Maya Mexican Restaurant in Crossroads Banilad, Cebu

When Paul and I flew to Cebu for a short but sweet R&R, we also agreed to have our post Christmas / early New Year's dinner date there as well. You see, since we don't get to go home to Manila that often, all our schedules are always so jam-packed we're home. Yes, we're physically together as we do our personal errands and when we meet up with friends but we rarely get to have our own quiet time with just the two of us.

So, we finally saw Cebu as a great opportunity to unwind and to simply enjoy each other's company. For our first night, I suggested that we head over to Crossroads Banilad which has been my favorite dining spot in Cebu. It consists of a number of establishments including my favorite dessert place La Marea and what's said to be the best Mexican restaurant in Cebu called Maya.



I wasn't able to make any prior reservations so I was a bit scared that the place might be packed given that it was a Saturday night. Guess luck at at our side as we were immediately led to a nice table for two at the second level of the restaurant. The ambiance was quite dark with a touch of edgy, colorful decor. It somehow reminds me of the aztec with all these skull decors and all.

More colorful skulls along the staircase! 

Since we were not really hungry, we just ordered two dishes to share. First was the Queso Fundido, which was highly recommended by our server. I'm so glad that we trusted her by trying this as it was really good! Imagine a piping hot bowl of melted Mexican cheese with chopped jalapenos and served with fresh chips. It's sooo good! The tortilla chips had a slight salty chip making it even more irresistible. The cheese was so creamy with a bit of heat from the jalapenos. Yum!

What made it even better was to add a few more drops of this homemade Maya Smokin Chipotle Hot Sauce. It's not your ordinary hot sauce and I actually regret not buying myself a bottle to enjoy at home. I swear, I would use it in all dishes that I would be cooking if ever. It would be so yummy on pasta, on rice, on bread, on soup, on stews even as dip for nuggets too!

We also tried the Asada Fajitas (Php. 695) which is a full meal! Served on a sizzling hot skillet pan, they were very generous with the amount of sliced Grilled Angus Beef, Mexican Rice, Peppers and Onions, Frijoles (beans) and a plate full of flour tortilla wrappers. Again we added drops of the Smokin Chipotle Hot Sauce for that additional oomph. The beef was very tender and everything was just yummy! How I wish though they gave us some grated cheese too.

It was a light dinner at Maya but one that we both truly enjoyed. What a nice way to have a delicious dinner date with your special someone, in my case, I was with the man of my dreams. ♥ I honestly can't say much about its authenticity as I haven't been to Mexico myself but comparing this to all the Mexican restaurants that we've tried in our lives, I'd say that this is one of the best in the country.

Should you be in Cebu, visit Maya Mexican Restaurant at Crossroads Banilad, Cebu City, Philippines. Call them at +63-32-238-9552.