As a mother, one of the most significant events I look forward to each year is my son's birthday. As parents, we always try to give our children the best we can. This year, my son visited me in the city from our province, and we had his advance birthday celebration. As I mentioned in my previous blogs, we explored the Cebu Ocean Park and the Mountain View Nature's Park. Those were my gifts for my son's 9th birthday, but the celebration didn't end there. I organized a birthday dinner at Golden Cowrie Restaurant - Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines for my workmates, friends and loved ones who live in the city. Let me take you through the highlights of my son's birthday dinner. My son’s 9th birthday is on November 29,2023 but since he visited me here in the city on the 23rd of November, we made the most out of his stay here in the city.
Before heading for a birthday dinner at Golden Cowrie Restaurant, we did a few things. First photo on the collage I attached above, we visited SM Seaside and took some pictures of their wonderful Christmas decorations. Afterward, we went to Cebu Ocean Park. After we wandered around at the Cebu Ocean Park, we went back to SM Seaside which was a walking distance to grab some lunch. The boys went to play billiards on the bowling and billiards corner of the SM Seaside while the rest of us hung out. We then rode a bus to the National Museum of the Philippines and explored it. After that, we walked towards the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño and took a photo in front of the Magellan's Cross. We offered our prayers and lit some candles before heading to the church to offer our birthday wishes. Finally, we headed to Golden Cowrie Restaurant, which is located in Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City, Philippines.
Why did we chose to have my son’s birthday dinner at The Golden Cowrie Restaurant?
We decided to dine at the Golden Cowrie restaurant, which is renowned for serving the most delectable Filipino dishes and favorites. One of the reasons we opted for this restaurant is because my beau works here and offered us a 10% discount as a Golden Cowrie employee.
Golden Cowrie Restaurant has 31 branches all over the Philippines and they have 11 branches in Cebu City which are:
(1) Golden Cowrie - LAHUG
(2) Golden Cowrie - AS FORTUNA
(3) Golden Cowrie - MACTAN MARINA MALL
(4) Golden Cowrie - HUKAD - PARKMALL
(5) Golden Cowrie - SOUTH TOWN BULACAO
(6) Golden Cowrie - LEVEL 4 AYALA MAIN CEBU
(7) Golden Cowrie - SM CEBU
(8) Golden Cowrie - HUKAD - ROBINSON'S CYBERGATE
(9) Golden Cowrie - HUKAD - AYALA
(10) Golden Cowrie - SM SEASIDE
(11) Golden Cowrie - SANDS DANAO CITY
Given the widespread presence of this restaurant across the country, there is no doubt about the quality of food and service they offer. It is undoubtedly one of the best restaurants in the Philippines.
Here are the foods available here:
The restaurant is fully air-conditioned and well-ventilated, making it a spacious and comfortable dining experience. One of my top priorities when dining out is the availability of cashless transactions, and Golden Cowrie Restaurant accepts both debit and credit cards payment. Additionally, they also accept Gcash for added convenience. Based on the attached photos, it seems like the restaurant was quite busy during our visit.
I purchased a birthday cake from a local pastry store in the Philippines for my son's upcoming birthday. I added a #9 candle to symbolize his age. We brought it here at Golden Cowrie Restaurant.
I'm gonna rate the foods we ordered at Golden Cowrie.
Lechon Belly 10/10 Perfectly cooked, lechon belly skin is crispy and the meat is tender and flavorful.
Crispy Fried Chicken 10/10 Love that is is not that oily when you dig into it and it gives so much flavor and unusual taste than the ordinary fried chickens.
Pochero 8/10 The meat is tender but they could have added more meat or bones to it, nevertheless the soup tastes good and it was served hot so it is a plus factor for me who loves to eat hot food.
Grilled Tuna Panga 8/10 It is perfectly grilled and juicy, but I don’t like the aftertaste of the fish.
Sea Food Pancit Habhab 10/10 The pancit is a traditional dish most Filipinos have when there are birthdays, it is known to provide long life and prosperity. It tastes so good it has so many seafood on it.
Pork Sinigang I’m not sure as to why I did not get a solo photo of the pork sinigang but it was definitely a 10/10, perfectly sour and everything just blends well and the flavors are balanced and perfectly mixed.
Blackforest cake I got from Red Ribbon.
Our birthday boy, my son, Jacob, turning 9 soon on the 29th of November, 2023.
Here is a list of everything we ordered for my son’s birthday dinner here at Golden Cowrie Restaurant :
• Lechon Belly - 3 kilos priced at ₱989 per kilo (3x989) = ₱2,967.00
• Unlimited Rice - ₱54 per head (11x54) = ₱594
• Pork Sinigang = ₱285
• Pochero = ₱565
• Seafood Pancit Habhab = ₱325
• Crispy Fried Chicken = ₱369
• Grilled Tuna Panga = ₱250
• 3 Pitchers Iced Tea (210x3)= ₱630
We paid a total of ₱5,985 and we got a ten percent discount because my beau is an employee here.
I don't mind the expense as long as everyone had fun, enjoyed, and loved the dinner that I hosted for them. These are some of the people I trust most here in the city. Some of my most trusted good friends are here, and some are family, which are closest to me.
To my surprise, the wife of my cousin gave Jacob ₱500 via GCASH since they did not bring any cash with them.
My workmate and his beau also gave Jacob a ₱500 cash as a birthday gift.
As a giver myself, I'm not really into receiving things from other people; that is why I receive things, no matter how small or how big, especially if it's for my son. I appreciate it because, in the end, it's the amount, but the thought counts. Regardless of whether they had given my son a gift or not, we'd still be able to enjoy the dinner I hosted for them, but since they were thoughtful enough, I was happy as well. My son bought the things he wanted from the money he received as his birthday gift, my son was so happy indeed. What a happy birthday indeed!
The experience was exceptional, receiving a perfect 10 out of 10 rating. The staff was friendly, attentive, and always met our needs. The restaurant was spacious and could accommodate numerous guests. The fully air-conditioned environment was refreshing, and the service was incredibly prompt. The food was served hot and delicious, and the best part was the convenience of cashless transactions. I am looking forward to visiting this restaurant again soon.
Looking forward to try more great restaurants here in Cebu City. Can’t wait indeed! Ciao!☺︎♡