Come for Mott 32, but stay for Nustar’s other delights
Mott 32, one of the most awarded Chinese restaurants in the world, is definitely an ace up the sleeve of Nustar Resort and Casino. Located only in eight fortunate countries, the Cantonese joint, beloved for its 42-day applewood-roasted Peking duck, barbecue pluma Iberico pork, and xiao long bao or Shanghai-style soup dumplings, is as much a worthy visit as the only five-star integrated resort in Cebu.
While it’s a main draw, I found out during the recent launch of the ultra-luxury Nustar Hotel that a few other restaurants deserve a stage of their own.
Filipino fare
The first of these is Fina, which is among the hotel’s busiest.
The allure of Filipino food is strong over at Nustar, as evidenced by the crowd that always gathers at Fina. It’s not your typical Filipino restaurant that boasts all things local, from decor to music. Instead, it takes all the makings of a typical feast—with dishes for sharing and large tables big enough to fit groups and families—and arranges them in a fashion that is in character with the luxury hotel. It’s like a marriage of Art Deco and the tropics as seen in the solihiya finishes, fauna backdrop, and gold-clad round lights.
Food-wise, it tips its hat to the classics done the old-fashioned way, sans shortcuts. The beef kare-kare is made from scratch, with no addition of MSG or flavor enhancers.
Mixed in with familiar plates like bulalo, chicken inasal, and crispy pata are all-time favorite Cebuano dishes like balbacua, linarang, and red-hued sweet chorizo.
The varied ensemble is completed with regional items like Batangas lomi, laing, and Bicol express. Filipinos may enjoy many of these dishes at home, but with food this good, diners, as evidenced by the constant crowd, wouldn’t mind having it out as well.
Chinese feast
Xin Tian Di, which literally translates to “new heaven and earth,” is not foreign to those in the know, as it already has a branch in Manila, at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. And though there are some items that Mott 32 also carries, what this southern Chinese restaurant (conveniently located right across the gambling stations) has going for it is the variety in the menu, its set meals, as well as the fact that it is open 24/7, perfect for those late-night indulgent cravings.
In dimsum alone, it has an array that ticks the boxes in terms of what many Filipinos actually crave for and order—pork and shrimp siomai, har gao, golden fried prawn dumplings, shrimp roll, char siu buns, and steamed chicken feet with XO sauce. The same goes for the mains, among them stir-fried beef with broccoli, steamed grouper in soy sauce, sweet and sour pork with capsicum and pineapple, and kung pao chicken. It’s the kind of Chinese food many customers actually long for, at a more reasonable price.
Italian indulgence
Stepping into Il Primo, one might initially be enthralled at the multiple grand chandeliers as well as the spiral red-white-and-black structure at the far corner that lords over the entire room. Those are certainly impressive, but look beyond and you will also notice the dry-age machine, the pizza oven, the Josper grill, and the presence and talent of Turin-born chef Valentino Chirico. Guests will realize that the property has pulled out all the stops to bring an Italian restaurant like no other to the city of Cebu.
Il Primo has nine pizzas to choose from, from Margherita and salami picante to tartufata and calzone—all made with a dough that’s given a day-and-a-half to rise. And there are six pasta dishes, some of which are made with noodles kneaded in-house, like the Nustar fettuccine with seafood in a creamy tomato sauce, and the ube potato gnocchi with four cheeses.
But the real deal here is the long list of items that can be grilled in the Josper. It ranges from Australian lamb chop and Japanese A5 wagyu to the tomahawk Angus choice Omaha, all of which can be enjoyed with wine.
Nustar Resort and Casino is located at The Strip, Kawit Island, Cebu. Visit nustar.ph.
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