Sugbo Mercado is a very popular food market in Cebu which has varieties of international food stalls. Furthermore, they serve commonly Southeast Asian, Korean, Japanese and even western foods in this food market.
This place is very popular among local and foreign tourists. That is because in Cebu City, the street food is not popular, and it is hard to tell if the food is clean or not. Unlike this place, they have proper sanitation and they have foods to choose.

Most of us are familiar with Sugbo Mercado located in I.T. Park in Cebu City. However, recently, I visited a popular food market in Mandaue City called the Market by Sugbo Mercado. This is a newly established food park that was opened in August 2018 where they serve delicious local and international foods to eat. What's fascinating is that this place is made from 25 different container van which they combined, and turned into a food park.
Location of the Market by Sugbo Mercado
The Market by Sugbo Mercado is located in Mantawi International Drive in Mandaue City. It is in front of the UCMED (University of Cebu Medical Center) where the car parking is. Furthermore, the place is opened from Tuesday to Sunday from 4 pm to 12 or 1 am.
It is highly accessible, and most taxis and jeepneys are familiar with this place. If you have a car, you can park either in the parking area in the hospital. Furthermore, just beside this food market, there is a car parking area in Cebu Westown Lagoon which is more convenient since there is an entrance directly to The Market. Eventually, we parked our car at UCMED since the parking area in Cebu Westown Lagoon is full.
Our Experience
After we parked our car, we went inside to the Market by Sugbo Mercado, and there were many food stalls to choose from. The first thing you will see inside is a signboard for the direction of each food stall. I am impressed because I don't see this sign in a similar food market in I.T. Park in Cebu City.
They have a mix of local and Asian cuisines. They also have pizza, sandwiches, dessert, and many more others. Honestly, there are many stalls, and I am already hungry. Lastly, they have a very popular food stall which I believe is the one that sells Grilled Tuna, and scallops. The name of these stalls is Kuzina Guadalupe and Seabu.
Our Food in the Market by Sugbo Mercado
After touring around the food stalls and contemplating what food to choose, we finally decided what food to order. In addition to me, my mother, my uncle, and aunt ordered their own food.
Firstly, I ordered Thai food called Thai Red curry. It is a Thailand chicken curry dish that is served with rice, which is under the red chicken curry. The name of the food stall that sells this food is called Cara Mella Diner.
Secondly, I also ordered a delicious scallop dish called a Creamy Garlic Scallop, which comes with rice. It looks creamy and appetizing by the look of the picture. If you will like to buy one, the name of their stall is Seabu which sells seafood and scallops
On the other hand, the rest ordered a chicken barbecue and a grilled smoked fish. I am not sure the name of the fish, but I know it tastes really good. Lastly, my Aunt ordered a scallop sisig which is served with rice. If you love sisig, then I am sure you love this dish. And it is also found in Seabu.
Of course, we also ordered drinks and dessert after our meal. I only ordered coke zero, and my mother ordered a mango juice, which is found in a drink stall called the Mang. And don't forget we ate a Vanilla ice cream in a dessert stall called the Mixi ice cream. There is no way we can be satisfied with our meal without dessert, right?
Our Review
Overall, I enjoyed having my dinner in The Market by Sugbo Mercado. There are so many foods you can choose, and they taste really good. Furthermore, the price is also very affordable compared to restaurants.
First of all, I am pleased with the food ordered. The red Thai curry may not have a strong curry taste, but I am satisfied with the food. The creamy garlic scallop is my favorite. It is very delicious and has a strong taste which is not bland.
Furthermore, I taste also the chicken barbecue and the grilled fish, I must say this is one of the best chicken barbecues I tried in Cebu. It tastes way better than the one I tried in Larsian Cebu. You will not even get worried about the sanitation issues since the place looks clean, and they are professional. I will rather come here, than going to Larsian Cebu. The only food I am not satisfied is the Vanilla Ice cream since it is too sweet. If only they improvise the ice cream, it will taste delicious.
Regarding the place, it is very comfortable to sit there since it is enclosed and it has a big area. Unlike the Sugbo Mercado in I.T. Park, this food park is not crowded, and you will always find a place to sit down and park your car. In I.T Park, I have to tour the entire place just to find a table, and it is very noisy and crowded, which is not convenient to eat. The only downside of this place is that there are not many food stalls compared to I.T. Park. Some of my favorite stalls in the Market are discontinued, and they are all found in I.T. Park.
My Rating of this place
Normally, I rate the restaurant or food stalls in term of its food, the sanitation, and their customer services. However, because this is a food market with many stalls, it hard to rate them since they are all different. But, I will highly recommend tourist and other food lovers to come here and give it a try.
Conclusion
This is one of the most recommended food markets to visit in Mandaue City in Cebu. They serve many different kinds of local and international foods.
The price is affordable, and it is comfortable to eat here since it is not crowded and noisy compared to Sugbo Mercado in I.T Park. Although they don't have as many food stalls as in I.T Park, I am sure you will enjoy eating here since there are probably more than 15 food stalls to choose from. Furthermore, the place is cleaner compared to Larsian Cebu, and you don't have to get worried about food poisoning.
If you will like to know about this place, you can check in their official Facebook page.
this article is so nice. it gave me an idea on what to expect when i go there. i will definitely share this with my friends.