"Pajeros" and "Trucks" for Lunch

The clock struck 11am and the office mood slowly shifted to serious. The 6th floor of the Pioneer Building is normally busy at this hour. You see, a lot of work gets done at 11am because everybody crams and for some reason most us really do. If it's not Filipino culture, I don't know what it is - probably love for last hour challenge or something else. It's not even the last hour of a working day, but, it was prior lunch break. We got excited and so we sweat out the last minutes just to feel productive before taking the so-called "well deserved" lunches.

Amidst intent pounding of keyboards, a pregnant colleague breaks into a loud invitation. "Mike, are you eating Pochero for lunch?" Seriously, that would probably be the last of my options for that mealtime. It wasn't too long ago since I ate at Marjo's Pochero. Nevertheless, commotion slowly built up.  A lot of our co-workers who heard the invitation took interest. Soon, friends of friends gathered outside Pioneer building's main entrance and we found ourselves hiring cabs to go to Ekits.

Fame for Ekit FoodHaus had spread for sometime already through word of mouth. It is known to be "barkadas" (a group of friends) food stop after a grueling basketball match or simply a destination for food trippers. Their specialty? Pochero.

Ekit Foodhaus' latest signage

Located behind Sarrosa International Hotel and accessible only through junctions, taxis make your most appropriate public transportation. However, if you have plenty of time to waste, it can be fun walking your way to the restaurant after stopping a 3B or 3A Mabolo-Cebu route jeepney at the junction before Sarrosa Hotel. Walk straight until you reach the first crossing to the right (Landmark: Cucinerah Restaurant). A few meters onward, you'll see the newest signage for Ekit nailed on a light yellow concrete wall. Turn just 3 or 4 meters to the left until you find the entrance of the food house.

The entrance to the dining area

The entrance was indeed nothing cozy. In fact, if the owner would remove the huge signage above it, you would think that it is just a little doorway leading towards the interior of a house. However, do not be dismayed. It may look uninteresting from the outside but you will be surprised to see how a lot lively and fun it is inside. We were greeted by the sight of hungry and noisy crowd of people from all walks of life and the smell of cooked food filled the air. The simple and the sophisticated few, acquaintances and strangers, flock together around long wooden tables that are narrow but engaging for close distance conversations.

The crowd

 After getting seated for about 10 mins, our Pocheros arrived. A bowl for each. I caught site of a plate of cooked corn grits and thought it best to match it with the hot tasty beef soup. The meat was cooked to tender and I was lucky to get the portion that looked fresh and inviting colored light pinkish red. The soup had just the right salty sweet taste and not sour like Marjo's. Pretty much like the way it is cooked in our hometown in Negros. Like most, I took the slice of corn for the finish.

The famed "Pajero" (pochero)

Each serve of pochero costs P50 pesos - a far cry from the ones you get from restaurants priced between 200-300 pesos. Admittedly, however, the beef cuts at Ekits are plain meat without the flavorful bone marrows stuck in the hollows of beef shanks. Nevertheless, if you prefer a less oily and likely healthier beef soup, you'd definitely hit Ekit's like I will a second, third, fourth and God knows how many times more
whenever I get the chance.

Nowadays, the food house is known for the funny names customers label their pocheros and coca-cola drink: "pajero" and "truck", respectively. As for the reason behind the labels, I, like a few others, do not know.

For more articles on Ekit Food House, take time to read blogs by DeadToeNails and Senyorita.

Ekits FoodHaus is located at Tandang Sora, Kasambagan, Mabolo, Cebu City.


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Beef Shank at Marjos

When you've been at a place twice or thrice, a slight difference in the area is not difficult to notice. I pass by Gorordo Avenue frequently when I ride the taxi on the way to work and Marjos Pochero have lately been a tease since it opened sometime August, this year. So one lunch time, I and a colleague, being slaves to a restotour (restaurant hopping) challenge, decided to pay the place a visit.

Marjos Pochero is a restaurant which specialty is just exactly what its name parades - POCHERO. This type of dish takes its origin from Spanish cooking and is served then for the elites since the Spaniards wanted nothing less than "de primera calidad". It is beef stew made from choice ingredients of fresh vegetables, some fruits, and beef shank cooked under regulated heat and pressure.

Without hesitation we entered the gate of what looked like a wooden fence and stepped on a shaded cement platform. The restaurant has no wall coverings, except for their kitchen where cooking is done. Right in front of the kitchen is a glass shelf displaying all other dishes one can order a la carte - lechon kawali, chicharon bulaklak and many more. The wall behind the attendants holds what looks like a gigantic menu listing all other food they have available for sale. This type of setup is quite telling of the type of patrons they intend to cater - the middle income earners which make up most of the Filipino population.

Service in the restaurant is quite fast. Not long after 10 to 15 minutes have elapsed, the simmering beef stew was already served in a white porcelain bowl. We were told not to drink the soup directly mouth to cup because it is hotter than we think we can handle. And true as we were told, even the spoon scoop burnt a little our tender tongues. Warm soup in the stomach to me is always the most satisfying in an eating routine. I wouldn't mind perspiring. Their version of pochero soup is a little too tangy (or sour) and salty too. I find this flavor a little dominant in most pochero houses in Cebu. I could be wrong to say that it is Cebu trademark but the ones I have tasted in Negros was not as sour as it tasted. It was the kind of mix that would be perfect when poured over a plate of bland plain rice rather than sipped from the cup. In my opinion, the sourness may have been due to too much dabong (bamboo shoots) in the ingredients. But its just me. Others probably find that a plus especially for those whose palate loves that particular item in the dish. Despite that, I would commend their pochero for its fresh beef, nicely tendered, and served in huge size. The one we ate was enough to accommodate for 4 persons. The cabbage was cooked enough to still have its crunch and the corn was sweet. Our lunch which included the pochero, rice, and softdrinks cost us a total of P400. Not bad if shared by three or four.

Food/Taste                   - 3
Value for Money         - 4
Presentation/Class       - 3
Crew Service               - 4
Ambiance                    - 2

Overall experience: Just Ok!

For more pictures, visit their Facebook page. See related reviews by Market Manila here or find a sample Pochero recipe in this site.

Marjo's Pochero
Location: beside QC Pavillon
Gorordo Ave., 6000 Cebu City
Contact Nos: 09228328502 / 09334547454


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