Fish kinilaw with vinegar, onion, ginger and chilli · Photo: Jdcgumpal / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
PhilippinesCebuSutukil: Grill It, Stew It, Eat It Raw — Cebu's Three-Way Seafood
Sutukil is not a single dish but a word built from three Cebuano cooking terms: sugba (grill), tuwa (soup) and kilaw (raw, cured in vinegar). Here is how to pick your catch on Mactan and enjoy it three ways.
Sutukil Is Three Words in One
The word SuTuKil, or simply STK, seen on many Cebu restaurant signs is not the name of a dish. It joins the first syllables of three Cebuano words: sugba, to grill over coals; tuwa (also tula), to cook in a broth; and kilaw, to dress raw seafood in vinegar. A sutukil place, then, cooks the seafood you choose in whichever of these three ways you like. The most Cebuano way to enjoy it is to have one fish cut into three, then grilled, simmered and served raw, all on the same table. Comparing how different the same fish tastes with each method is half the fun.
Sugba and Tuwa: Charcoal Grill and Clear Fish Soup
Sugba is grilling over charcoal. Fish are grilled whole or split in half, and squid, prawns and shellfish go on skewers or a grill rack. Grilled seafood is often dipped in soy sauce mixed with vinegar and calamansi, the small Philippine lime. Tuwa is the soup course, commonly a clear, ginger-scented broth similar to Tagalog tinola, with the fish simmered in it. Heads and bony pieces make the broth richer, so when a fish is divided, the head end often goes into the soup. Even in the heat, a hot bowl of fish soup works surprisingly well, and it pairs nicely with rice or puso.
Kilaw: Raw Fish 'Cooked' in Vinegar
Kilaw (also called kilawin or kinilaw) is cubed raw fish or seafood tossed in vinegar and seasoned with onion, ginger and chilli. The acid turns the surface of the fish white, so although it is raw, the texture is different from sashimi. It is often compared to Latin American ceviche, but the Filipino version leans on vinegar rather than citrus juice. Depending on the place and the cook, calamansi juice may be added, or coconut milk for a softer flavour. At a sutukil place, ask which of the day's catch is freshest for kilaw. If raw seafood is not for you, you can ask whether prawns or squid can be blanched first and then dressed the same way.
Why Mactan Island
Sutukil can be had anywhere in Cebu, but the name is most closely tied to Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan Island, home of the international airport. Sutukil eateries have long clustered around the shrine honouring Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain who fought Magellan's men at the Battle of Mactan in 1521, and local press recall that the area once looked like a Hong Kong fish market. The island is famous for fresh catch, but in 2015 a Philstar regional paper also reported that high prices and identical menus had driven customers away. Today Cebu City has plenty of sutukil places too, so you can pair it with a visit to the shrine or eat in town, whichever suits your plans.
How to Order, and Tips for Travellers
At a sutukil restaurant you usually start by choosing seafood displayed on ice or in tanks. Fish, prawns, squid and shellfish are weighed and priced, so before ordering, check the price per kilo and whether a separate cooking charge applies. Then decide what to grill, what to simmer and what to have as kilaw. In a group, try one fish three ways plus grilled prawns to taste a bit of everything. Add rice or puso and a cold beer, and you have a classic Cebu seaside dinner. For raw dishes, choose a place whose hygiene you trust.