CUR8

The Room

CUR8 is the restaurant that, in the late 2010s, signalled Cebu's progressive dining generation was ready to assert itself on its own terms — no longer operating under the gravity of Manila, no longer relying entirely on imported chef names. The concept, developed in partnership with Manila-based chef Josh Boutwood, is an Asian-forward tasting and à la carte menu built on Filipino, Thai, Japanese, and broader Southeast Asian ingredients and techniques, served in a design-forward room inside Ayala Center Cebu.

The cuisine is not Filipino fusion in the tired 1990s sense. It is precise, technique-first cooking that happens to draw on a regional pantry: tamarind reductions stand in for citrus in sauces; sambal is treated like chimichurri; pandan infuses desserts that would otherwise be entirely Western. The hamachi crudo with calamansi and chilli, the slow-roasted pork belly with Thai black rice, the Kampot pepper-rubbed short rib, and the degustation dessert progression are the critical dishes.

The room seats around fifty and is designed for modular dining — the banquettes configure for two, the long central table handles groups of eight to twelve, and the bar seats ten for walk-in à la carte diners. This architectural flexibility is part of why CUR8 has become the city's default team-dinner venue, particularly for IT Park and Ayala-based companies.

The wine list is one of the broader ones in the city, with a serious Japanese sake page, a strong rosé selection, and an Asian-friendly Old World wine list. Cocktails are built around Southeast Asian botanicals. Pricing at $60-85 per person with drinks makes it a clear peer to The Pig and Palm at a slightly more accessible entry point.