First Bite: Kusina Juan Republika

I always get overwhelmed with restaurant options whenever I'm in Quezon City. With several options along Tomas Morato and Teachers Village, I often rely on my foodie friends' suggestions on the best places to eat. And last weekend, I got to visit this new food complex along the busy street of Mother Ignacia that houses a Filipino and Japanese restaurants, tapas bar, cafe and a pastry shop. First stop, Kusina Juan Republik. 

Hello, Kusina Juan Republik.

This Filipino restaurant serves local favorites such as sisig, sinigang, kare-kare and even the street classic balot. 

For this visit, we got spoiled with Sisig ala Manila (PHP195), Sisig ala Pampanga (PHP195),  Krispy Pata (PHP495), Sizzling Balut (PHP190), Lechon Kawali (PHP175), Krispy Hipon (PHP200), Pritong Hito with buro't mustasa (PHP220) and Pinakbet Rice with Seafoods (PHP180). 

The two kinds of sisig was the most talked about dishes while we were taking photos so I made sure that I try these first before anything else.

Though both made with the same ingredients, I somehow liked Sisig ala Manila better. It was crunchier and for some reason more flavorful. The downside though is that it made me eat more rice. 

Kusina Juan Republika's Krispy Pata was really good! Munching on the skin gave that mouthwatering crunchy sound and the it tasted like heaven. Unlike its beautiful and drool-worthy skin, the meat was soft and juicy. I enjoyed it best with the dip it came with. Make sure to get a spoonful of crispy garlic bits for extra flavor.

I wasn't able to get the price of the liempo, shrimps and eggplant platter but considering the price points of its other dishes, this must have a pocket friendly price tag as well. It comes with a plate of rice too and one order is good for three persons. Though taste was quite ordinary, it was filling and perfect for a small family with a kid who can't get over this crunchy pork belly.

I took a bit of the Sizzling Balut and nibbled on the yellow part. Unfortunately, the piece I took was too small for me to really get a taste of it. I did get a bit more but seeing the formed leg of the duck made me not want to eat it more. (I'm really the wrong person to describe this as I only drink the soup of the balot and occasionally eat the yellow part.)

Another crunchy treat was hito which came with a tangy bowl of buro and mustasa. Unfamiliar with how to enjoy it, I actually ate the crispy fish and the greens separately. Apparently, you have to get a piece of hito and put it on top of the buro and mustasa for that nice blend of tangy and salty flavors. Nonetheless, the fish was good. But if you have low tolerance for sour dishes, you might not enjoy the buro as it was very tangy.

And if you live with the motto "rice is life" then you have to get the Pinakbet Rice with Seafoods. The perfectly cooked rice was generously topped with greens and seafood that you could enjoy it as is and do not even have to other any other viand. 

Overall, it was a pleasant visit and I wouldn't mind visiting again when I'm around the area. I just hope that there will be more servers the next time I visit as there were instances when it took a while before our glasses were refilled.  

Kusina Juan Republika is located at Upper Ground Level, 2 Lazcano corner Scout Magbanua and Mother Ignacia, Barangay Paligsahan, Quezon City. For inquiries, call them at +63 2 273 1767.