Cyma Greek Taverna - The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu

On our last night in Cebu, I originally wanted to eat at Handuraw Pizza just because of the many raves about it. So we just walked to the restaurant but much to our dismay, it was already closed. So we rode a cab to go to their other branch in Gorordo Avenue but after a couple of minutes, we learned that the cab driver didn't knew where it was. So we ended up going to Ayala Center again for the nth time. We tried Cyma just to have something different. I've been a fan of the restaurant after trying it twice and I wanted Janet to experience it too.

Once inside, you will hear the waiters shouting to "OPA!" which they do whenever a flamed dish is served. They have this cheese which they smother with some liquor and set it on fire. It's the Greek's way of cheering or expressing a party or to get down and dance. So make sure you'll be in the look out for those flaming dishes as it can get pretty nervous and shocking when they shout altogether.  The restaurant wasn't that much crowded since it was pretty late already so our waiter led us to our table and promptly gave us the menu.

I don't know why but we ended up ordering a lot of food that night. Janet had wine too which she asked the waiter to refill because when he gave her the wine glass, you will notice that the serving just wasn't enough for a standard serving. So we had the Cyma Chopped Salad (P450/to share) for appetizer as well as the Hummous (P125). The pita bread that came along with the Hummous was warm and soft. It went well with the garlicky and velvety chickpea dip. Our salad was superb too because of it's unique Greek vinaigrette dressing. The greens where cold and fresh and the blue cheese just melts in your mouth.

Cyma Chopped Salad

Hummous with pita bread

We also ordered their Chicken and Pork Souvlaki, one for Janet and me which we paired with Spinach Rice and Greek Roasted Potatoes and the boss had the Cyma Lamb Chops.We were overwhelmed by the servings of the dishes we ordered and ended up not finishing them all. We just took it back to our hotel and ate it when we arrived in Manila the next day. The grilled chicken and pork were tender and saucy at the same time. Every bite gives you a burst of flavors from the herbs and spices that were used on the marinade. I wasn't able to eat it with the pita bread though since I ordered the Spinach rice which really surprised me. Why? Because I never knew that feta cheese and rice can be a perfect pair. The gooey cheese just melts in every bite with the warm and tomato-flavored rice. The boss' lamb chops did justice to its hefty price tag as they were so tender to the bone. The risotto that came with it was cooked just right and you can't miss the hint of olive oil, garlic, onions and Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Souvlaki - P340 | Greek Roasted Potatoes - P130

Pork Souvlaki - P345 | Spanakorizo (Spinach Rice) - P180

Cyma Lamb Chops - P460

We were all full to the brim and I almost wanted to vomit because of the amount of food in my stomach. It was the perfect way to cap the night. Eating at Cyma is always an adventure. There are a lot of other dishes to try and discover. Next time, I'm gonna try that flamed cheese so I can shout "Opa!" as well. :)

So that sums our whole trip around Cebu. I'm sure I'm gonna go back to take pictures of the fishes at  Hilutungan Island and relax more at Pandanon. I will post our itinerary as soon as time permits but if you have questions regarding it feel free to leave a comment below. :)

See you!

Overall dining experience : 3 out of 5 skulls

CYMA Greek Taverna

Ayala Center Cebu
Cebu Business Park
Cebu, Cebu, Philippines

(+63 32) 417-1351