The Sugbo Mercado Experience

Have you watched the movie, Matilda? There's this particular scene in the movie wherein a young boy (Bruce Bogtrotter) was forced to devour a large chocolate cake as a punishment. The poor boy was about to throw up yet he has still to devour the scrumptious chocolate cake. In the end, he managed to finish the whole cake. I feel uncomfortable every time I watch that scene. I know for a fact that I have a big appetite but I know my limitations.

To cap off my 2nd day in Cebu Food Crawl 2016, we went to Sugbo Mercado. Little did I know that something big awaits us.

Sugbo Mercado is a weekend night market located at the heart Cebu City. It is reminiscent of Global City's Mercato or Mandaluyong's Banchetto, only that it is more organized, less chaotic, and the crowd isn't that rowdy.  If you are into live music and alfresco dining, then Sugbo Mercado is a perfect choice for you.

Once there, you'll have a lot of food choices to choose from. Most of them offer international dishes at an affordable price.  We feasted in some of the best tasting paellas, nasi goreng (and other Indonesian cuisines), milk teas in different flavors, gourmet humba on the go (my personal favorite), freshly squeezed fruit juices, Tipsy Pops (alcohol-infused popsicles), cakes, grilled beef and pork, and a whole lot more. There's a wide array of food here and this is the perfect place to binge/stress eat.

My tummy had barely enough room for food and desserts when we arrived at the Sugbo Mercado. Take note that we ate a LOT an hour before at Golden Cowrie. Everything went well when we visited the first five food stalls.

Source: Hyperbole and a half

Source: Hyperbole and a half

My friends are aware of my big appetite. Like seriously, big is an understatement. If you've read an online article about Michael Phelp's diet during Olympics, then probably you can picture me instead of him eating loads of pasta, pizza, and everything under the sun. Food is life. But my gastronomic experience in Sugbo Mercado had taken its toll on me. You know, my grade school teachers taught me that I should finish my food no matter what because if not, more and more children in Africa will die from starvation. Just, wow. On a serious note, food is a blessing and we shouldn't waste it.

Here are some of the food that we tried in Sugbo Mercado:

Paella negra

Jamaican burgers.

Pinoy favorite: Pork barbecue.

Freshly squeezed lemonade

Different flavors of paella

Milk teas in assorted flavors

Greek food

Deep fried oreos ala mode

No, I didn't eat this adorable creature. LOL

Funnel Cake

Beef sirloin

Piña coolada.

Carbonara.

I couldn't believe that I almost made it to the finish line. I didn't eat that much during the last part of the tour because I was on the verge of throwing up. The food gods and goddesses would totally get mad at me for wasting their gifts.

So I ended up looking like this:

Source: Hyperbole and a half

Good thing, I was still able to walk right after our last stop. I felt so heavy and bloated. Food crawl just got real! I thought I'd literally crawl from the market to our van. This is probably the most sinful food tour I've ever attended but hey, no regrets! I'm just happy that Cebu really has a LOT to offer when it comes to its local food scene. It's not just about their mouthwatering Lechon, it's all about reinventing the food with a sprinkle of local tastes.

Food makes us happy.

ALL. THE. TIME.