American, Japanese and Korean food are just some cuisine we crave for but we ultimately always go back to something familiar and comforting… And that's Filipino food.
Ka Tunying's Café might seem like an ordinary Filipino restaurant with its good food and warm atmosphere which feels like home. But what really sets them apart is their ability to evolve with the times and introducing innovative twists to traditional Filipino food.
What started as a local panaderya in Nueva Ecija has become a number of restaurants in Manila. Owned by broadcast journalist and radio commentator Anthony Taberna and his wife, Rossel, the restaurants dishes are traditional home-cooked Filipino dishes recipes from their moms so you don't really get any better than that.
Whether it's a family lunch, a barkada get-together or an after-work dinner, you'll surely enjoy all the Filipino food you could possibly crave. To get you started, we've listed a few of their best-sellers and must-tries for when you visit any of Ka Tunying's Café's branches.
Filipinos love anything crunchy! Start your meal with some Ukoy sa Orayt (P195) which is their version ukoy or shrimps fritters with kalabasa and dried shrimps. There's also the Bruce Tawilis (P195) which I couldn't stop munching on. Tawilis is cut in half and fried until crispy and served with their own mixture of vinegar with spices.
Part of their Pa-Healthy Options, the Inasar Si Caesar Salad (P265) is their version of a classic caesar salad with slices of traditional Pinoy chicken inasal. Other choices are Ensaladang Mangga, Pak! Bet Ko Yan (pinkabet) and Samin Lang May Ganto which is their house salad.
For their all-day breakfast, there's the Arroz ala Tunying (P135) – classic arroz caldo with boiled egg and slices of chicken breast. A can't-miss is their Cabanatuan Longsilog (P245) where you get to choose from three kinds of longganisa: Batutay, a sweet-flavored beef longganisa; Recado, a garlic-flavored pork longganisa; and Hamonado, a sweet-flavored pork longganisa. An original from Nueva Ecija, it is served with adobo rice and eggs. For a cup of their coffee and unlimited rice, just add P55 and P35, respectively.
This might be the longest and funniest name of a dish on their menu. The May Asim Pa Ako, Pero Sweet Naman (P365) is an escabeche salmon belly. It has fried salmon belly strips and sauteed with butter, ginger and sesame seeds. It's rich and packed with flavor, you'll need an extra cup of rice for this!
If you're unsure which to order, Ka Tunying's also has Bakbakan Platters (P750) you can choose from. One with roasted lechon pork belly, fish fillet & salted egg rolls and gising-gising; and another with tinapa, chicken tocin, longsilog batutay and atsara. All served with rice that's good for two to three people.
In general, Filipinos naturally are big fans of merienda. We just love snacking and we can't deny that! A special recipe of Ka Tunying's mother, the Pancit ni Nanay Benny (P195) is loaded with vegetables and meat that would pair well with any of their bread.
For something with an international touch, there's the Tinapa Carbonara (P235) which is their own version of the classic white sauce pasta and they've added some tinapa pieces to it for an interesting smoky flavor. Another pasta dish that would make any vegetarian happy is the Ka-Love-Asa Lasagna (P265). It is a no meat baked dish with layers of zucchini, eggplant, tomato sauce, cheese and lots of kalabasa.
A Filipino spread wouldn't be complete without any minatamis! The KTC Dessert Platter (P225) is the ultimate Filipino dessert. It has biko topped with latik, a creamy ube macapuno and turon drizzled with tsoknut sauce. Some of their drinks can pass off as desserts, as well, like this Ube Latik (P145) blended drink. There's also a Pastillas de Latte and Tsoknut Frappe.
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Ka Tunying's Cafe is located at Ground Floor, Caswynn Building, Timog Avenue, Tomas Morato, Quezon City and 88 Visayas Avenue Quezon City, Philippines. They're open daily, from 7am to 10pm. For more information, like their Facebook and follow them on Instagram.
