AA Grill

My love affair with AA started in 2003 during my first trip to Cebu. A local recommended that we try the famous barbecue and grill restaurant along Salinas Drive. At that time, it was more of a humble eatery than a restaurant. Customers picked out fresh seafood or meat products, put them in a tray, and passed the tray on to the staff for cooking.



I recall that I couldn't take my eyes off the block of rectangular skewered light-colored meat. It was about 6 inches long and 1 inch thick. I soon after learned that the meat was that of a giant squid. They call it "dalupapa". Like most items in AA, the dalupapa is served grilled and dipped in house sauce composed of vinegar, soy sauce, calamansi, and chunks of tomato and onions. The spicy longganisa is also worth a try because the flavor explodes in your mouth and could make you eat an entire pusô (steamed rice wrapped in leaves) in one bite.


When I went back two years later, AA had expanded their dining area and employed more servers. But you still have to follow up your orders once in a while so they don't overcook your grilled squid or forget about your liempo (pork belly). I guess, they tend to receive more customers than they can handle. They have opened a few branches that are more spacious and have nicer ambiance. If you ask me, I still like the original location. Plastic chairs, open air, and barbeque smoke at the side of the street dwarfed by the posh Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug. So if you're game, I reckon the AA dining experience is worth it. Food is cheap too. This platter of baked oysters? 100 pesos.