The Good Taste of Home Cooking

CEBU, Philippines – In a city with so many places offering different kinds of food, deciding what and where to eat is quite a challenge. Anyone's safest option is to simply go for food that's familiar, food that gives emotional comfort, something that has been one's favorite from childhood; hence, reminiscent of the good taste of home cooking. Comfort food.

A dainty restaurant along Osmena Boulevard, in the city's Capitol Site area, serves familiar Filipino cuisine, many of the comfort food favorites from home. Called Kuizine, the place serves "tinabal," which is one of the best sellers. "Tinabal" is salted fish very popular in the provincial Visayas, particularly in Leyte. It is served hot, garnished with tomato, onion and ginger. The flavor is really something else.

Another house favorite is the well-seasoned, tender Baby Back Ribs. It is a standout with the special aromatic sauce and the juicy meat that easily falls off the bone. For appetizers, there's Buffalo Shrimps that's great with mayo dip.

There's a choice between chicken and seafood chowders for soup. The chicken chowder tastes very creamy. The right mix of chicken, sweet corn, and carrot strips is already good for a light meal with bread toast. The seafood variant is no less delectable and filling.

Pasta lovers will love the Chicken Carbonara, with rich flavored white cream sauce, tossed with some chicken and mushroom strips and topped with freshly baked bread. If meat is the choice - a house specialty, the beef stroganoff with fine flavor sauce.

The sweet tooth shall better try Kuizine's The Bomb, a luscious chocolate fudge cake with rich chocolate filling, freshly baked and topped with vanilla ice cream.

Siblings Monique, Mel and Rico "JR" Kuizon, owners of Kuizine, share a common love for comfort food, the force that prompted them to put up the restaurant. They all love to cook (and eat, of course). The name Kuizine is a fusion of the words "Kuizon" and "cuisine."

It's a family affair. Their parents have always wanted to get into the food business. Monique assists customers with their orders and is mainly responsible for the restaurant's interior design.  Mel mans and oversees the restaurant operations, while JR serves as the head chef, having had the experience at hotels in Cebu and in Singapore.

Kuizine is open Mondays through Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.