It is easy to not talk about food that you eat most of the time probably because you are used to it. This is the case of Island Grill Express. I never thought of blogging about it until I was distanced from Cebu.
Residing in Manila, I often have cravings for my usual Cebuano food. Food in Island Grill Express is one of them. I did not let my chance of grabbing my Island Grill favorites when I returned home two weeks ago. And so, this blog entry was born.
Location
Island Grill Express cosily sits along with other stalls in SM Foodcourt. It has been there in years. It also has another stall in Food Choices Ayala. Recently, it also opens its first dine-in restaurant in Ayala Mall. I have not been to the newly opened restaurant. But, the branch that I frequented back then and visited recently is in SM Foodcourt. The menu offerings are more compared to its other take-out branch in Ayala.
Island Grill Favorites
As suggested by its name, Island Grill’s specialty includes its array of grilled pork, chicken, and seafood items. These are sold at less than P100 inclusive of rice and Papaya salad as side dish. I love the Grilled Porkchop and Grilled Chicken. The soy sauce-and-calamansi-based marinade seeps through the meat and harmonizes with the papaya salad when eaten together.
This Guso Salad, seaweed soaked in calamansi juice and fresh tomatoes, is a wonderful appetizer and would have been great with seafood. Nonetheless, we enjoyed eating it with our grilled food.
We had Kare-kare, a traditional Filipino oxtail stew with thick peanut sauce. This is best eaten with bagoong (sautéed shrimp paste).
The Pinakbet tickled my tastebuds. It was such a delight to finally have it again after years! I would say that Island Grill’s Pinakbet is the best pinakbet that I have tasted so far in the Philippines. In fact, for me, it tastes way better to the pinakbet in Ilocos, where the dish originated. Island Grill’s Pinakbet has the right bitter-salty combination with the right amount of natural saccharine taste probably coming from the squash. It also has a thicker texture compared to the traditional Pinakbet. I think peanut butter is added to the dish; although I could not copy the taste and texture in my home cooking.
For dessert, I had the typical Fruit Salad at P40. This I find expensive because it is in a small platelet and the salad is dominated by pineapples. I suggest ordering the Minatamis na Saging (sweetened banana) instead.
Conclusion
Island Grill Express never fails to give me comfort food. This restaurant is good to try if you’re in Cebu and wanting to dine like any local folk would do on a regular day. As the restaurant is located in a mall-based foodcourt, you need to be willing to fall in line for your order. The queue is usually long but the movement is fast enough. Otherwise, try its newly opened dine-in restaurant in Ayala instead. I’m just not sure if the prices are the same.
Restaurant : Island Grill Express
Location : SM Foodcourt / Food Choices Ayala
Type : Casual Dining
Mode of payment : Cash
Price ranges : P70-P100 per order/serving
Avenue 63 