Kuya J Restaurant

We just had a short vacation in Cebu City a week after my Rap’s school ended. We were all first-timers and all I knew about Cebu were the things I read from the Internet. Thankfully, Cebu Pacific’s Smile Magazine for March featured top dining spots in Cebu. That’s how we got to read about Kuya J Restaurant.

Kuya J Restaurant is one of the many small restaurants that sits among the residential units along Orchid St. near the city’s capitol. It’s only a block away from Gran Tierra Suites where we were billeted so we just walked to reach the place. It’s also directly in front of STK Ta Bay, another popular seafood grill resto in the area (we also had dinner there but that would be for a separate post).

For starters, we ordered a plate of Baked Scallops. Rap really loves shellfish when it’s baked and smothered with cheese so I was sure that he’d love it. Kuya J’s version, though, is one for the books. The scallops are fresh, creamy, and cheesy without being too salty. Yum talaga!

It was drizzling the night when we arrived in Cebu so I craved for soup. The server suggested we try Linarang na Tangigue. Tangigue is quite familiar for me but I wasn’t aware of what “linarang” is. It turned out to be similar to our typical Sinigang na Miso but with tausi (fermented black beans) and leeks. I gotta try to cook this one of these days because it seems easy to do.

We wanted to try one of their grilled dishes so we ordered Pork Barbecue. One order already had three sticks which was perfect for us. The meat was tender and the marinade was delicious. It wasn’t too sweet, too.

Last, but not the least, we asked for a plate of Spicy Eggplant. The write-up indicated that it’s the restaurant’s specialty and we took note of that. It turned out to be the perfect partner of our Pork Barbecue. The sweet and sour sauce (which I think was probably made of banana ketchup) wasn’t that spicy so it can be served to kids who are not too fond of veggies.

Kuya J Restaurant is a good place to dine when you are in a large group because the prices are cheap compared to our popular seafood grills here in Manila. It has a warm and homey atmosphere (it’s a home converted into a resto) that’s perfect for tourists wanting to relax and enjoy good Cebuano food. Customers can also choose to dine al fresco in the garage turned dining area. Best of all, there’s free WiFi!

Kuya J Restaurant is located at 0394 Orchid St. Capitol Site, Cebu City. It’s open from Monday to Saturday from 11AM to 3PM and 6PM to 10PM.

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