Address: Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Apas, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines

The shortest of short-cuts to a place you’ve never been to but would want to experience is through that particular region’s cuisine. Nothing gives a better impression to what the region is about than their specialties, delicacies and food is cultivated and prepared.

Today we will take the “express route” up north of the country to the “Culinary Journey to Bicolandia”. And the good news is, we need not travel far! Just head over to Cafe Marco at the Marco Polo Hotel. True enough the least of your worries is not the distance but how much “heat” you can take.Marco Polo in conjunction with the Department of Tourism Region V (The Bicol Region) struck a deal in making this culinary experience possible with Ms. Maria Ong-Ravanilla, Bicol Regional Director – “Lets play it with fire” she said. Guest Celebrity Chef Doy Sto. Domingo who flew in all the way from Naga, also casually mentioned that the markets were running out of chilli preparing for this feast. For those with faint palates that might have been enough to make you sweat, but for those with heat tolerance? Challenge accepted.

Bicol region’s reputation for loving their extremely hot and spicy dishes did not disappoint with the first dish to taste. What can be more spicy than a Chilli Wrap? For an appetizer. And yes it literally is Chilli peppers, with stuffings, folded inside a lumpia wrapper. You can really taste the heat of the chilli but it’s worth a try.