Kuya J Restaurant opens in Bacolod: Ikaw na ang Masarap!

Kuya J is a new restaurant in Bacolod located at the new SM wing. This restaurant’s premise is that it tries to emulate the food a big brother would cook for a younger brother – a dish served with love and care. Kuya J’s food is really awesome and a welcome addition to the many food places here in Bacolod.

The relaxing decoration and the pleasant ambiance serves to stoke one’s appetite. There are comfortable padded chairs and “private” nooks where one can sit and enjoy the atmosphere.

We sampled Kuya J’s food and we were really blown away by the dishes. They certainly are special!

The first thing we had was their Chorizo Dinamitas with Garlic Dip. Basically this is a new take on the popular bar food “Dynamite cheesesticks” where a sliver of spicy bell pepper is inserted along with cheese into a spring roll wrap and deep fried.  This is my favorite finger food and Kuya J’s version bumps up the food to heavenly levels with their addition of Chorizo Cebu into the mix.  Absolute must try.

We tried out their drinks too – Kuya J’s has all sorts of shakes and smoothies.  We got a watermelon smoothie to stave off the hot summer heat – and wash down the delicious burning sensation from the dynamitas.

For Soup we had Pochero Tagalog a hearty soup overflowing with meat, vegetables, bone marrow.  The ultimate comfort food.

For those fond of shellfish, Kuya J has delicious buttery, cheesy scallops that are served piping hot.  I liked this dish a lot. The rich buttery taste goes so well with rice.

We tried their bagoong fried rice and it really hit the spot.  It is rice mixed with bagoong and topped with slivers of green mango,bell peppers and chunks of roast pork .  It has a nice clean refreshing taste and a crunchy texture from the mangoes.

The next thing we tried was the delicious Crispy Pata.  Filipinos love this dish of pig knuckle and Kuya J serves an excellent version with a crunchy, salty skin and the meat just melts in your mouth.

I have to recommend this next dish – Fried Catfish to everyone. I have never eaten catfish before so the first time I tried it was at Kuya J’s – and I enjoyed every bit of it!  The fish was fried until crispy but it has this soft chewy texture and distinct flavor that I liked a lot.  The sauces added variety and went so well with the catfish.  I really recommend everyone to try this dish.  It’s one of Kuya J’s signature dishes and a must try.

For those who like their veggies Kuya J has a pinakbet with chunks of bagnet. It’s a great traditional Filipino dish and quite tasty along with being a healthy treat.

If there is one soup I recommend foreign guests to try, It is our own Kare Kare or peanut butter stew.  This traditional dish and comfort food is made with peanut butter, banana flowers and served with a side of spicy, salty shrimp paste.  Kuya J serves Kare Kare and their recipe makes this Kare Kare a highly recommended dish for foreign guests to try.

Finally after that amazing meal, we decided to try Kuya J’s desserts. We tried their Mango Pandan, a delightful looking dessert topped with spun caramelized sugar and served in a cute glass.  Visually appealing, this impressive treat looks just like stained glass or something out of an art gallery.

And the creme de la creme, a delicious dessert of fried halo-halo.  Unlike traditional halo halo, this is fried turon with halo halo ingredients served with vanilla ice cream, jackfruit preserves and wafer sticks.  A sumptuous end to an epic meal.

Try out Kuya J now at Sm Bacolod. The food is great and we highly recommend their signature deep fried catfish.  Awesomeness!  The prices are reasonable and you get a good value for your money!

Kuya J is open from 10am – 9pm

Contact number is: (034) 431 4152