtful that I had a porcupinefish. So I asked the cook and he told me that it wasn’t a tagotongan but a pating (shark)! Woah! (The former is served from 11AM onwards.)
I’m relieved that I didn’t eat tagotongan. But should I try it on my next visit to Cebu? Comment them below. If there’s a popular demand, I might go to Larangan again for that. LOL.
Address: 40 L. Flores St., Brgy. Pasil, Cebu City | Operating Hours: TBA (Anyone knows their operating hours? Please comment below.)
Bakasi at Entoy’s Bakasihan
If you have seen Netflix’s Street Food series, then you’ll be familiar with this. Entoy’s Bakasihan is an eatery at the municipality of Cordova, an hour drive from Cebu City. From its name, you will know its specialty: Bakasi or reef/sea eels. This is an unusual delicacy, even for Cebuanos.
Entoy’s Bakasihan
The eatery is helmed by Florencio Escabas a.k.a. Entoy, who became an instant celebrity after getting featured in the food documentary. Tatay (Father) Entoy has an interesting story. But I will let Netflix narrate it for me. LOL.
Enzoy Meets Entoy! LOL. Tatay Entoy was resting when I visited. But he graciously heeded my request to see him and have a quick chat. What a nice, humble man! Keep it up, Tatay!
After the feature, more Filipinos and foreigners alike visit the bakasihan (reef eel place). I’m happy with this because this gives additional income to Tatay Entoy and his family. I just hope that they can keep up with the increase in customers.
Anyway, I ordered their specialty, which is Linarang na Bakasi. Its broth is hearty and flavorful, with ginger, onions, red bell peppers, tausi, and tomatoes swimming in it. The bakasi itself is just like an ordinary fish; nothing bizarre about it. But it has a melt-in-the-mouth flesh. Just don’t forget to first remove the bones and the apdo (gall bladder, which is bitter) for a pleasant experience. With the combination of the wonderful broth and the tender eel, I now understand why this dish is such a favorite!
Linarang na Bakasi at Entoy’s Bakasihan (P40!)
Another dish that I ordered is the Saang or spider shell/conch, which is a kind of mollusc. I’ve been wanting to try this because I’ve been seeing it on YouTube videos. It has the texture of a squid and a brininess that tastes like the ocean. It’s nice to be dipped with vinegar.
Saang (P50)
There’s also fried bakasi at Entoy’s but I didn’t order it. I wonder why and I regret it! LOL.
Address: Victoriano Degamo Tirol St., Brgy. Buagsong, Cordova | Operating Hours: Monday-Friday, 6AM-9PM; Saturday & Sunday, 6AM-10PM | Facebook
Which of the 2 not-so-usual seafood have you tried or would like to try? What other exotic seafood should I try in Cebu? Comment them below!
Other entries in the Cebu Food Trip series: Trying the Local Dishes of the Queen City of the South | The Search for the Best Cebu Lechon | The Ultimate Seafood Experience Part 1 (SuTuKil and Paluto All-You-Can)