13 Ubay St is your typical house-turned-resto establishment, but unknown to others, it also has a…read moredeep history. The name of the restaurant is also the address. The establishment started as a home turned into a printing press back in the day's of the owner's grandfather. Aside from that, 13 is also a lucky number because the grandfather has 13 grandchildren. Now, it is known by another name, KusYna, the restaurant site of ABS-CBN's tv series, Pangako Sa'Yo.
The restaurant has a good history, and so does its food offerings. They offer Filipino food, and alcohol, of which they create and infuse their own. We were able to sample their freshly-prepared food and drinks.
To start the fine afternoon, we had grilled small plates paired with their house cocktails: Banana Liver with Miel de Abeja, Grilled Cheese with Vine Cooler, and Beef Shimeji with 13 Ubay. My favorite would be the Grilled Cheese because the cheese and poached pear combination gave a sweet-salty-acidity taste. The 13 Ubay gets a special note here, because I was surprised when I drank it like a shot. Unaware, it has a chili tequila concoction that surprises my throat.
For appetizer, we had Fried Tripe and Cured Salmon Salad. Fried Tripe is a soft and chewy chicharon that has a fried salt and pepper squid taste. It tasted marvelous and addicting. I also like that they serve generous salmon in their salad.
For the main course, we tried: Chicken Harissa, 3-hr Pork Belly, and Shrimp Aligue. My favorite would be the pork belly because it is tender, the skin is crispy, and it is not oily. Normally, when I try pork belly, I usually gets satiated after the first bite, but with their version, I wasn't even sharing. It was my first time to try Chicken Harissa and I love the Arabic flavor and fragrance it contained. It was a bit dry though but it was a good eat. I also loved the tenderness of the chicken and its peppered taste. The Shrimp Aligue, however, was a disappointment. I didn't taste any crab fat at all, and the shrimp taste was not strong.
The desserts we had were also a disappointment. We had Beignet, Chocolate Praline Cake, Dalandan Torte, and Tres Leches cake. The Beignet (a French donut) is flaky but at the same doughy which makes it hard to swallow. Imagine a ball of flour and water stuck in your teeth and throat. The Dalandan Torte was citrus-y and refreshing but the cake base somewhat sunk.
Overall, it gave a new twist to food and a new perspective on how things are done. The restaurant is promising and I would like to return and try other.