I’ve been writing about restaurants since last week (and I still have two more in my drafts plus a couple of travel posts!). Bear with me — I’m just trying to clear my overdue drafts and I’ll be back in regular programming.
A couple of months ago, we had dinner at Kuya J. I’ve been hearing and reading about Kuya J on my social media fans that I just couldn’t resist trying it! The good news? It was so worth it — we had a hearty meal at an affordable price. Read on!
First, here are the interiors at Kuya J, SM Lanang Premier branch.
Interiors are mainly of clean, straight lines with neutral colours. I remember taking a picture of it (but I can’t find it now?), but one wall is lined with shelves (you can see part of it in the first picture) of books and toys. There was a red firetruck that Yuri wanted so badly. I had to convince him that it was glued solid to the shelf…
While waiting for our food, we went outside to watch the mall’s fountain show:
And here’s what we ordered:
Ensalada Espesyal (P120)
I wasn’t able to eat a lot of the ensalada. I love ensalayda, but my dad was enjoying it so much I just gave him my share lol. (There are many things my dad is not allowed to eat.)
Pinakbet (P150)
Their pinakbet is a winner for me. It was a little on the sweet side, which I am not used to, but I still liked it nonetheless. I love how crisp and flavourful the veggies were!
Kuya J Fried Chicken – Half (P195)
Honestly there was nothing special about this chicken. It did taste good, but maybe I was just spoiled by Yellow Fin’s greaseless chicken haha. Yuri and my sister enjoyed it though.
Crispy Dinuguan (P145)
I am huge fan of dinuguan so I see to it to always order a dinuguan dish in each restaurant I visit if it’s available. Unfortunately, this fell short of my expectations. If you’re used to the dry kind of dinuguan, you might like this. But my type of dinuguan is the saucy, sour kind with hints of espada sili heat. The meat was tender and crunchy though!
Sizzling Sisig with Egg (P185)
This was hands-down my favourite dish of the night. I love how the combination of soft and gooey and crispy-crunchy textures. It was also really flavourful, with the egg enhancing its appeal. I would still order this next time!
Leche Flan (P45!)
Their leche flan is p-e-r-f. It was supeerrr silky smooth and it was just the right amount of sweet. And for 45 pesos? Win-win!
Kuya J Mango Pandan (P55)
This dessert was also a winner for me. The contrast between the tangy mangoes and the creamy sweetness of milk and pandan jelly was just awesome. I am a fan of the presentation!
Service
Service in Kuya J, SM Lanang Premier is superb. When we went there, the A/C was not working (it was at the height of the power interruptions in the city). We opted to go to another restaurant instead, but we saw them setting up our table with an electric fan especially directed to us (I think they prioritised us because we had a senior citizen in tow?), and we just didn’t have the heart to turn back after the thoughtful gesture. The wait staff was also generally attentive to all our needs.
PS: Their fan worked greatly haha; we almost didn’t notice there was no A/C!
Location
Location is great especially for Davaenos who frequent SM Lanang Premier. However, if you live quite far, I should say it’s still worth the trip. 😉
Price
Almost everything in the menu is affordable! The servings are not particularly big, but they are not small, too. They are just perfect for a small group. You won’t burn a hole in your pocket eating at Kuya J!
Oh, and here’s the menu. There are quite a lot of pages, so just click on each thumbnail to enlarge.
25 Comments
I’ve only eaten at Kuya J’s twice. The first time was in Bora and we were in a hurry then because we might miss our flight. The second one was early this year. And on both occasions, I’d say that the food and dining experience are quite memorable. 🙂
I have tried Kuya Js at SM San Mateo and wrong a fairly good review of this restautant. Kuya J have taken ordinary Filipino dishes and made them extraordinary. I particularly loved their Fritos Dinamitas and Crispy Pata.
I have tried Kuya Js at SM San Mateo and wrote a fairly good review of this restautant. Kuya J have taken ordinary Filipino dishes and made them extraordinary. I particularly loved their Fritos Dinamitas and Crispy Pata
Next to KKK, we love Kuya J’s. We find the staff amiable. The food are all superb. The ambiance is pretty ok. I find that gesture setting up an electric fan as very thoughtful. Wouldny have the heart to go somewhere else also.
Waaah nauna ka pang mag Kuya J sa kin, last year ko pa yata iniisip kumain jan, haha! The crispy dinuguan looks very promising!!!
I love their plating, the food looks very appealing. I love how they presented the ensalada (i’m a fan of ensalada) and oh the sisig looks really yummy! I will definitely put this on my list of Filipino restaurants to visit in the future.
Crispy pata and kalderata is the best that I tasted here in Kuya J 🙂 next time will try the dinuguan
Grabe si Echo o, parami ng parami ang resto! Naabot nalang ang Kuya J diha sa Davao, wala pa jud ko ka try ana diri, bisan sa kadaghan sa Kuya J restaurant diri! haha. Wala mi gawas2 sa among cave! lol!
Kuya J’s are sprouting everywhere these days. I haven’t had the chance to try it yet though. My boy, on the other hand, has already and so he recognizes the restau everytime we pass by it. It must have been yum for him to remember it. 🙂
The dinuguan looks so tempting! I haven’t tried searching for branches here in Metro Manila. But, I think it’s worth finding this time. Thanks for sharing!😀
We enjoyed our dining experience at Kuya J, too. I remember we ordered Grilled Scallops and Kare-Kareng Bagnet. I want to try their Mango Pandan.
There is a Kuya J branch that is near our place but we haven’t tried it yet. Better to urge my hubby to eat there and try their sisig!
Ang haba ng pila sa Kuya J when we visited their branch here in SM BF, kaya di na kami tumuloy. I’m glad that they will open a branch near our area soon, matitikman ko na din yang ensalada and sisig nila.
I have read a lot of good stuff about Kuya J, but we have yet to visit a branch. It is good that you included the photos of the menu. Sometimes, it is frustrating when you cannot find these invaluable info online. 😀 I would definitely love to try this resto out soon.
I love love love Kuya J! Their Kare-Kare is one of the best.
Oooh we should try that!
The leche flan looks inviting! And the crispy dinuguan, ahhh looks incredibly delicious!
I’ve been wanting to try Kuya J. Maybe we’ll go here for my eldest’s 16th birthday.
Curious about Kuya J– hope to try it soon!
Everything you posted made me want to taste it! Love ko rin ang ensalada kapag fresh ang gawa. 🙂
Kuya J is one of our fave restos at SM Manila. Yung pochero at sisig nila, super sarap! One can’t go wrong with their affordable prices and superb service. 🙂
We love Kuya J, we ate there for the nth time na. So far, ok lahat ng inorder namin, my son’s favorite is the leche flan, hindi pwede mawala. :
Is there a set menu like in Max’s (per table) for a group of 5 to pax? If so how much po? Tnx Planning to visit on mothers day
Sorry, Marge, I don’t really remember! But their dishes are affordable naman so you’ll have a lot of options.
I love Kuya J’s Adobo sa Mangga! Kaso bitin sa akin yung serving nila for P230. Kainis pa kasi sabi nung waitress good for 2 to 3 persons daw. Hmp!