Qubiertos Grill and Restaurant with branches at Kapitolyo Pasig, D. Tuazon Quezon City, and Kalayaan Quezon City is a foodie place specializing in Filipino Cuisine. From its success spawned a spin off which is the Kuya Tom’s Boneless Cebu Lechon by Qubiertos. Now, let me say it from the get-go, this is one of the Best Filipino Restaurants in Manila that I have ever been to.
Although they are known for their Boneless Cebu Lechon and Spicy Lechon Ribs, Qubiertos also offers other impressive Filipino dishes.
It may be easy to consider Qubiertos as a watering hole where people can gather for an after work beer session considering its line of dishes that goes well with beer. I for one was under that impression for a while. Yet, recent visit at Qubiertos opened my eyes that it could also be a great restaurant to go to when dining with family.
They recently opened their latest branch located in Kapitolyo, Pasig City – a branch way near to where I reside. But the first branch I visited which I am blogging about right now is their branch in D. Tuazon, Quezon City.
The place is an old house which was renovated into a restaurant with homey ambiance. The al fresco dining area located at the right side when facing the restaurant front boast of several seats including some nipa huts. This area I was told is usually occupied by groups on drinking sessions.
The opposite side of the al fresco dining area offers a garden-feel ambiance complete with beautifully arranged plants and colorful bottles. The area is perfect for those who wants some fresh air and natural light when dining.
Inside, the place gives the feel of a legit Filipino restaurant in contemporary set up. Given the structure of the place, it really feels like dining inside a house instead of the usual place built primarily to be a restaurant.
There is also private room at the first floor of the restaurant which is perfect for private function or for diners who wants some privacy while feasting.
Upstairs there is plenty of space to accommodate diners. This area also serve as one of the function rooms which diners can reserve for parties, business meetings, and the likes.
A mini coffee shop can also be found at the second floor of the restaurant. People who wants an after-meal coffee and desserts can find comfort in this area since they don't have to go far for their caffeine fix.
Qubiertos menu is an extensive one. They do offer variety of Filipino dishes that hail from different region in the country. The also offer grill food specials of different variants and Wagas Meals which can be liken to student meals or value set meals. And yes, they already jumped to the bandwagon of unlimited rice.
Dining at Qubiertos wouldn't be complete without trying their two best sellers; the Boneless Cebu Lechon and the Spicy Lechon Ribs.
Now these two I must say, is one of the many reasons why I would still go back at Qubiertos again and again. The fact that these two became the reason why people behind Qubiertos created another brand name, Kuya Tom's Bonelesss Cebu Lechon, says a lot about its popularity and downright goodness. More on these two on a separate blog post about Kuya Tom's.
Although the Cebu Lechon and the Lechon Ribs were enough for me to appreciate the awesomeness of Qubiertos, there are other items on the menu which I believe one should not miss when at Qubiertos.
Take for instance the Grilled Squid (Php215). Perfectly grilled and stuffed with the usual stuffing such as tomatoes, onions, the whole she bangs. The photos does not give justice to the size of the squid, but let me tell you, it was hefty it can be for sharing.
One of the dishes that rocked my world at Qubiertos was their Binagoongang Bagnet (Php170). Served in a deconstructed set up which I appreciate because the bagnet wasn't doused with the sauce which has the tendency to turn the crisp pork into unpalatable soggy pieces. The sauce was so remarkable that for a while there it gave me the urge to talk the chef into giving me the recipe.
The Special Laing (Php140) also came as highly recommended. I swear I rarely eat Laing unless it was my father (who is a great cook, by the way) who cooked it. Yet, judging from the way it looked, I thought I should give it a try - and I am glad that I did.
I love that the dish was cooked in such a way that the coconut milk evaporated into submission, penetrating every strand of the dried taro leaves. The crisp strands of pork on top was of course a very thoughtful addition that adds texture and flavor to the Laing.
I love Milk Fish hence, the Pinaputok na Bangus (Php215) was also a great addition to our feast. It's not as if the entirety of its goodness wasn't good enough, I love the fact that Qubertos uses boneless bangus for this dish.
Served in a "palayok" or traditional local clay pot, Qubiertos Kare-Kare (Php255) has the impressive balance of nutty and beefy flavor to it that one cannot help but take advantage of the unlimited rice (Php35) servings. The bagoong that comes with it leans on the savory-sweet side which I really really like. I love also the fact that the vegetables were half cooked because I am not really crazy about mushy veggies in my Kare-Kare.
For desserts we had the Suman Crepe (Php90). I live in the town where suman or rice cake can be found in every corner of every streets but I find delight that Qubiertos make their own twist to it. The sticky rice inside has this innate sweetness making the addition of decent amount of syrups and cut up fruits just perfect and not overly sweet.
We also had some Fruit Salad (Php75) which creaminess and tartness achieved a perfect balance. I am not big on fruit salads as I prefer some greens when it comes to salad. But this one is a sweet welcome respite from the usual.
Truth be told, I am really surprised that I ended up really liking Qubiertos Grill and Restaurant. Filipino food is something I enjoy on a daily basis at home so when eating out, it rarely excite me at all. Little did I know, Qubiertos, a Filipino restaurant will blew me away with its great tasting Filipino dishes.
The fact that they have a branch now in Kapitolyo made me really happy because I frequent that place often. I'm just hoping that people will get to try their food because the way I see it, they are one of those restaurants which are underrated when in fact, they deserve more attention with the quality of Filipino dishes they have.
Qubiertos Grill and Restaurant
Branches:
Kalayaan
117 Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Central, Quezon City
D.Tuazon
69 D. Tuazon St., Brgy. Lourdes, Quezon City
Kapitolyo
40 East Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
D.Tuazon
69 D. Tuazon St., Brgy. Lourdes, Quezon City
Kapitolyo
40 East Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
Contact No.: +632.434.6441 / 411-8193
