Ngohiong: Cheap and Fulfilling Pinoy Food Delicacy

Ngohiong, a Cebuano local delicacy is something that I and my barkada love to eat.

It’s cheap and can be found in most Chinese restaurants especially in Colon Street. SM Cebu food court also has some kiosk selling chinese ngohiong.

Me and friends have been going to Cheaverz for their ngohiong and pork belly since we discovered it after college graduation when we were already working and have a little extra money to dine out.

A lot of stories, memories and celebrations have been shared in the main Cheaverz restaurant along A.S. Fortuna Ave in Mandaue City. And the restaurant have also undergone some changes over the years. It’s a bit of a bummer though that our favorite seats at the upper level doesn’t look as great as before, you can see some signs of deterioration especially in the railings. But it’s okay, we were there for the food. 🙂

If you check the whole stretch of A.S. Fortuna you’ll come across lots of food choices, restaurants, cafes and pastry houses and Cheaverz Fried and Grill is one of the popular ones.

Cheaverz Ngohiong

Yesterday me, doris and titus (check their blogs too on their take on this pinoy cheap food!) went again to Cheaverz as doi needs to do a feature story on a local dish for her travel blogger group and we tag along lol.

thetravellingfeet, penfires, fieldtripboy – On Food Prowl again

What is ngohiong?

Titus has asked me this a long time ago as people from Luzon are unfamiliar with this Chinese food. You can’t find ngohiong in Manila if I am not mistaken. I told him it looks like a lumpia but bigger and the main ingredients for the filling are ubod ng kawayan or bamboo sprout, spices like spring onion and others, I suspect there is a singkamas too but am not sure, and those at Cheaverz are guarding their secret ingredients so well, they won’t budge when asked, good employees.

Fast track to 2011 Titus loves ngohiong and he swears that one of the yummiest ngohiong chinese food can be found in the foodcourt of Gaisano Metro Colon, I forgot the name of the food kiosk, sorry.

Ngohiong taste like what?

What I like about Cheaverz Ngohiong ( I rarely eat ngohiong from other restaurants and food kiosk) especially when its fresh off the pan, steaming hot and then I dip it into hot and spicy sawsawan, it taste great and I forgot that its made of veggies. And it’s relatively a healthy food if you forgot the fact that you need to deep fry to cook it.

(yep, I don’t eat most veggies but I eat potato, squash, taro, monggo, sayote…and a few more.)

How cheap is this local delicacy?

Cheaverz’s ngohiong sells for P9 a piece. It’s real cheap considering that it’s delicious and truly fulfilling.

Some of our barkada who already resides and works in Manila are always requesting us to bring them ngohiong as pasalubong whenever we have a trip to the nation’s capital hehe. I remember a time when Donnie, Leah and I feast on 20 ngohiongs all by our 3 lonesome selves hahaha

Cheaverz in A.S. Fortuna Avenue is open from 9:30 to 2pm, then back at 4:30 to 10pm.

Litson Manok

Cebu Chorizo at Cheaverz

We were just surprised to discover yesterday how expensive a cup of rice in Cheaverz is, it’s P18 per cup! So it might be better to go for puso especially if you are a Cebu tourist as it’s like hitting two birds with one stone – two local food favorites at one go. Puso is P3 per piece.

Just across Cheaverz is another favorite local food hang-out in Mandaue, Matias BBQ, considered as the Larsian of Mandaue. Matias was jampacked yesterday but we were craving ngohiong and not barbeque so Cheaverz it was.

Will I recommend Ngohiong to Cebu’s visitors?  Absolutely. You bet.

Cheaverz is no more! They have closed! Waaaaah. 
Time to look for another ngohiongan place.

p.s. You can now find Golden Cowrie in what used to be the main branch of Cheaverz in A.S. Fortuna.