Kuya J Restaurant - Home of Great Filipino Comfort Food!

Foodie friends, gear up for this blog post, since this may drive your urges in craving for our very own Filipino comfort food! Now, you probably just recently heard about this place, but it really is making a growing buzz. This restaurant goes by the name Kuya J. Take note of this name because you will be very much acquainted with it for the days and months to come as they bring up more branches closer to you!

Well, in case still don’t have an idea about Kuya J Restaurant, feel free to watch this tempting TVC.

Kuya J is a restaurant that originated in Cebu. It is well-known for bringing in delightful comfort Filipino dishes – all those that you usually see during a family salu-salo or even in a barangay fiesta. Well, yes, Kuya J is all about family and bringing people closer than ever through the common love of delicious food.

Now, speaking of food, let me share with you a handful of those that I’ve tried when I got lucky enough to be invited to try the dishes here. Let’s begin with the appetizers, shall we?

Appetizer
Grilled Scallops || 230

Grilled scallops na punong-puno ng cheesy butter topping

These best-selling scallops were buttery, garlicky and cheesy. All of these danced in a great harmony producing a well-balanced overall taste. I had 6 of these, so you be the judge (but please don't overdo it #hehe)

Chorizo Dinamitas || 170

Pasty wrapped deep fried jalapenos with Cebu chorizo and cheddar cheese. Comes with garlic mayo dip

The Chorizo Dinamitas were crunchy on the outside and cheesy & meaty in the inside. It has this light flavor that was just plainly suave and savory.

Lumpia Presko || 95

Sauteed crabmeat and bamboo shoots filling rolled in malunggay-infused wrapper with sweet garlic sauce

This fresh take on lumpiang sariwa had this simple, balanced and clean taste. Also, it seemed and tasted healthy!

Noodles and Rice
Danggit Rice || 175

Sinangag na dinagdagan ng danggit bits, oil, chives at fried danggit

This Danggit Rice captured the Pinoy delight of salty goodness. Hence, if you are a fan of salty flavors, you may really enjoy this one.

Humbinagoongan Rice Platter || P175

Sinangag with bagoong. Topped with pork humba meat, green mangoes, bell  peppers and red onions

This Binagoongan Rice possess tamed flavors that were soft on the palate. In other words, the bagoong taste was just right allowing it to complement well the main dishes.

Bam-I || P185

Sotanghon and egg noodles mixed with pork belly strips, squid balls, shrimp, squid and fresh greens

Main Dishes
Now, the entry of the main dishes was fired up by no other than Jericho Rosales, who is the new member of the Kuya J family as an endorser.

The first to be served was the Kuya J's Crispy Pata which is the famous bestseller of the restaurant.

Kuya J’s Crispy Pata || P490 – Regular || P695 – Family

Deep-fried pork skin, with tender juicy pata meat. Crispy delicious. A house specialty!

The Crispy Pata here in Kuya J had this real delectable crisp that made it really enjoyable to indulge on. Plus, the meat was all tender in the inside despite the enjoyable crunch!

Kare-Kare || P399

Kuya J’s take on the traditional Kare-Kare. Reinvented peanut sauce!

This Kare-Kare featured an extremely peanuty sauce that I found quite enjoyable. This intensity of peanut made the consistency of the sauce thick and grainy, which appealed to me. The overall flavor was light and balanced, enough to tickle my palate. However, this lightness of taste may be something others may not find interesting, especially if they look after a potent distinct taste.

Pochero Bulalo Tagalog || P375

Slow-cooked beef shank in a rich savory broth. May kasamang mais, saging na saba, kamote at Baguio beans.

This pochero was incredible with its sweet tomato essence that blended nicely with the Danggit rice. The dish was made well, and in fact it's one of my favorites for the night.

Sizzling Sisig with Egg || P190

The all-time Filipino favorite sizzling, crispy and crumbly chopped pork belly

The pork belly sisig was indeed interesting due to the richness of flavors. It had this potent flavor that asymptotically overwhelms (i.e. it seems to overwhelm but it didn't).

Crispy Catfish || P295

Battered deep-fried catfish seasoned with spices, served, with chili tuba sauce and bagoong mayo

This Crispy Catfish was simply delightful with its crispiness and freshness.

Dessert
Mango Pandan || P80

Ang classic panghimagas, creamy mango pandan.

Served really artistically, this mango pandan was nicely done both in terms of its presentation and taste. There may be not much difference as to the taste, but it was still good!

Tablea Coffee Flan || P85

Batangas tablea flavored flan with coffee caramel topped with dried coconut sprinkles and cream

The tablea was an ultimate treat for me with all the choco goodness! It was truly bittersweet just like your naudlot na pagmamahalan.  It is definitely a must-try!

Cebuano Mangga Cheesecake || P130

Layers of muscovado graham crust, cream cheese and fresh mangoes to top it all off

This wonderfully crafted dessert had this sweet and creamy taste that was just refreshing and relaxing. What added another layer of flavor was the subtle saltiness coming from the cream cheese.

Fried Halo-Halo || P135

Pinaghalu-halong sarap ng ube, white beans, corn nata de coco, langka and brown beans. Sinamahan pa ng whipped cream and ice cream on the side

Another best-selling dessert is this Fried Halo-Halo. Unfortunately, I was already too full to give it a try. Now, how about you share with me what you think if you already tasted this. #hehe

Now, that's most of it, so I do hope you found this blog post informative and helpful. I now urge you to put this place on your foodie checklist. It's worth exploring! 

Kuya J in a Nutshell
Overall, I found my experience here in Kuya J really festive and welcoming. Most of the dishes for the night had something either interesting or different to offer. There were even those that showed a shear amount of creativity. With all of these, I would say that Kuya J is really something you should give a try, who knows maybe you’ll have him as new favorite kuya?

Kuya J
Branch Locations:

SM City BF Paranaque
SM City Marikina
SM City Santa Mesa
SM City Manila
SM City Novaliches
SM Megamall
SM Hypermarket (Ugong)
SM City San Lazaro
SM City Fairview

SM City Dasmariñas
SM City San Mateo
SM City Pampanga
SM City Clark
SM City San Fernando Downtown
SM City Bacolod
SM City Cebu
SM City Consolacion, Cebu and
Escario Street, Cebu