I was seriously craving for unli wings. You know that feeling when you're fixated on something, and nothing else will do? Typical of me who's got hyperfixations. But, of course, none of the nearby places were open. So we thought, why not just drive to Cebu City?
We didn't exactly know where to go, but I thought "the first unli wings restaurant we'll find will do!"
Well, halfway there, I realized I was too hungry to care about the "unli" part anymore. At that point, I’d have settled for any wings... mediocre, overpriced, whatever. We spotted Tambayad Foodpark and decided to stop, mostly out of desperation. Turns out, not a bad call!
The closest thing to unli wings was getting 3 flavor sets of wings. But what really caught me off guard was the pochero. I didn’t expect to be moved by a bowl of soup, but it was exactly what I needed. Rich, comforting, and borderline life-changing!
The whole experience was surprisingly great. Harry loved his burger (he ate it with that satisfied "this is the one" expression), and Lora wouldn’t stop raving about her soup. The wings? Pretty good, too. The vibe was way better than I remembered. Just bright, cozy, chill.
The last time I came here was in 2020, back when the pandemic was just a whisper of doom in the background (we didn't realize what's about to come yet!). Tambayan wasn’t much to write home about then. Barely any food options, and the live band sounded...rough. Maybe it was the sound system, but I remember thinking "are minors really allowed here?" because there was too much partying going on, and a fight just started on the upper deck. It felt more like a drinking spot than a food park, which wasn’t what I was looking for at the time.
Fast forward to now, and it’s a different place entirely. More food stalls, better atmosphere, and way less chaos. At least that night, no chaos at all. A singer and guitarist on stage singing a love song, some groups drinking but most people just enjoying food.
It’s crazy to think I used to live nearby in 2019 when they were just starting out, and it felt like an afterthought. Now, it’s the kind of place you’d actually want to hang out in.
I didn’t get my unli wings that night, but I got a really satisfying meal and a fun, unexpected trip with family. Sometimes, that’s even better.
