Kusina Ni Inang

Stopped in on a busy Sunday afternoon. The place is in a corner of stores in a strip mall where you can find Chinese and Italian. The sign is small and doesn’t do much of marking this small restaurant.
The food was freshly prepared and place was packed with patrons. mostly Filipino families. We ordered crispy pata, Pancit Bihon, fried Lumpia, pork BBQ, marinated pork steak, Korean style, and Lechon. My husband enjoyed the crispy chicharron from the pata but when I tried their condiment of vinegar and soy sauce, I was disappointed because of the lack of garlicky taste. Our daughter enjoyed the egg rolls and noodles while I enjoyed the pork steak with white rice. With so much food, I had no room for dessert… babingka, puto and the fried banana turon which all looked really good.
The people behind the counter were super nice! Although busy they greeted all the patrons as if they were family visiting on Sunday and making sure everyone was enjoying the food. I will come again to try their adobo and pork Sinigang.

When I went looking for Golden Bread, I found in its place a different Filipino restaurant, Kusina Ni Inang. Management is the same. Teresa runs the place with grace, humor and a deft touch in the kitchen.
On my first visit, I asked her to put together a variety of the hot dishes on her steam table for an interesting lunch. She took a large plate and filled it Pork Tocano, Chicken Adobo and Pork BBQ. Each had a distinct taste and texture. Allow me to elaborate.
The Pork Tocano seemed to be a dried pork bathed in a sweet tangy marinade after drying to absorb its flavor. It was nicely chewy and the sauce had penetrated into every fiber. Very good. The Pork BBQ was small chunks of meat on a spit that had been placed on a grill and basted in a hearty smoky sauce. It took some care to remove the meat from the wooden stick without having one fly off out of control. Each morsel had a rich taste. Very good. The Chicken Adobo was dark meat cooked in a brown savory sauce. It was tender with a mild spiciness. I could not identify the herb, but I liked it.
I don’t have much experience with Filipino food, but given this exposure, I certainly want to learn more about it through direct participation in its consumption.
The lunch came in at $ 7.99. Very good for the variety and novel experience.