It used to be that when we hear “fine dining”, a lot of us find it automatically intimidating and expensive. Lately, the triumphant revival of our local cuisine has led to an outpour of support for Filipino restaurants within and outside the country. This also started a wave of start-up restaurants, including fine dining establishments, celebrating the unique deliciousness and boldness of our local flavors.
With this in mind, Kuya J Restaurant partnered with renowned chef, culinary consultant and instructor Gino Gonzalez to reimagine Kuya J from being a casual dining restaurant and elevating its cuisine by providing a chef-driven five-star dining experience without costing an arm and a leg.
For the new appetizers, Chef Gino created Pataron – pata and chicharon in one sinfully delicious bite – featuring crunchy pieces of Kuya J’s signature Crispy Pata served with Chili Tuba Dip, whose perfect level of tanginess will complement the Crispy Pork. The Patis Chicken Skin is another perfect way to start any meal. The marinated chicken skin is fried until delightfully crunchy and served with a fish sauce-infused dip to complement its deep-fried goodness.
For the mains, the intoxicatingly aromatic Pinandan na Manok features chunks of boneless chicken marinated in his proprietary concoction then wrapped in pandan leaves to impart the freshness of the leaves before being fried ‘til golden, juicy, and fragrant; the Spicy Hipon sa Aligue is an indulgent seafood affair with pieces of shrimp swimming in mouthwatering aligue sauce with a hint of spiciness before being topped with crispy garlic, fried shallots, and spring onions; the eye-catching Tamarind Squid is Chef Gino’s way of combining the timeless combo of sweet and sour flavors with just a little bit of heat; lastly, if you love Kuya J’s Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baka, you’ll love Chef Gino’s Crispy Tadyang ng Baka which features beef ribs slow-cooked to juicy perfection before being deep-fried until delightfully crunchy, making it the ideal partner for warm steamed rice
A meal wouldn’t be complete without ending on a sweet note. That’s why Chef Gino pulled out all the stops to create sweet treats for groups as well as solo diners.
For those who are looking for desserts to share, diners can enjoy the Banana Turon con Leche, which takes turon on a whole new level – filling it not just with bananas, but with creamy leche flan as well. Another dessert that’s good for sharing is Coco Ginumis, a light and refreshing treat made with coconut milk shaved ice topped with gulaman, muscovado syrup, and crispy pinipig. Lastly, Chef Gino also made Lecheroon, every dessert lover’s dream realized in a layer of house-made macaroons nestled on a bed of house-made vanilla sauce then topped with a generous layer of calamansi-infused flan.
“We want to help change people’s minds. We want to offer elevated Filipino food, a better dining experience, without sacrificing people’s budgets. With this collaboration, we hope more people will realize that you don’t have to spend a lot to enjoy great food at a chef-driven concept like this,” explains Mr. Quejada.
