I'm a self-proclaimed foodie and food critic, aren't we all?
I've been to countless restaurants with good locations but with rude staff, with great food but with so little serving, with amazing interior but with very expensive meals and the list goes on. And I'm telling you it's so rare to find a restaurant you can rate with even just 8 out of 10 stars. There seems to be something off almost all the time.
But hey, we found Balay sa Busay - one outstanding restaurant with delicious Filipino food, wonderful view of the city, accommodating staff, and reasonably-priced offers. What more to ask?
Balay sa Busay opened last September 2018 at Brgy. Busay, Cebu Tops Road. It has a charming and contemporary interior that goes well with the simple wooden furniture and minimalist wall decors of the restaurant. It's basically home but everything with a touch of 'extra'.
FOOD AND PRICE
The menu is
composed of Filipino favorites like Pancit, Penakbet, Adobong Baboy,
Dinuguan, Kinilaw, Pochero, Chicken skin and some other classics.
We
get to try Shrimps in buko (P299) which is my personal favourite
because of its unique savoury sauce. The Watermelon salad (P235) – a mix
of cucumber, singkamas and watermelon in some vinegar and salt mixture
is also something I’ve never tried before but actually tastes great. The
popular Sisig (P210) uniquely served on a small shovel is a must-try as
well as their very flavourful Binagoongang Baboy (P195). But the star
of the night, for me, was the Banana cue ala mode (P95). Who knew
Vanilla ice cream would go well with Banana cue?
Everything
is reasonably priced as the servings are good for 2 to 3 pax. Price
ranges from P120 to P480. You can go for bigger servings that are priced
differently. To give you an idea, we got billed around P2, 500 for 10
different viands, 1 dessert and 2 fruit shakes. If that’s not reasonable
price for you, then I don’t know what is.
RESTAURANT STAFF
The friendly
and accommodating staff of Balay sa Busay actually made our dining
experience hassle-free and comfortable. We asked them about what they
recommend us to try and just everything about the food upon serving.
It's nice that they're very familiar with their menu and politely
addressed our questions.
The staff is pretty consistent with being accommodating throughout our time there.
DINING SPACE AND FUNCTION ROOM
As
of the time of this writing, Balay sa Busay will yet to open their
second floor to cater to more customers. During peak time on weekends,
you may have to keep up with the waiting list, but you can reserve a
table ahead of time - just call 354-7169. By the way, they're open from
10AM to 11PM daily.
For birthday parties and small
conferences, they have two function rooms that can cater up to 30 pax
each. For bigger events, the function rooms can be joined together.
I suggest you go there on a weekday or weekend afternoon until evening so you could appreciate the view of the city during the morning and at night. It’s a great place to just dine with your family and friends while enjoying the cold fresh air at the top. This is also very perfect for couples who want a romantic place to go for Valentine’s day, anniversaries (and surprise proposals). At night, they light up a bonfire at the terraces to give a little bit of warmth to the dining customers. It's cozy and romantic in every way.
Overall, Balay sa Busay is definitely one of the top new restaurants we highly recommend that you visit in Cebu!!!