Top 10 Foods in Cebu 2025

Cebu isn’t just beautiful beaches and historic sites — its food scene is alive, rooted in tradition but also evolving. Whether you’re a foodie, a traveler, or just someone who appreciates good meals, these ten Cebuano foods are essential in 2025.

1. Cebu Lechon

• Why it stands out: It’s the iconic dish people think of when Cebu is mentioned. Crispy, golden skin, succulent meat, and a flavor that locals guard like treasure. Each lechon house has its own tweak — herbs, spices, stuffing. Starlite Ferries+1
• Tip: If you want something spicy, try “Rico’s Lechon (Talamban Road)”; for super crunchy caramelized skin, “Leslie’s Lechon (Dumlog, Talisay)”. Starlite Ferries

2. Pochero

• A hearty stew influenced by Spanish/Mexican style, often with beef, corn, potatoes, maybe cabbage. Warm, comforting — especially nice during rain or cooler evenings. puredetour.com+1

3. Kinilaw

• Similar to ceviche. Fresh fish “cooked” in vinegar with onions, ginger, chili (and sometimes coconut milk). Great for when you want something tangy, fresh, and summery. Starlite Ferries+1

4. Utan / Utan Bisaya

• A vegetable-based dish, often with squash, eggplant, leafy greens, maybe malunggay, simmered in broth. Light, nourishing, good balance if you’ve eaten heavier fares. puredetour.com+1

5. Tuslob Buwa

• One of the more adventurous and uniquely Cebuano street-foods. Literally means “dip in foam/bubble” — pork brain, liver etc. are cooked down, producing a bubbling mixture you dip puso (hanging rice) into. Intense, messy, memorable. puredetour.com+1

6. Siomai from Tisa

• The modest but beloved siomai (dumpling) stall in Tisa has become famous. Steamed pork siomai served with that mix of soy sauce, calamansi, chili is simple, but perfect for snackers, late-nighters, or as part of a bigger street food crawl. Starlite Ferries

7. Pintos

• Sweet treat! Pintos are steamed sweet tamales made from corn, coconut milk (or similar), sugar, wrapped in corn husks. Great for pasalubong or something to nibble with coffee. Starlite Ferries+1

8. Balbacua

• A rich beef stew: think oxtail, skin, other gelatinous parts, cooked until tender. Thick and savory, perfect when you want something that fills and comforts. Starlite Ferries

9. Chorizo de Cebu

• Also called “Longganisa de Cebu.” Sweet pork sausage, often bright in color (from achuete seeds), spiced just right, and usually grilled or fried. Great breakfast food or side to rice/puso. Wikipedia

10. Masi

• For dessert or snack lovers: glutinous rice balls filled with peanut and muscovado (or brown sugar), often wrapped in banana leaf. Chewy, sweet, satisfying. Starlite Ferries+1

Honorable Mentions

These are just outside the top 10, but you should try them if you have time:

• Linarang (fish stew with coconut milk, sour fruits) Wikipedia
• Ampao (rice puff) and other local pasalubong snacks like otap, rosquillos OSMIVA
• Sunburst Chicken — local fried chicken chain, crispy, comforting.

Cebu isn’t just beautiful beaches and historic sites — its food scene is alive, rooted in tradition but also evolving. Whether you’re a foodie, a traveler, or just someone who appreciates good meals, these ten Cebuano foods are essential in 2025. 1. Cebu Lechon 2. Pochero 3. Kinilaw 4. Utan / Utan Bisaya 5. Tuslob…