Before anything else, you might wonder why the change of heart again (for the nth time haha). I've previously introduced Patsitivity's Food Diary but damn it, I couldn't help but think it sounded so lame. I'm happy to announce that I found the one, the category I'd be writing all of my food escapades under. To recap, that's Patsitivity's Food Diary to Patsitivity's Palate. Not perfect but way better. And yes, I'll be sticking with this one from hereon.
A trip up north
My boyfriend and I decided to go on a Freediving Trip to Catmon, Cebu sometime last quarter to celebrate our monthsary. Catmon is in the northern part of Cebu, approximately 49km away from Cebu City. Aside from Moalboal, there are certain parts of Catmon that are famous for their freediving spots. It wasn't our first time freediving in the area but it was our first going there on our own. Moreover, it's the farthest he's driven in the North; in fact, it was his first ride heading to the northern part of Cebu.
The weather wasn't kind to us that day; it rained on our way to Kuya Jom's (the freediving spot) and even during our freediving session. We ended up cold and hungry. Good thing we don't have to go back to the City that day; we were able to book in advance a place via Airbnb since we're eyeing to freedive both Saturday (whole day, with rest in between) and Sunday (morning).
We had our lunch in Kuya Jom's. Please note that although you can order food there; they serve a limited selection of dishes. What they offer depends on the availability of ingredients. Hence, don't expect you can order whatever is on the menu. Just ask Kuya Jom's but most likely you'll end up eating pancit guisado, lumpia, and if you're lucky buttered shrimps.
We left Kuya Jom's place at roughly 3 in the afternoon and traveled just a few kilometers to reach our abode for the night. We dried up, relaxed from a tiring freediving session, and decided we'll have both dinner and brunch at Seasalt Cafe. What we initially had in mind was to have brunch (Sunday) at Seasalt Cafe and have dinner (Saturday) somewhere else.
After finalizing things, we ended up walking towards Seasalt Cafe to get our much-deserved dinner. It rained so hard about 30 minutes before we left our room; you can only imagine the difficulty of walking on the streets of Catmon where sidewalks are incredibly difficult to find.🙄 But all was worth it when we arrived in Seasalt.
Seasalt Cafe's Interior
My boyfriend requested that we dropped by this cafe during our freediving trip. If not for him, I wouldn't know this cafe exists. I believe the name Seasalt Cafe was derived from the cafe's location. It's overlooking the open sea of Catmon; a perfect escape for workers who hustle the entire week in the City.
Upon entry, you will be greeted with their huge menu board. For someone like me whose eyes weren't gifted with total clarity, choosing what to eat had never been easier. They offered mostly Filipino favorites such as Puto Maya Sikwate Set (Sticky rice cake with hot chocolate made from tablea) and Silog Meals.
I found the cafe spacious as there was only a handful of customers dining in that night. I later found out we were lucky to experience such as this cafe has always been jammed packed with customers especially during the weekends.
If you're having reservations about dining out due to the increasing Covid cases in Cebu, it's my pleasure to share that Seasalt Cafe has an open dining area and strictly follows basic health protocols (well, at least based on my experience).
And oh, they're pet friendly, too! You won't have to worry about your fur friends if you want to bring them along; here's their house cat taking the lead if you're still not convinced. 😉
Look at her (sorry, wasn't able to get her/his name haha) staring at the camera as if questioning my presence. She's harmless though; she just sat in her corner the entire time and glanced at the customers every now and then.
The cafe has an underground dining area as well (just below the main restaurant). For those who would want to stay closer to the sea, this might be your spot. This area is very refreshing especially when you come here on late afternoons.
Sumptuous dinner for the hungry and cold
My apologies to keep you waiting, but we've come to the main event! I know you're all excited to know what we ordered and to get feedback about the food's quality.
My boyfriend ordered two sets of Lamaw Bowls. It's actually my first time to see and try a Lamaw Bowl. A Lamaw Bowl typically contains rice, sunny side up or boiled egg, siomai, and chicharon. That sounds like a lot to eat! But we, Cebuanos, just love to eat. 😂
I figured I needed something hot for dinner so I ordered Beef Pho Noodle Soup. You can't expect much from this but for less than $3, it was worth it!
I was craving corned beef that night so I ordered a Cornbeef Silog meal.
It's weird to be drinking something really cold on a chilly evening but nonetheless, I got myself this fresh mango shake. While my boyfriend ordered coffee and enjoyed it while we were waiting for our meals to come.
Brunch by the beach
Morning came and we were back in Seasalt Cafe. We decided to have brunch instead of breakfast and lunch since the two of us aren't fans of breakfast; some biscuits, packed brownies, and a hot cup of instant coffee and chocolate drink will do.
Although it was already lunchtime, I felt the urge to order something really hot. This time I wanted to try their Cheesy Spicy Ramyun. There's nothing worth noting about this dish; what you see is what you get.
I have always been a fan of Silog meals or should I say anything with sunny side ups or pouched eggs. For brunch, I had their Signature Beef Tapa while my boyfriend ordered Porkchop. Both are Silog Meals. He also ordered French Press Coffee which is actually good for two but since I don't drink coffee, he enjoyed it up to the last drop.
And we were intrigued with their Spam Fries so we also ordered one. So it's really Spam cut into strips to mimic the shape of fries served with mayo and catsup. It's fun to eat; you expect one thing and taste the other. A witty idea actually!
Overall, I was amazed that a cafe relatively far from the City offers a wide selection of food and beverage at an affordable price. Not to mention the view in the morning when we're having brunch by the beachfront, totally refreshing! Foodwise, I wouldn't crave any of those we've ordered in their menu. It was great but I wouldn't go back just to order them again. But if you are looking for a place to chill make sure you visit them on weekdays or early on weekends to avoid the crowd.
How are you guys holding up? Did I make you hungry? Just go get a Spam and toss it in the pan. Thank you for going through this gastronomic experience with me. I shall see you in the next one! 😋
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