Paella is not something Cebuanos eat on a regular basis nor is it available whenever we demand (unless you’re into canned goods). So when we heard that a Spanish-inspired Resto , who claimed to serve the best Paella in town, named Hala Paella recently opened at the Banilad Town Center, we just cannot afford to miss it. You know, we try not to miss a single feature worthy place. Or even just see how worthy of a feature it is.
“Hala” is a spanish word for “onward” or “go” and “Paella” is a famous Spanish dish made from glutinous rice, sea foods, meat, and veggies. The word is also derived from an old french word “paelle” which means pan which is where a paella is usually cooked.
It was beyond lunch time when we arrived at Hala Paella, we didn’t expect the place to be jammed with people. There are only eight tables, six are outside and the other two are inside. The walls were made of bricks, and it is beautifully matched with the wooden fixtures and glass windows.
To get more information about their menu and the place, click here (this blogger inspires us).
We ended up ordering Paella Valenciana, Paella Negra, Paella Aligue, Cazuela (pork and potato casserole) and Churros (fried pastry dough with chocolate dip). We opt to dine at the largest table fronting the store’s entrance. We just thought it would make great instagram photos. Not long after we made ourselves comfortable… IT RAINED! Yes, not just a simple drizzle but a downpour. Since the tables inside were already occupied, we have no choice but to transfer on the tables beside the resto. When we thought we were already safe from the droplets of water, we thought wrong! Not long after sitting, water started to build up. We had to lift up our feet up to keep it from getting soaked. Since we came to eat, we chose to stay (talk about determination).
Half way through our meal, the rain got worse! We literally had to bring out the umbrella to shelter ourselves from the pouring rain. The sad part is, there wasn’t enough umbrellas for all of us and the staff did not bother to provide us one so, as dedicated food testers, we had to endure every tiny cold rain drop that got to various parts of our bodies. WE WERE FREAKING WET and we have not gotten even just an apology for the inconvenience. Well, we cannot blame them, there was not a manager or supervisor in the place. To be totally honest, if it wasn’t for the rain, it would have really been a great dining experience. Guess they didn’t see that coming.
We thought the food was great but after the experience, we choose not to comment about the service. It would definitely be better if they relocate to a bigger place. A word of advise, if you have plans to visit the place, please please please do check the weather for obvious reasons.
‘Til next time mga Laagan.
laagsuroyatbp 