In my previous blogs, I shared my love for Carbon Market in Cebu City. It's the largest market in the city, drawing traders from all over Northern to Southern Cebu and beyond. Carbon Market in Cebu City, Philippines, is a great place for business owners who want to expand their businesses and for consumers like us who are looking for affordable prices and big discounts. After my shift ended at 2:00 AM, we went straight to Carbon Market to buy some food for breakfast. Rice is a staple food in the Philippines and other Asian countries, and I enjoy having it for breakfast. Now, I will take you through my quick market run as we look for a viand for breakfast to pair with rice. Straight out from my work, we took a 15 to 20-minute modern jeepney ride on a 17B jeepney from Cebu IT Park to reach Carbon Market. I love going to Carbon Market early in the morning because it's not too hot, and there are plenty of vendors selling their products. You can get big discounts here, which helps you save a lot of money.
This is the 17B jeepney we rode to Carbon Market from Cebu IT Park. The modern jeepney is fully air-conditioned and very convenient. Here in Cebu City, Philippines, the jeepneys has different codes, for example, 17B - Lahug to Carbon and vice versa, 04L - SM Cebu to Ayala and vice versa or the famous 01K which is Parkmall to E-mall. It only costs 20 pesos per person from Cebu IT Park to the Carbon Market Cebu City, which is much cheaper than taking a taxi that charges 48 pesos from the beginning meter and increases with the distance traveled. After work, I prefer to ride this modern jeepney going home to my apartment, but when I am in a hurry heading to work, I sometimes prefer to take motorcycle taxis such as Maxim, Move it, Angkas or Joyride. The choice of transportation depends on my schedule and if I am running late.
As we walked headed towards the entrance of Carbon Market, this welcome us. The stalls selling vegetables. There are a lot of options and surely a lot to choose from.
While walking to buy the things that we need for breakfast, I noticed business owners sleeping on the streets. It was evident that they were making great sacrifices for their children whose parents were selling goods in Carbon Market. It's important to appreciate their efforts because earning money isn't easy these days. Parents do everything they can to provide for their children. That's why I prefer to buy from local markets. Not only can you save money and find fresh produce, but you can also support our local business owners.
These hardworking men on the streets are doing their best to provide for their families. Known as ”habal habal drivers” in Cebuano language, they wait for passengers who need a ride on their motorcycles. These drivers will take you wherever you need to go, and the fare is negotiable.
Carbon Market - Cebu City, Philippines
Carbon Market has been known not only for being a great place to buy fresh meat or fresh produce but it is known for being the center of thriftshopping in Cebu City. Stalls are open during early morning and closes at seven in the morning because these stalls are located in the middle of the streets that opens during morning.
The e-bike is a popular mode of transportation in Carbon Market, with a minimum fare of 15 pesos. It can take you to nearby barangays and places, including Carbon Market, and vice versa.
Here are some of the options you can choose from in Carbon Market, Cebu City Philippines.
This vendor sells fresh fish and other fresh seafood for an indeed affordable price.
If you are a fan of cow’s meat or beef, here in Carbon Market they sell beef and I saw this man unloading the slaughtered cows.
This vendor sells crab meat which is famous on restaurants all over Cebu City, Philippines.
This vendor sells shells, shrimps and crabs .This is perfect for all seafood lovers out there. This stall is where we bought one fourth kilo of shell for fifty pesos.
This man sells squid for ₱240. We bought one half kilo of squid from this man.
This vendor sells sea snakes. I remember my mother is so fond of eating this, and when this is our vayand, I automatically lose all my appetite. Lol.
This stall sells bangus fish or milk fish. They also have boneless bangs which is perfect for grilling and fried. This stall only has bangus.
These four photos I took are vendors selling pork meat and chicken. All are freshly prepared and it is a lot cheaper than mall prices.
We bought squid, shells, and some garlic, onion, and ginger and then we headed home. It was four o’clock in the morning and we had no sleep. We must prepare breakfast as when we arrived in the apartment.
This is what we bought from Carbon Market, Cebu City, Philippines:
We bought one half kilo of squid for one hundred twenty pesos, we bought one fourth kilo of shell for fifty pesos and we bought onion priced at ten pesos each, garlic at five pesos each and ginger worth ten pesos.
This is the squid we bought at Carbon Market, Cebu City, Philippines.
This is the shell we bought. I am not sure what it’s name is. But I really love eating this.
Cooking squid and shell is simple. To cook the squid, first, we heated the pan, added oil, sautéed garlic and onion. Then we added squid, seasoning, soy sauce, and water. The same process goes for the shell. Heat the pan, add oil, sauté garlic and onion, add shell, seasoning, sauce, and water. This Filipino breakfast is perfect and easy to make. This is perfect paired with rice.
Here is the final product. As Filipinos, we love a hearty breakfast complete with rice and viand. Breakfast is an important meal of the day, especially for my beau and I who work during the graveyard shift. After a long day of work, we like to treat ourselves to a delicious breakfast to start the day off right.
Attached is a photo of us enjoying our breakfast. We had a good laugh when we stuck out our tongues and it turned black. Squid always brings back fond memories of my childhood. Whenever my mom cooked squid with black sauce, I couldn't resist requesting it because it tasted so delicious. Even now as an adult, whenever I have the chance to visit the market, I always make sure to buy some squid. Not only is it tasty, but it also brings back a flood of nostalgic memories.
I hope you all had a good breakfast! Ciao!☺︎♡
