Ka Tunying's Cafe

Michael Perona

3.0

Anthony Taberna or Ka Tunying is one of the most recognizable voices in news broadcasting in both TV and radio. He and his wife are also propriators of a chain of bistro bakeries also known as “Ka Tunying’s” Cafe. Their passion for food and the long history in the food service of the Taberna family has motivated them to export the Tunying’s bakery from Nueva Ecija to Metro Manila. They serve home cooked style filipino favorites made according to the heirloom recipes of their grandparents rooted in the classic technique and preparations. Their first branch is at Visayas Ave. while the second branch is in Tomas Morato right in front of GMA’s headquarters (ironic no?), they also have a branch in NAIA Terminal 3! The were gracious enough to invite us into a big website feast with a suprise appearance from the man himself! It was a really fun lunch filled with great food, chit chatting, and lots of pictures. Here’s the rundown:Ukoy: Deep fried fritters with bits of shrimp and squash were deep fried to golden perfection while maintaining a soft and sweet texture in the centre. ALthough its not quite lavish or unusual, the simplicity of the dish and the flavors worked well as an appetizer.Bruce Tawilis: The tawilis that were familiar with are the smaller, pinky size variaty that’s like the ultimate fish crackers but theirs were like roided out tawilis fishes. The fish was a big as a dorito and had a lot more meat (duh), the clean fishy taste really came through and we absolutely loved it! We’re just at the appetizer portion and im already craving for rice.Inasar Si Ceasar Salad: This salad was composed of chopped lettuce, slices of inasal style chicken, shredded cabbage, and parmesan cheese. The fun and excitement that name of this dish suggested didn’t quite measure up. The salad was plain and boring as the vegetables were pretty generic while the chicken which had a bit more flavor thanks to the inasal seasoning tasted like leftovers from the fridge. I suggest that they liven up this dish by bringing in more flavors similar to inasal to please diners who want to eat healthily.Arroz Ala Tunying: As soon as i forgot about that salad dish this cozy looking bowl of porridge came in. The lugaw base was peppered with slivers of saffron-like herbs that stained it with a soft orange color and had chunks of white chicken meat which made it more filling. The steaming hot porridge had a light chicken broth flavor which was comforting as it reminded me of simpler days when school gets cancelled over bad weather or sick days. The dish itself wasn’t extraordinary but it was just right and that's good enough for me.May Asim Pa Ako...:Escabeche Salmon Belly: That dish title could really benefit from a lil trim down. The dish itself was battered and deep fried strips of salmon belly covered in a sweet and sour sauce. Again, the dish itself wasn’t as impressive as it sounded. The combination of the greasy batter and the oily and funky cut of fish didn’t quite mesh well with me and the sweet and sour sauce was generic at best. Cabanatuan Longsilog: Since were like trying everything their menu has to offer, breakfast for lunch doesn’t seem strange at all. Their silog dish was comprised of longganisa sourced from Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija, adobo rice, and a smiley sunny side up egg. The sausage itself was really delicious, i was expecting something generic but it really tasted like something that you could only get in the provinces. I loved the garlic flavor, mild spices and fatty meat packed into each link of sausage. The savory adobo rice that came along with it was a nice change from the usual garlic rice and was delicious as well. This dish was delicious and filling at the same time! Well done!Pancit Ni Nanay Benny: Ka Tunying himself explained that this dish this was a particular recipe was a personal favorite of his mother which he missed so much that he had to bring it to their restaurants. Sure enough, it’s not your usual pancit dish but a richer and more packed version of pancit with double the amount of “pangsahog” that you usually get. Each strand was coated with a rich, meaty flavor which was absolutely delightful!Bakbakbakan Platter: Well this lunch ran a little bit long so i wasn’t able to get through the rest of the dishes including the dessert but i got a taste of their bakbakan platter which was like a boodle fight on a platter. Each platter had a heap of crispy pork, fish fillet, and eggs. I only got to try the pork and i really loved it. Cooked the traditional filipino way, the outside was cripsy and golden while the inside was soft and sweet, best dipped with some sweet lechon sauce!Naimas Smoothie: There were quite a lot of unfamiliar things that you could find in their beverage menu. Most of which were smoothies belended with traditional filipino ingredients like ube. I got their naimas smoothie which had different kinds of sugar in it. You might say that this was just like sugar and milk but the fresh sugarcane syrup had a nice pleasant taste almost grassy and smoky which wasn't “naakaumay.” I loved it till that last drop that i even got seconds!Overall, Ka Tunying’s Cafe has definite;y come a long way since it’s days as a humble bakeryin Nueva Ecija. The Taberna’s and Co. has nurtured this concept into a restaurant that has the potential to become a huge franchise that they got the attention from investors from The Bistro Group to help it grow. The strengths lie in their simple and authentic dishes that showcase the food culture of the Probinsyas that we have the tendency to ignore. While their weaknesses lie in newer food concepts that weren’t execute well. Nonetheless, the food was satisfying it taste, portions, and price. The service was just as great and they have Wifi and bathrooms for a better dining experience!

