SuTuKil Cebu - An Unusual Dining Experience

We were famished, and we wanted to kill some time in between hotel check ins. We also needed a place that's relatively near Movenpick Resort. SuTuKil was the perfect place - just a few minutes from the hotel and a short walk from a famous tourist destination (Mactan Shrine).

As soon as we got off the cab, a small mob of locals offering the world and beyond approached us. A lady offered to give me an umbrella so I won't melt under the heat of the sun. Another guy was mumbling something about "no cooking charge," and yet another offering the "only air-conditioned room in the area."

So many choices, so many dishes, so little time.

And that's where it sank in - yeah, the place is collectively called SuToKil (Sugba, Tula, Kilaw) but it's actually made up of several restaurants. It's similar to Dampa, where you get to purchase your own fresh seafoods and have the resto cook for a fee. We ended up joining the girl with the umbrella - going the extra mile usually pays off.

The place itself looked nice, despite the bad reviews I saw from other blogs. Sure, it's not a classy restaurant, and sure there may be some "natural smells" coming from the ocean and the seafood market. But if you're going to be a "maartourist" about it, then you are probably better off in one of the fine dining establishments in the city. Umayon sa kapaligiran. If you are looking for a relaxing place with a touch of nature, then this place is for you.

That's a mangrove cove behind us!

Did I mention we were famished? So we ended up ordering a huge Lapu Lapu (cooked three ways - Sugba, Tula and Kilaw), a kilo of prawns, a kilo of scallops, and lots of rice. That's a lot of food for four "on a diet" adults and a child who only eats Rosquillos.

My Review:

I didn't care much for the "Tula" or the fish soup. I'm not a fan of soup, and I'm not a fan of fish. I liked how the sabaw (soup) tasted, took a few sips, but devoted most of my tummy space to the other dishes. The "Sugba" or grilled fish was what it was - grilled fish. Again, not something that I would normally order in a restaurant, but simply had to for the complete "SuTuKil" experience. I guess it wasn't so bad paired with the "sawsawan" made of soy sauce, chili, calamansi and some spices.

Now for the good part. I could have eaten the kilo of Chili Garlic Prawns all by myself. It's similar to how prawns are cooked in Dampa, but with a distinct taste of its own. The baked scallops were probably not made with "real" butter, but it was yummy! I wish we ordered a couple more kilos, but that would be gluttony. Finally, the Kilaw (raw fish "cooked" in vinegar) was a hit. I don't usually go for raw fish, but I couldn't seem to get enough of it.

The damage? 2500 pesos (or was it more? I don't remember). Was it worth it? Well, I would probably skip the soup and the grilled fish and order more shrimps and maybe some crabs. Will I go back? I love a good "dampa" experience so yeah, I hope to see this place again someday (and maybe try another resto).