With all the stress we have been experiencing for the past year, one of the things we could lean on was good food. A lot of people found solace in the kitchen, and the time they spent creating food to fill their souls offered them an escape from all the chaos. There’s a special kind of comfort to be found in simple homemade meals that you can rely on. Kusina ni Tito Ernie in Puerto Princesa, Palawan is one such restaurant that offers this.
“The menu features heritage family recipes developed using local produce and farm-fresh ingredients,” said Pablo Ignacio, co-owner and chef of this Palawan gem of a restaurant.
They emphasize this: If it’s not fresh from the farm, it won’t get to your table. If they don’t eat it at home, you’re not getting it at the restaurant.
We asked Ignacio what his favorite comfort food was and he told us it was the restaurant’s Super Duper Adobo. When asked to share that recipe with us, he did so with no hesitation.
Here’s the Super Duper Adobo recipe from their kitchen to yours:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped home smoked bacon
- 2 chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup chicken atay
- 1/4 cup balunbalunan (gizzards)
- 1 cup soy sauce 1 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup garlic
Procedure:
- Marinate chicken thighs in soy sauce for 30 minutes
- Sauté garlic, fry the bacon till the fat is rendered, and brown chicken thighs.
- Add vinegar, as well as soy sauce that’s used to marinate.
- Once chicken is cooked 3/4 of the way, add the balunbalunan and atay.
They also serve this dish at their restaurant, and it’s truly warm and comforting — best eaten with mashed atay, calamansi and patis as sawsawan. It may not be the way your ama cooked it, but it’s still surprisingly familiar.
Source: Kusina ni Tito Ernie
They also host Binhi sa Rurungan at the restaurant, a Sunday Market that feels more like a fair. With lockdown implemented, they focused on making their to-go and food delivery service accessible and sustainable. They reverted to traditional Pinoy binalot packaging systems, wrapping their scrumptious meals in banana leaves instead of paper or plastic.
Rest assured when you decide to try to make their Super Duper Adobo at home, you will not be disappointed. Cheesy as it may seem, with their recipes, as long as you cook with care, there’s no way to mess it up. If you make your way to Puerto Princesa, don’t hesitate to drop by for more of a taste of their home cooking.
For more information, check out their Facebook and Instagram.
Want more? Check out the recipes of other Chinoy chefs, such as Chicken Miso Katsu and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies.
