Yes! Al Pater Cebu is finally here! I just got excited when I saw in my FB feed that the pater I’ve enjoyed in Iligan has opened its first branch in the city!
In 2015, a friend brought me to Al Pater Al Kuwait in Iligan and had my first taste of pater with its wildly delicious and spicy palapa. The food is a Maranao staple consisting of rice topped with cooked meat, typically beef, shredded chicken or tuna (a nod to the mostly Muslim population). It is then wrapped in banana leaf and is a portable and convenient meal. It is related to the pastil found in Maguindanao and Southern Mindanao but shorter and wider.
How Al Pater Cebu started
Al Pater Al Palapa Cebu is from the same owners as the one in Iligan. In 2010, husband and wife Alon and Lalaine opened the first branch near the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) beside the Mindanao Sanitarium Hospital. They have opened several branches ever since in different cities in Mindanao and now, Cebu.
Why ‘Kuwait’
Alon has been an OFW for over a decade and it was during their family’s vacations where the concept was broached:
“…our concoctions were discovered and developed in Kuwait and we explored it during our summer vacations there. So this business has significance indeed and we’ve been using their herbs and blended spices to our palapa and dishes
– Lalaine
The ‘AL’ in the name in Kuwaiti means ‘the’ in English, Lalaine said. And it also stands for their initials. What differs this from other pater in Cebu is the use of Kuwaiti blend of spices. The Kuwaiti connection can also be found at the label of their palapa bottle with a photo of Kuwait Tower at the left side. Lalaine mentioned that it was the first tourist spot they visited in the country.
Coming to Cebu
Al Pater Al Palapa Cebu opened in 27 July:
In response to the requests of our dear and valued clients, most of them are graduates from MSU-IIT and now in Cebu. Also, to serve our Maranao friends here for further studies.
Lalaine
Dining at their Cebu branch
I visited their branch in Banawa last Monday at almost 3PM to avoid the lunch crowd. Good thing, I was the only customer at the time. Jenjen, who attended to me was very friendly and accommodating. I initially ordered the beef pater with masala chicken but later added the tuna pater too. The best thing? What I have eaten in Iligan is still the same pater that I had for late lunch! The palapa was spicy and very delicious, the same taste that I loved. Although, I should say that the masala chicken was better in Iligan, it was crunchy, probably newly cooked.
An improvement from the last time I ate this in Iligan is that the palapa is now in sachets. But still the same taste and flavor. How to eat it? I drizzle the palapa on top of the rice then mix with my hand.
Should I eat here again? OF COURSE! And you should too!
Al Pater Al Palapa Kuwait Cebu
Forest Hills, Banawa
Cebu City
Visit or message them at their FB page (Link above)
Visit their restaurant in Banawa (Google Map below)
You can also order their food via Grab Food, Foodpanda or have it picked up and delivered via Maxim and Lalamove
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