“Are you sure you want to eat there? You might get stomach problems after,” said my Cebuano friend about Larsian. Of course I just had to try it after he said that.
I’ve been to Cebu several times, but it was only until Addi featured his Cebu eats here that I got to know about it. And, on a late Monday night, I decided to head out and stuff my face with chorizo and other grilled meats over at Larsian.
The place is quite impressive, and for a work night, there were plenty of patrons. There was a good mix of tourists and locals making up the diners. It was a lively scene, and filled with a happy mood that made it more enjoyable to eat there.
The layout is similar to a plaza, with the stalls displaying their wares of skewers and seafood around the perimeter. The grills are all lined up in the center. It made everything look organized and also prevented barbecue smoke from blowing right up the diners’ faces.
There’s plenty to be had at Larsian, making it an excellent choice for a group meal. You have your usual pork belly, chicken quarters, offal like intestines and chicken tails, and the famous Cebu chorizo. You can also choose different seafood such as shellfish, bangus (milkfish), and stuffed squid.
I went to a stall that looked clean enough, chose a couple of chorizos and chicken tails, and was shown to my table. From what I saw, each stall was allotted the row of tables directly in front of it. The night was pretty humid, and I did my best to stay nice and cool with a cold bottle of beer. The chance of rain didn’t worry me too much though, as the tables were protected by a tarpaulin roof.
You really can’t go wrong with barbecue here in the Philippines, and my meal just affirmed that idea. The chorizo tasted really great grilled, with a lot of the sugar in the sausage caramelizing and getting burnt at the right places. Of course, to add to the cholesterol-fest I was having, I also enjoyed every bite of those chicken tails. I was still trying to cut on some carbs though, so I just had one puso, which is rice cooked in woven palm leaves. The overall effort at a diet proved futile, however, as I succumbed to my hunger pangs and ordered two small sticks of pork barbecue to cap off the meal. My bill came to about PHP 80, which isn’t bad for 6 sticks of meat and some rice. And while the portions could be bigger, the variety of what I ordered more than made up for the size.
Larsian may not be the cleanest place to eat in Cebu, but it is an eating experience worth having. Whether it’s for a few rounds of beer together with grilled sticks, or for a group meal together with friends, Larsian is hard to beat.
Overall, I’d give this place a rating of 7/10. Given the various choices, freshly-cooked food, and affordable prices. Though I must warn you that the seafood doesn’t always look fresh and sanitation is absolutely not the priority here, it’s definitely worth risking a tummy ache for.
Larsian BBQ
Don Marian Cui Street (near Fuente Circle), Cebu City
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