A small eatery in Capitol Site is making room for drinks, comfort food, and a menu built around flavors familiar to Cebuano diners. At Ban Khafe, Bernadette Uy keeps the concept simple, with pan-Asian food, local ingredients, and prices designed for customers looking for a meal worth their money.
Tucked along a quiet stretch of Don Mariano Cui Street, Ban Khafe keeps a low profile despite being just minutes from Fuente Osmeña. It’s the kind of spot that rewards a slower kind of hunting, away from the usual mall food courts that dominate Cebu’s dining scene.
The approach starts with one dish close to Uy’s heart, the camote ball.
“Camote Balls. It’s an easy snack on the go,” she says. The snack also holds a personal connection for Uy, making its place on the menu more meaningful than a simple business decision. Even as Ban Khafe continues to experiment with its offerings, camote balls remain the one item she would never remove.
Beyond the camote balls, the menu carries its pan-Asian identity through dishes like lemongrass chicken and a well-loved beef sandwich, rounded out by drinks like the tamarind ginger fizz that regulars keep coming back for. The influences read Thai, Indonesian, and Hong Kong, but the execution stays grounded in what’s available and affordable in Cebu.
Food selection at Ban Khafe follows a practical process. Uy looks for flavors familiar to Cebuanos, checks ingredient availability, and considers costing before adding a dish. Most of the restaurant’s aromatics and vegetables come from local sources, keeping the menu connected to the ingredients available around Cebu.
The approach also reflects how Uy understands her customers. After running Ban Khafe, one thing stands out to her about Cebuano diners: “They want it sulit,” she says, and it shows in how closely she watches pricing against portion and quality before anything goes on the menu.
For Uy, value does not mean sacrificing quality. Ban Khafe aims to show customers “that good, affordable, and quality food is accessible.” Price positioning, she says, also reflects her experience living in Cebu and understanding what local diners look for when choosing a place to eat.
Some dishes receive less attention than others. Uy points to Yum Sum O as one menu item she personally recommends, even though customers tend to overlook it. Meanwhile, the menu itself continues to change. Ban Khafe adds, removes, and experiments with dishes as the restaurant learns from its customers.
“We have changed a lot and will keep on changing, adding, removing, experimenting,” Uy says.
The same openness extends beyond the kitchen. Ban Khafe has hosted collaborations and takeovers, giving budding local creators an opportunity to work inside a professional kitchen and gain exposure. For Uy, the goal involves partnering with local creators who show serious potential.
Despite the changes, one part of Ban Khafe has stayed consistent: “The concept of being a small eatery,” she says, the same idea she started with and has no plans of outgrowing.
Perhaps the growing attention around Ban Khafe is the biggest surprise. What started with a simple idea continues to attract diners through food built around familiarity, accessibility, and value.
At Ban Khafe, the menu keeps moving, but the purpose stays close to home, serving food Cebuanos understand, at a price they consider sulit, while leaving enough room for the next idea. Find it at 134 Don Mariano Cui St., Brgy. Capitol Site, Cebu City, open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 AM to 7 PM.
Photography Kyrra Kho
