Gerry's Grill opens AS Fortuna branch

Gerry's Grill recently opened their 3rd Cebu branch at Lightsite Parc along AS Fortuna in Mandaue. This newest addition to their family caters to its growing clientele in Cebu, especially the gated communities and various educational institutions within the vicinity.

If not for a media invite that they launched not too long ago, I would not have known that Lightsite Parc is actually different from Oakridge, although both commercial hubs are just a few meters apart. I would have made that common mistake of alighting by the latter if I had not quickly spotted Gerry's signage on the way. I then quickly told my cab driver to pullover and later found myself at Gerry's 65th branch in the Philippines.

The spacious interiors of the AS Fortuna branch exude a slightly contemporary feel but with that familiar warmth that I have come to associate with most Gerry's Grill branches elsewhere. But unlike most of their mall outlets, this branch has a second level which is perfect for hosting large groups and private functions.A small bar is located at one corner in the ground floor, a subtle reminder of the restaurant's early beginnings in 1997. Back in the day, Gerry's Grill was just another watering hole in Tomas Morato in Quezon City. It was then a place where yuppies come to enjoy its various grilled fare over a drink or two. It inadvertently became a 'family restaurant' when this same crowd came back a few years later, with their families in tow this time around.

CW from left: crispy pata, pinakbet and sisig.

Inihaw na Pusit

But what I especially like about Gerry's is their consistency in terms of flavor and service. I am assured somehow that the sizzling sisig, grilled squid, crispy pata and pinakbet I had at their AS Fortuna branch, will also be promptly served and will be as delicious, had it been that I ordered these at their branch in Iligan or Baguio or even in Singapore.Our family usually orders these bestsellers by the way, so I was pleasantly surprised with these new dishes - the Tinomok, (meat dumplings rolled in taro leaves and then cooked in coconut milk) and the Adobong Puso Rice (steamed rice infused with adobo chunks and flavors and then wrapped with a banana leaf) which was huge and could be a meal already by itself.

L-R: Adobong Puso Rice and Tinomok. The tinomok reminded me of a tamer 'Bicol Express.' It's saltiness was easily tempered by pairing it with generous heapings of rice.

Of all the desserts that was served that night, I found the humble yet savory Ginataang Halo-halo the most memorable. It reminded me of the binignit that we usually have during the Holy Week. The other two - the Fruit Platter and the Toasted Ice Cream were both eye-candy but did not leave a lasting impression on me.

CW from upper left: Fruit Platter, Ginataang Halo-halo and Toasted Ice Cream

It was already past 9 when I noticed that most of the invited bloggers have already left. On our table however, my travel-blogger friends Gian, Sheila, Issa, Neil and I were still discussing about our respective trips for the long weekend. Some of us were headed for Palawan, while most were going to the Cordilleras.As we sipped our cups of joe, we also slowly wiped away the remaining desserts before us, not minding at all that we already have consumed way too much good food.None of us seemed to mind that at all, probably because we all enjoyed our time at Gerry's.Gerry's AS Fortunahttps://www.facebook.com/gerrysgrill.com.phLightsite Parc, AS Fortuna, Mandaue City+63 32 505 8859Opens daily from 10 AM to 12 midnight.