A Beautiful Place to Dine and Unwind by the Sea

Another sunny weekend, and this time, we spent our day with the family of my hubby as an advance birthday celebration of my father-in-law. We went to a waterfront mall in the city of Cebu, IL Corso Mall, and had a sumptuous lunch in front of the sea.

^{Beautiful reflection of the view from our table.}

We departed almost noon from the house. We traveled about 7km to reach the destination. Since it was on a weekend, the traffic was not that bad. Also, it was in the middle of the daylight. So we only drove for less than 20 minutes at a normal speed. And when we arrived, we noticed a lot of cars in the parking area, but a lot of vacant, too. So I assume that there were only a few people. Though the place was not yet fully finished, improvements were still ongoing in some areas. But it was enough to give a very refreshing vibe to the people who will visit. It was located in the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City. If you are looking for a beautiful place to dine and unwind by the sea, this is a perfect spot. Protocols about safety measures were done also.

^{Aerial view of the Il Corso Mall from the ocean.}

^{The entrance to Parilya.}

When we entered the mall, we were greeted by a very polite and cheerful security guard. Because the time we arrived was past lunch, we directly proceeded to the restaurant we wanted to dine at, Parilya. This restaurant offers Filipino cuisine. Since there were only a few people, it was a favorable place for us. After we indicated our names to the list of guests, we headed to our table which was situated outside the restaurant. First, we took our rest. Observing the surroundings and people. We also waited for one of the staff to take our orders. After a few minutes, someone approached us and took our orders because we were quite hungry. We then select from their menu, enough for the five of us. There were many dishes to choose from. There were starters, crispy specials, soups, ceviche, grilled, noodles, desserts or sweet treats, beverages, and a lot more. The staffs were very accommodating to address our needs. Once we're done, we continued with our conversation. While waiting for the orders to arrive, we enjoyed the beautiful view in front. The turquoise water of the sea, as a reflection of the sky, and the sea breeze kissed our cheeks, enough to cool the heat of the daylight.

^{The view from my chair}

^{Empty tables waited to be filled up}

^{Beautiful view from our table}

^{Properly wrapped plate, cutlery, small bowl, and saucer}

One of the staff prepared our table. They gave us water and placed the plate, cutlery, small bowl, and saucer which were properly wrapped. There were also a few additional guests who arrived and they were accommodated. The weather was beautiful, and I think it is one of the reasons that people loved to visit here. Then after 20 minutes, our orders were served. We had Pancit Canton, Adobong Kangkong, Lechon Parilya, Grilled Baby Squid, Kalderetang Kanding, Sinuglaw, and Sisig for our foods. Then we had fresh buko for our drinks. You may check the photos below for a closer look of these foods. They were absolutely a treat for our tummy. Aside that these foods were all Filipino dishes, I can't avoid feeling excited because of the smell, so appetizing.

^{Pasidungog Salo-Salo}

Adobong Kangkong - It is water spinach, sauteed in garlic with soy sauce.

Lechon Parilya - It is roasted pork cooked in an open fire.

Grilled Baby Squid - Grilled with onions, garlic, and tomatoes inside.

Kalderetang Kanding - It is a Filipino stew with goat as the main ingredient. It is rich in tomato sauce with potatoes, green peas, bell pepper, livers, and spices.

^{'Pancit Canton' is a cooked flour noodle with stir-fried vegetables and pork.}

^{'Sinuglaw' is a combination of grilled (sinugba) pork belly and mackerel ceviche (kinilaw).}

^{'Sisig' is a combination of the liver, ears, and joints of pork, with calamansi, chili, and peppers.}

^{'Fresh Buko' is a young and green coconut fruit with meat and juice inside.}

^{The entrance inside the restaurant}

We spent more than 1 hour in the restaurant, eating and talking. We did not mind the time because the view was absolutely relaxing and the foods were delicious. So we just enjoyed the moment while we stayed there. I couldn't deny the fact that having a full tummy because of the foods we ate, and the sea breeze, made my eyes feel a bit sleepy. But I couldn't sleep there. So, to divert it, we took our chance to capture some great photos of the beautiful subject that we spotted. A good thing that I have a partner who has the same interest as me. In fact, he is my mentor when it comes to photography. So we excused from his family and took our mobile phones with us. We were also able to fly our drone. But later, we got reprimanded because it was not allowed so we stop.

^{Parilya, front view}

^{The Lighthouse, with the view of CCLX(bridge)}

^{Seaview of Il Corso}

It was almost two in the afternoon when we decided to leave the mall. So the bills were settled and then left the restaurant. Since there was no other thing that you can do there except to eat, we called it a day and move ways separately. The family of my hubby went home directly, while the two of us decided to stop by at SM Seaside, just a few kilometers from Il Corso.

^{View from the parking lot}

^{Aerial view of Il Corso Mall, with the view of SM Seaside Mall}

It was a great day, well-spent with the family with good food and a beautiful view. The heat of the summer here in the Philippines is really striking. So spending a quality moment, especially with loved ones on a special occasion, in the coastal side of the city is very nice. Not only that we are able to create memories, but also, we are able to relax.

A Beautiful Place to Dine and Unwind by the Sea | IL CORSO