Kuse at Venice Piazza

Adjacent to Uncle Cheffy at the Venice Piazza at McKinley is a restaurant called Kuse, which celebrates the rich Filipino culinary culture by preparing the most popular and well-loved Filipino dishes originating from various regions in the country. Dining at Kuse is like making a stopover to different parts of the Philippines as you feast on uniquely Filipino dishes such as Kinilaw Ilonggo Style, Pancit Lechon De Lucban, or Chicken Inasal ng Bacolod.

“Kuse” is a shortcut for the word kusinero, which is a Tagalog word for “chef” or “cook”. Surely, the kusineros at Kuse know how to make everyone feel right at home by cooking up heartwarming Filipino food.

The Paco Salad is a refreshing appetizer made of paco ferns, salted eggs, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, and kesong puti (white cheese). It may be a light dish but its tart taste is pretty potent.

The ultimate comfort food from Batangas, Kuse’s Batangas Bulalo is overflowing with hearty light soup, crunchy vegetables, big beef shanks and bone marrow, and sweet corn on the cob. It warms the soul and satisfies the taste buds too!

Named by the Philippine Daily Inquirer as “One of the Best Native Desserts” last January 30 of 2014, the Sapin-Sapin earned its place in this dessert list because it is an unconventional and innovatory take on the classic Filipino rice cake. Made with halayang ube (purple yam), camote (sweet potatoes), and brulee or caramelized sugar, this creamy (not to mention, pretty!) dessert is something that one should not miss out on when visiting Kuse. It’s good for four persons, so you can share it with the people you’re with… unless you can finish it all by yourself, which is not unlikely because it’s really good! This is also the type of dessert that will be an instant hit if you bring it to reunions or gatherings. It’s also a great pasalubong idea.