Last Friday, October 7, 2011, traffic going to SM City Cebu plus the unstoppable rain, to some it all up, was troublesome. I end up arriving at Parkmall very wet. But the misfortune I got from the traffic and the heavy rain turned to satisfaction and bliss when I got to my destination, Bob Marlin Restaurant.
Together with my CBSi friends, we were invited by Jim Palma and Evan Fernando, the franchisor and the Cebu branch franchisee, respectively, for a complimentary dinner. The event started late but we understood it because the customer traffic of the restaurant was very high that time, Mr. Palma and Mr. Fernando had difficulty leaving the counter(well, not literally. :D). So before it started, I took time noticing the entire place. The place, from the walls down to the decorations, was reggae-inspired. Bob Marley artworks were present and the trademark colors of reggae dominated the place. I admit, I love how they conceptualize it.
When the owners were asked why they named the restaurant "Bob Marlin", Evan eloquently answered that Bob came from the famous Reggae icon Bob Marley(Evan is a big fan of Reggae music) and Marlin came from a specie of fish Blue Marlin, which they also serve to their customers. Combining the two words equals a reggae-inspired restaurant with a twist. |
| Bob Marley Artworks hanged in the walls. Don't worry about the cobwebs, they were preparing for the Halloween. Photo by FoodieCraft.com |
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| Reggae-inspired decoration with some Halloween ornaments. Photo by FoodieCraft.com |
A twist? I asked to myself "What is that TWIST?". Then when I figured out what it was, I felt so slow because I didn't recognized it when the first time we arrived. They serve PINOY FOOD. Yup! that's right. A restaurant who looks foreign like this surprisingly serves our native dishes. When asked the reason why, Evan and Jim answered that want to stick to what the tastebuds every Filipino, especially Cebuanos, want and the fact that Jamaican dishes have a lot of herbs and spices, they fear that Cebuanos will not appreciate it since according to them, Cebu branch is just 1-month old.
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| The Star Dish: Crispy Pata! Photo by FoodieCraft.com |
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| The Blue Marlin dish. Sorry I forgot the name. Photo by FoodieCraft.com |
Like what I said, Bob Marlin Restaurant serves blue marlin dishes. But it seems like the star dish that time was the Crispy Pata.Everytime the Crispy Pata is served, minutes later, it vanished like a poor bubble. And thanks to the event, I was able to taste a Bicol Express! And allow me to commend the Fried Rice and the Sinigang! Two thumbs up to the one who cooked it. I hope someday you can teach me how to make one! :D
The owners of Bob Marlin Restaurant gave us an exclusive treat because they placed a videoke inside the function hall where we dined. They said the videoke service is on-hold as of the moment, so we were really blessed, expecially me, given the fact that I love to sing.
My day was complete because of the dining experience I had at Bob Marlin Restaurant. I must say, although I was so wet when I reached home because of the heavy rain and the flood, but it didn't drove away the feeling I had before I got home. Thanks a lot Bob Marlin Restaurant!
Visit Bob Marlin Restaurant at Parkmall Cebu. For more information, check out their Facebook Fanpage.
