OT: Siomai sa Tisa

Pin It Now!

I believe that one can never be a real Cebuano without knowing or having been to Tisa for their siomai. Unless of course you were born vegan or you’re allergic to siomai, you don’t have any reason not to try siomai sa Tisa.

Siomai is a type of traditional Chinese dumplings. It's also called shumai. It is made of ground pork or beef with shrimps or meat extenders like carrots or peas wrapped in wanton paper. Most often, you find the siomai steamed. Others also fry it to make it crispy. But, I personally prefer steamed siomai.

 If you have stayed long enough in Cebu, it’s impossible for you not to know siomai sa Tisa. Food stalls and kiosks that sell “siomai sa Tisa” are popping in every university and business center in Cebu. I even heard there’s one in Iligan. That’s how far siomai sa Tisa can go.

Tisa is a barangay in Cebu City that is filled with sidewalk carenderia (local restaurants) that sell siomai, porkchop, and other food. I really like looking at that Tisa strip. It’s hard to explain. My heart wells up knowing that it’s distinctly Filipino and Cebuano.

One thing that I like about Tisa is that they have unlimited siomai sauce. I am a fan of siomai sauce since I want my siomai REALLY spicy. I am a bit disappointed with other siomai stalls near schools that only give you a limited amount of sauce. In Tisa, you can ask and have as much as you can. AWESOME!

Siomai costs P6 a piece and puso (or hanging rice) for P3. For P30, you can already have your meal there and be filled. We normally spend around P120 for a meal for two. This already includes the drinks, a serving of pancit canton, 10 siomai and around 10 or so puso. It’s really cheap and you already go home really full at that.

If you want to go to Tisa, you have to be prepared to eat by the sidewalk. This means welcoming stray cats and dust while eating your siomai. I really don’t mind eating while jeepneys, taxis and cars pass by. I think this is really part of being a Filipino. We just love eating anything and everything on the sidewalk. And I believe that having siomai along the streets of Tisa is definitely a way of being a real Cebuano, unless of course you’re allergic. :P