Kuse, The Traditional Filipino Cuisine

     It was at Kuse, where my Ate Danielle and Kuya Darren (well they are my kids, 13 years old and 15, accordingly) had their fill, during the last day of Food Adventure at the Venice Piazza.
My  Food Adventure was a three-round venture, the first two Saturdays where extremely satiating for me and my hubby, though it still left us five more restaurants to render.   Twelve establishments at the Piazza of McKinley Hill connected for the Food Adventure.   Each giving out a sample of what might be the best on their menu.

    I will announce the Best Restaurant for me in my next posts or better yet I will try to come up with a rating.   This would be according to of course the dish served, the taste and the plating, the service, and the place itself.   For now, let me tell you of our family food escapade yesterday, July 30.    As mentioned we still had five more joints to try.   Then my husband thought of bringing our kids along this time, and have them try out the other restos, meaning we had the five restos for sharing.   What a clever idea!   We only bought two passports, for me and my hubby.   Our daughter Danielle, is not a picky eater so we were quite sure she will enjoy her choice of restos.   Darren however is starting to enjoy different dishes away from the normal comfort food he'd usually have at home.   So this would be a good experience for them.
   Kuse was the second restaurant they tried, they didn't like the first, so much.   While they were having the Baked Cheese Macaroni, I had brewed coffee, as I was observing them how they would be enjoying or not their food samples.   While my two other kids were with their Daddy at KFC.    They said the baked pasta was dry and needed a little more sauce and cheese.   Plus it was cold.   The dish have orange salad that went with it.   The serving of the greens were more compared to the pasta.   Well, they were frustrated, thinking they will get the same look as what they see on the Food Passport.   Tsk. Tsk. Tsk!

    Moving on to the next resto, Kuse.   I decided to order from their menu.   Let me just tell you one of the restriction of the Food adventure,  diners with the Food Passport only eat outside.   Why is that I don't know?!!    If I'd be to interview some of the participants of the Food Adventure, that is the one's who bought the Food Passport, I'd bet many would attest to that.   Judging by the looks of some of the diners, they weren't that happy.   It was actually raining continuously that night, it was cold so  not that too many people were there.   Mostly are diners wanting to finish the Food Adventure.   I did  not check the mechanics of the "passport", till now, I did not see, anything saying FA diners are not allowed inside the resto, or something like FA diners can only be accommodated outside.   My kids and I went inside Kuse, the crew immediately asked us without seating us first, whether we have the Food Adventure.   I said, " my two kids will have them, and I will have the Ala Carte,"  he then continued saying, FA diners are only for outside dining.   Without getting infuriated, I just said I will order food from the menu, so why is that any different if I want my kids to eat with me inside the restaurant.   So he then said it's okay.   HHHMMM!!!
I will have my final say after I've announced the Best Restaurant on my concluding blog about Food Adventure.

   Since Old Vine Grille is next to it, the waiter asked if they could serve Salmon Carpaccio together with Kuse's Adobado.   So it was served first, right after their house Iced Tea was served.    My kids loved it, knowing they had not tried Sashimi or Kilawin yet, though we would always have Pink Salmon Sashimi at home.  I tried it also and it was really good.   I will definitely go back to Old Vine and try more of this with hubby and some other dish from their menu.   Too bad I was not able to check out their menu.    Carpaccio as I understand is an appetizer of thinly sliced raw meat and in the case fish.   What this dish stand out for is the unique minty flavor infused in the fish, maybe the marinate, if it was marinated or the minced herb served with it.

   Both of them enjoyed however, Beef Ribs Adobado.   Kuse is an all-Filipino cuisine whilst putting a twist on their every dish.   Though they don't concentrate on a certain typified region they boast of indigenous dishes giving a "whapack" to each of them.    Like this dish, imagine BBQ Baby Back Ribs, cooked like Adobo.  The smokey beef blended so well with the Adobo sauce.   I cook my adobo with a little brown sugar to give it a syrupy consistency and a mild sweetener.   Jut like Adobado, the BBQ sauce and adobo sauce gave it's Adobado identity.   The sauce is just right, not salty, though not that sweet also.   My kids said that the meat was so soft, you wouldn't bother using using a knife to it and it actually fell off the bones.    It also had the radish and carrots salad.    This is nice, I'm not sure if some household serve their Adobo with some salad, we do, I'd usually have it with cucumber salad, now I know it can also paired with radish.

   The Pancit Lucban wth Lechon Kawali.    A bit pricey for a pancit, but it thus have ample serving of Lechon Kawali or others would call it Lechon Macau.  I didn't think my kids will still eat some of this after having three samples from the FA.   I love the Pancit Lucban, it is worth coming back for, perfect for a 'meryenda" for two.   A bit sweet, and saucy, lots of nicely cooked vegetables, hot over a pad of banana leaf, giving it a more distinct touch, very "Lucban."   The Lechon on the other hand has crunchy skin but too much fatty part, but equally delectable.   The Beef Adobado was heavy enough, though my Danielle needed to order more rice.   After that they both had Picole Italian Specialty Stick Ice cream.
    And they are full, it was then our turn to try the rest from Little Asia and PhoHoa.   Do you think they were satisfied with all they've tried.   No!   Such monsters, they were still looking forward to going to Midnight Mercato and try out Johnny Steams, Steamed Savoury Burgers and some other stuffs there.

Kuse
The Venice Piazza
McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City