Narita Pratiwi

4.0

The beauty of dining in restaurants that are named after their owners is that you are guaranteed that most, if not all, the food they offer and serve are really good.Why? Because the owner's name and reputation is at stake. Again, I had the privilege to experience and prove that recently at KA TUNYING'S CAFE together with old and new friends from the website community I belong to.Currently, I find it more enjoyable to dine in restaurants in the company of people whom some I've known for quite some time and with others I just met. The reason behind it is because of what I've said before in my previous reviews: Food, like Wine, IS RELATIVE. What's good for me may not be good for others and vice versa. Dining with them gives me the chance to see (through their reactions) how well they liked the food and know what they thought about a specific dish (through their comments).So, here are the dishes I and company had, in sequence of arrival and my comments (please refer to KTC's menu for the price point):1. UKOY - traditional Filipino version of shrimps fitters with Kalabasa (squash) and dried shrimps.Loved this Okoy! Truly perfect as appetizers or stand alone meal as meryenda.2. INASAR SI CAESAR SALAD - KTC's version of caesar salad with traditional Pinoy chicken inasal.Indeed, the inclusion of chichen inasal gave it a different twist and flavor. Definitely be worth the amount you will be paying for it. Good serving size too.3. ARROZ ALA TUNYING - arroz caldo with boiled egg and sliced chichen breast.Too salty for me but then again, I have low tolerance in salty food. Btw, this is IT's best seller especially during breakfast. I would highly suggest that their waiters make sure that it's with calamansi when they serve this.4. BRUCE TAWILIS - fried crispy tawilis served with vinegar.This was my favorite among the all the dishes served. Perfect as viand, pica pica or by itself.5. CABANATUAN LONGSILOG - served with your choice of longganisa (we had the RECADO longganosa), adobo rice and egg of any style (we had sunny side up).Loved the taste of the Recado longganisa, truly enjoyed the adobo rice and super love the plating! Check out the photos to know why :)6. MAY ASIM PA AKO, PERO SWEET NAMAN (ESCABECHE SALMON BELLY) - tender salmon bellys strips fried and sauteed in butter, ginger and sesame seeds.Awesome and bursting with flavor. You'll need extra rice when you order this.7. PANCIT NI NANAY BENNY - special recipe of Anthony Taberna's mom.One of the best pancit I had and HIGHLY recommended.8. KA-LOVE-ASA LASAGNA - no meat baked dish layered with zucchini, tomato sauce, cheese and lots of kalabasa.Honestly, I didn't eat, not even taste this as I am allergic to eggplant BUT my companions loved it so much.9. TINAPA CARBONARA - their local version of carbonara with tinapa (smoked fish).Their version is at par with my favorite Filipino restaurant (RC) and their serving size is perfect, even good for sharing.10. BAKBAKAN PLATTER - roasted lechon pork belly + fish fillet and salted egg rolls + gising-gising + rice.This is perfect when you're craving for variety of viand that will satisfy your hunger.11. KTC DESSERT PLATTER - Biko-Latik + Ube Macapuno + Turon with Tsoknut.12. KTC's signature breads. I have to come again to try ALL the type of breads they offer as I liked the 2 kinds served to us.13. Drinks: I had the privilege to try not 1 but 4 of their signature drinks namely: AGIMAT - cucumber and calamansi which was truly refreshing; MAHARLIKAPE - caramel frap with coffee ice cubes, definitely a unique way to serve iced coffee; DALANDAN GINGER ICED TEA - another refreshing and unique drink.Finally, TUNYING'S BLEND: their brewed coffee in a big mug. Btw, please make sure to let the waiter know if you want it strong as they serve it quite light (for my taste) maybe because of the size of their mug - baka daw mag palpitate (laughs). Oh, I had 2 mugs of their brewed (1 regular and 1 strong).Ka Tunying's AMBIANCE: inviting, well air-condition, clean and cozy. Their place is not just perfect for dining but for meetings as well.Ka Tunying's SERVICE: with the Bistro Group behind it, you can expect good service but you will need patience during busy hours or when the resto is full (especially during lunch) as their food is (mostly) cooked upon order.Another PLUS factor of KTC is that the owner - newscaster, commentator and celebrity, ANTHONY TABERNA - is very hands on with the business and will definitely smile or even talk to every guests whenever he's in the dining area.Cheers!

Sheela Dimayuga

4.0

Full review and experience to follow soon.Ambience – 4/5Service – 4/5Location – 4/5Food – 4/5Bruce TawilisMay Asin Pa Ako, Pero Sweet NamanPancit ni Nanay BennyKa-Love-Asa LasagnaPastillas de LatteUkoyInasar si Caesar SaladArroz Ala TunyingCabanatuan LongsilogBakbakan PlatterKTC Dessert PlatterTinapa CarbonaraLigaya