Sutukil

Sutukil is a contraction of three Cebuano cooking words - sugba, to grill; tuwa, to make into soup; and kilaw, to cure raw in vinegar - and it describes an arrangement rather than a dish. At the market beside the Mactan Shrine in Lapu-Lapu, and in similar setups around Cebu, the diner walks through the wet market, chooses fish, squid, prawns or crab from the ice, pays by weight, and hands the catch to one of the adjoining restaurants, which cooks it for a fee: one portion grilled over coals, another simmered into a sour soup, a third dressed raw with vinegar, ginger and onion. It is the most direct way to eat seafood in the country - you see exactly what you are getting before it is cooked - and the bargaining at the market stalls is part of the process. Prices are quoted per kilo and haggling is expected; agree the cooking fee before handing anything over.

Highlights

• The market stalls - fish and shellfish on ice, priced by weight.
• The three preparations - grilled, souped and cured raw.
• The cooking fee - the restaurant charging separately to prepare.
• The bargaining - prices agreed before anything is cooked.

When to go

Year-round; go in the morning or early evening when the catch is freshest and the market is fully stocked.

Things to know

Prices are negotiable and quoted high to visitors - agree both the fish price and the cooking fee in advance. The kilaw is raw fish, so freshness matters. Touts at the market entrance are persistent.

Nearby

The Mactan Shrine and Lapu-Lapu monument are alongside; Olango Island's bird sanctuary is a short crossing.