Enye ups the ante
It’s not often that a restaurant ups the ante for Cebu’s culinary scene, so here’s one to experience that will leave discerning diners truly impressed. Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan has collaborated with famed chef Jose Luis “Chele” Gonzalez to open its new Spanish restaurant, cleverly called Enye. The name is from the letter (ñ), a character shared in both the Spanish and Filipino alphabets, which signifies the influence that Spanish colonization will always have on our culture.
An adventurous life led the chef from all around the world to Manila, where he opened his first restaurant in the country. Chef Chele’s Gallery Vask in Bonifacio Global City opened in 2014 and has since been named one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and the only one on the list in the Philippines. For Enye, Chef Chele says the food is “not fancy, not fine dining, just good food to enjoy with friends and family.”
The menu offers a mix of the traditional and the modern—think gambas al ajillo and arroz con bogavante (stewed lobster paella) for the traditional, and Wagyu carpaccio with parmesan ice cream and lechon Cebu tacos for the modern. Dessert at Enye is an event in itself, even if you’re not particularly a sweet tooth like me. Everyone was already satiated after an excellent four-course preview dinner, but our table couldn’t help taking one bite after another of the texturas de calamansi (calamansi cake with ice cream and biscuits), torrija (brioche dipped in milk with anise ice cream), and the unassuming-looking but heavenly-tasting crema Catalan de Calabaza (Catalan pumpkin crème brulee).
The restaurant features a spacious main dining area, charcuterie room, wine cellar, and show kitchen. Enye’s interiors combine rich leather booths and modern furniture with dark wood tones, pops of teal, and an eclectic assortment of textures, for an unconventional mix that still melds with the resort’s contemporary resort feel.
Enye’s “honest, authentic food,” as Chef Chele calls it, is available to both resort guests and drop-in diners. The restaurant is open daily from 6 to 10:30 p.m. at Crimson’s lobby level.