Karlo Pacana
Looking for the Best Burger in Cebu? Read on!
We’re off to have a quick bite and probably a drink or two at one of Cebu’s New York style bars located on the roof deck of Ayala Terraces’ new wing, a favorite of Cebuanos and tourists alike, The Social.
The Social Cebu Logo
At first glimpse, you’ll immediately feel its classy and exclusive vibe, a feeling you don’t usually get when you’re in a restaurant inside a mall. The reason behind this is probably its overlooking mall location with access to fresh air, laid-back atmosphere, a relatively higher cost compared to other establishments and a great view of Cebu’s business district.
Cocktail specials
A multi-layered bar, café and lounge with an alfresco area, its great industrial-inspired interiors complement its ambient lighting and posh ambiance. As you enter the black glass doors, you’ll immediately see the centerpiece wall graffiti beside the DJ booth and its various flat screen TVs scattered all over the place covering different kinds of sports leagues. Wherever you’re seated, you can see your orders prepared flames-blazing through their open kitchen.
Indoor bar
What I love about The Social is their versatility. The fact that they can easily transition from serving breakfast and coffee in the morning to serving brightly-colored cocktails and back-to-basic comfort food later in the evening is not an easy feat to pull off! You’ll need good management, skilled staff and creative minds (Tadcaster Hospitality) to come up with such a flexible business model. With gimmicks and events each day of the week and new chalkboard specials, you’ll never get enough of this place.
Open kitchen
I had an interesting conversation with their manager, Jimmy and chef Rob. They shared their advocacy of helping local farmers in Cebu by sourcing their organic ingredients from them. Some of their exotic seafood is actually flown all the way from Mindanao. I also admire the way they handle their people, encouraging internal hiring of Filipinos in managerial positions and providing sufficient training to all their employees, a chance to move up from being a dishwasher to a full-pledged chef.
Outside looking in
On a side note, Chef Rob actually asked me if I was interested to learn how to cook as a professional and that he would give me a few pointers and hands-on tutorials. The challenge was for me to cook a dish for him and vice versa which will probably be good for another post. Smiles.
Overlooking view from The Social
Mini Burgers photo from The Social Cebu
The Social Burger photo from The Social Cebu FB Page
And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the battle of two burgers: Korean Burger versus North Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Burger! Listed below are their mouth-watering ingredients:
Korean Burger
Korean Burger (Php480) – Bulgogi marinated brisket, kimchi ketchup, gochujang mayo, black sesame brioche bun
North Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Burger
North Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork Burger (Php430) – North Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork, beet and apple slaw, roast onion aioli, toasted brioche bun
The battle of two burgers
What a mouthful! Both burgers were juicy, substantial and flavorful. It was a close competition. But what left a better impression for me was the North Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork burger. It was so good that I’m sure I’d crave for it the following day! The burgers and fries were perfectly paired with the smooth bitter taste of Stella Artois (Php195) and Mojito (Php225) to burn down the calories, a mixture of Bacardi superior, calamansi juice, soda water and fresh mint leaves.
Comfy cushions and wooden tables
Overall, my first experience to this all-in-one establishment was terrific. The staff was very attentive and made sure my requests were met at a moment’s notice, special mention to Karen and also to Jener, their assistant manager. The Social indeed went the extra mile to make sure my visit was worthwhile.
With chef Rob and Manager Jimmy
The King of Sinulog at The Social
For more details, like The Social Cebu’s Facebook Page and visit their website. For general and event inquiries, contact (+6332) 231 0679. They are open 11AM until midnight on Sundays through Thursdays, and 11AM until 2AM on Fridays and Saturdays.
