balai

i love their chicken! and their avocado toast. however don’t order their drinks (flavored ones) it’s totally a waste of money, it’s way overpriced and lacks flavor by a lot.

the farooj chicken is great! but service is crap. we arrive, we had to ask the ac to be on, then stand up to get the menu from the counter, then stand up again to order. then 1 hr later they didnt serve our food but they served the table who ordered after us. they wouldnt have given us the food if i didnt complain. then we asked for the extra sides which was rice and once again they served the rice on the table after. like wtf. i hate hate the service but the farooj chicken is good. the waiters serving us were both guys... i really think it was the careless servers and i feel bad at the girl waitress for yelling at her cuz she was responsive after i followed up on the rice. i hope those guy waiters get fired. ruins the place.

we often at times have this monotonous feeling when we go to the same restaurant over and over again. we often times try to find that niche to fill that void. balai is your not so typical restaurant, you might even consider it a "hole-in-the-wall" type of restaurant. basically not really known by the masses. they offer a very wide array of selections that is quite appealing to the taste buds and to the naked eye.

the food ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - the farooj chicken. literally means "little chicken" in the middle east, they cook it  in a rotisserie charcoal using an array of spices similar to that of its african counter part the peri-peri chicken. their spiced rice is also a very viable option but somewhat very overpowering if paired with the chicken. we also tried their version of salmon bagel, much to our surprise because of how it was presented it wasn't really that appealing in terms of taste.

the place ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - the place just stands out because of how private and secluded it is. you tend to get that contemporary yet rustic vibe when you go inside the restaurant. if you plan on impressing a date or colleagues that you're sophisticated enough to appreciate good ambiance and ornamentation? they've got you.

the service ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - if i had to be really blunt? the service never really stood out. plenty of highs and lows during the lunch service which is common in the filipino food industry. consistency tends to never keep up with the vast majority of restaurants.

the value ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - i would have to admit they are a bit pricey if your taking to account the variety of selections you can order with just let's say a 1000 pesos. but overall the serving size is proportional enough to be deemed adequate.

i don’t enjoy coffee places that much, but this one i had to make an exception. this place is so lovely. whenever i go there it’s not very crowded and they have indoor and outdoor settings so you just choose wherever you’re comfortable. they also have awesome music. it’s pretty chill. service is good and their food and drinks have a reasonable price and they taste good.

the ambience is great. i love the food. the place is perfect for a dinner chill out. but if you're already hungry, this is not for you. it took us almost an hour for the food to be served.

it was my last day in cebu and my friend took me there for lunch. this place was one of the most instagram-mable restaurants i’ve been to in cebu. love how hipster it was with leather and wooden furniture around the establishment.

i ordered smoked salmon toast (php 239) and iced coffee (php 138). i was excited to see how big the serving was. they didn’t cut back in using fresh ingredients. plus it was filling that i only had a few bites on the dishes my friends ordered.

prices and food presentation was good. a must visit when you are in cebu!

i love the ambiance of this place . it’s comforting and relaxing. homey feels as it is named “balai”

the food is great especially the roasted chicken. you’ll never regret it. they even got this unlimited roasted chicken every tuesday. this is probably my go-to place to relax. in short, my favorite place 😍

food and coffee is great but the service is uhmmm not so worthy of another visit. the crew seems forgetful of everyone’s orders and requests (not just ours, but i hear other tables complaining as well). food came in very late, even a simple request for sugar takes 10 minutes. i hope they improve their customer service since the ambiance and food was good.

the wait time was hilarious. i and my friend ordered coffee and bread but was served only after more than an hour. i did like my bread though. the place is homey.

great tasting chicken + a peaceful place to stay and chill. the employees were also very accommodating and we didn't wait too long for our food to be served.👌

food: was great! we went there for dinner and ordered their charcoal chicken and chicken skin. we enjoyed it. it took them approximately 20-25 minutes to have all our orders served but they gave proper expectations about the wait time so we have no problem with that.

ambience: is homey. the place is situated in a residential area. it's like being invited to an unnamed rich man to be their guest for the night.

service: was outstanding! the waitstaff was accommodating and willing to assist you all throughout your dinning experience.

overall, i love this place and would definitely recommend this to people if they want a quick bite or just a place to hangout, catchup, and be with the people whom they loved and cared for.

edit: went there again -- this time for breakfast and i was not disappointed. their breakfast and brunch menu is as good as their dinner.

the place is really homey as the name of the establishment literally means “house/home”. best time to visit would be close to it’s closing time. drinks and food are great. you must try everything on their pasta menu.

the food is sumptous. they serve big portions. it is a value for money. the ambiance is very good. the only thing that needs to be improved is the parking space.

this is the perfect place to go to if you have an in dire need to unwind and free yourself from stressors. when we went their, the staffs or crew were all accommodating. they have in good condition aircon, and has big fans outside. they are eco-friendly. their restrooms, both for men and women, are presentable and clean.

the place has its indoor and outdoor seating with both nice and cozy design. a perfect place to chill and hang out with your boo, family and friends. the ambiance that makes you feel at home and a clean environment. and lets not forget a good customer service. all staff are very accommodating and very patient with us since we have a lot of questions.