Kuya J Restaurant, the once hole-in- the-wall in Cebu and now one of the fastest
growing casual dining restaurants in the country, has done no other Filipino restaurant has
achieved – to open 100 stores in just 2 years after its launch.
The restaurant celebrated its huge milestone #CheersTo100 at the Event Center of
the recently opened SM City Puerto Princesa in Palawan, together with its one and only
blockbuster bida, Jericho Rosales.
“We wanted the 100 th store to be significant. We chose Puerto Princesa City to house
our 100 th store because the City plays a vital role in tourism and community development,”
answered Winglip Chang, President and Chief Executive Officer of iKitchen, the company
behind Kuya J, when asked about the reason for placing Kuya J’s restaurant in SM City
Puerto Princesa.
Hundreds of fans and Kuya J lovers gathered to take part in the celebration with
Echo serenading them with a medley of his top hits.
“Our 100 th store is not only a result of the hardwork and passion of the entire Kuya J
family. It’s actually more of the overwhelming love and support of Filipino families all over
the country,” shared Mr. Danny Pumarega, Chief Operating Officer of Kuya J.
Most guests of Kuya J during the event were first-time to visit the restaurant
complimenting the interiors, which are clean and homey with relaxing furniture that makes
you enjoy the food even more.
Mr. Chang also said, “We are not going to stop at 100 stores. We want to continue
building as many stores as possible together with continuous improvement.”
Looks like Kuya J is showing no signs of slowing down in letting Filipinos get a taste
of its delicious dishes and the heartwarming experience that goes with it. Now, if Kuya J has
done what seemed impossible possible, just imagine what it can do in the next year or two.
Who is Kuya J?
Kuya J Restaurant, formerly known as “Ang Kan-anan ni Kuya J,” started as a humble
eatery along the streets of Cebu. But with Kuya J’s undeniably delicious dishes,
mouthwatering words of recommendation quickly spread into every Cebuanos’ palate.
With that, Kuya J instantly became one of the well-loved restaurants in Cebu.
But who is Kuya J? There were a lot of curiosity among locals about who is referred
to in Kuya J’s name.
The President of iKitchen answered that the restaurant’s name refers to no
particular person, but a brand that symbolizes the Filipino family where there are a lot of
names starting with J like Jose, John, Joseph, and Jericho.
To this day, the restaurant continues to satisfy every Filipino family’s appetite
nationwide. Using only the freshest ingredients available, Kuya J cooks up a storm of
delicious Pinoy food in every corner of the Philippines.
Does Jericho own Kuya J?
“In a way, yes,” said Jericho Rosales in front of the media, who got a chance to have
an intimate moment with the bida and Kuya J’s top management talking about the
monumental feat and the exciting future of the restaurant.
The blockbuster bida added that Kuya J became a part of him as he took pride in the
brand that truly embodies the Filipino culture that is family-oriented.
Echo is actually the perfect endorser for Kuya J.
He is one of the award-winning
drama actors in the country and the best Kuya to his family. Kuya J finds him very inspiring
with his trait of always putting his heart into everything that he does, especially when
touching people’s lives.
Kuya J Favorites
After trying the food at Kuya J Restaurant, one could not be surprised how much
people love their interpretations of Filipino favorites, which are very reasonably priced.
Some of the local favorites so far are the following:
The Grilled Scallops (P230) is a fresh reminder of Cebu because every restaurant
there has some version of this dish. Each scallop shell is covered in a generous amount of
cheese and garlic that enhances the umami flavor of the seafood.
The Chorizo Dinamitas (P170) might be thought to be super spicy, but an initial
bite could lead anyone to eating more. Chopped Cebu chorizo and cheddar cheese make it a
salty-sweet appetizer with a nice crunch and mild spiciness.
The star of the feast at Kuya J is their Kuya J’s Crispy Pata (P490/regular,
P695/family). Served on a wooden board with a serving ready to cut up the crispy pork
trotter into easy to eat pieces. The skin is satisfyingly crispy with tender, juicy and flavorful
meat inside.
The fat is also just a thin layer between the skin and the meat, perfect.
Another dish they are proud of is the Kare-Kare (P399). The sauce goes really well
with rice while the ox tail has been cooked fork tender.
This will really make you eat more
rice than you intend.
Be sure to save room for dessert like the showstopping Mango Pandan (P80).
You’d
hardly expect a glass of mango and pandan jelly cubes with condensed milk to be topped
with beautiful spun sugar.
Or you might want to try their very Espesyal Halo-Halo treat. A
sweet ending to a Filipino feast.
#Cheersto100 Treat
In addition to its 100 th store celebration, Kuya J has prepared an espesyal treat for
its customers.
From October 7 to 31, 2017, 2PM to 5PM, the Kuya J Original and Ube Halo-
Halo Espesyal will be available at 50% off. So that means everyone can enjoy the uniquely
delicious dessert for only P55 at any Kuya J Restaurant branches nationwide.
Kuya J Restaurant is a Filipino casual dining restaurant that offers quality dishes
such as Crispy Pata, Grilled Scallops, Bulalo, Sisig, Roast Chicken, and more. Visit their
website at www.kuyaj.ph to know more about Kuya J.